Newswise — Sept. 18, 2017— Changing tillage practices can help the environment and reduce costs, according to a study in Montana.

Chengci Chen, Montana State, will present “Response of Sugar Beet to Nitrogen Rate While Shifting from Conventional Tillage to Conservation Tillage” at the Managing Global Resources for a Secure Future ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting in Tampa, FL. The presentation will be held Tuesday, October 24, 2017, at 10:50 AM. The meeting is sponsored by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America.

Chen’s research found that switching to conservation tillage – either strip till or no-till – did not affect yield of sucrose percent or yield in sugar beets in those systems. This is important because no-till provided economic benefits to the grower in the form of lower costs, less labor, and less fuel consumption. No-till has been found to provide the ecosystem with less soil erosion and less soil compaction, among other benefits. These findings could represent a win-win for sugar beet growers.

For more information about the 2017 meeting, visit https://www.acsmeetings.org/. Media are invited to attend the conference. Pre-registration by Oct. 10, 2017 is required. Visit https://www.acsmeetings.org/media for registration information. For information about the “Response of Sugar Beet to Nitrogen Rate While Shifting from Conventional Tillage to Conservation Tillage” presentation, visit https://scisoc.confex.com/crops/2017am/webprogram/Paper104681.html.   

To speak with one of the scientists, contact Susan V. Fisk, 608-273-8091, [email protected] to arrange an interview. 

Meeting Link: