Tamie L. Veith1, Lula T. Ghebremichael1, Paul E. Cerosaletti2, and Dale R. Dewing2. (1) Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research Unit, USDA-ARS, 3702 Curtin Rd, University Park, PA 16802, (2) Cornell Cooperative Extension - Delaware County, NY
New York dairy farms use their most fertile land to produce corn silage, an important component of their production system. Increasing demand for corn by ethanol producers is driving up corn grain prices. This is introducing a major shift into the NY dairy farm system by prompting farmers to place more land into corn production. Increasing corn grain production may allow farmers to produce their feed grain needs on-farm and, thus, avoid tight marginal profits caused by purchasing higher-priced grain. However, erosion and associated phosphorus (P) loadings of corn land is of particular environmental concern. P loss from agricultural lands continues to be a major pollutant for NY city water supply reservoirs. To reconcile the farmers’ economic needs for increasing on-farm corn grain production with the risk of increased erosion and P loss threats from expanded corn fields, farm planners and other agencies are initiating a no-till management option to the corn production system. This study quantitatively assesses the potential environmental and economical effects of implementing no-till management in conjunction with the increased need to grow corn grain. This study applies a whole-farm model to a large and small farm in Cannonsville Reservoir Watershed to evaluate different management scenarios. Farm factors evaluated include farm profits, feed imports, farm P balance, and P losses. Study findings will enable relative comparisons between the risks of increasing downstream water quality pollution with that of decreasing on-farm economic viability.
