IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agisys/v146y2016icp91-102.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Analysing reduced tillage practices within a bio-economic modelling framework

Author

Listed:
  • Townsend, Toby J.
  • Ramsden, Stephen J.
  • Wilson, Paul

Abstract

Sustainable intensification of agricultural production systems will require changes in farm practice. Within arable cropping systems, reducing the intensity of tillage practices (e.g. reduced tillage) potentially offers one such sustainable intensification approach. Previous researchers have tended to examine the impact of reduced tillage on specific factors such as yield or weed burden, whilst, by definition, sustainable intensification necessitates a system-based analysis approach. Drawing upon a bio-economic optimisation model, ‘MEETA’, we quantify trade-off implications between potential yield reductions, reduced cultivation costs and increased crop protection costs. We extend the MEETA model to quantify farm-level net margin, in addition to quantifying farm-level gross margin, net energy, and greenhouse gas emissions. For the lowest intensity tillage system, zero tillage, results demonstrate financial benefits over a conventional tillage system even when the zero tillage system includes yield penalties of 0–14.2% (across all crops). Average yield reductions from zero tillage literature range from 0 to 8.5%, demonstrating that reduced tillage offers a realistic and attainable sustainable intensification intervention, given the financial and environmental benefits, albeit that yield reductions will require more land to compensate for loss of calories produced, negating environmental benefits observed at farm-level. However, increasing uptake of reduced tillage from current levels will probably require policy intervention; an extension of the recent changes to the CAP (‘Greening’) provides an opportunity to do this.

Suggested Citation

  • Townsend, Toby J. & Ramsden, Stephen J. & Wilson, Paul, 2016. "Analysing reduced tillage practices within a bio-economic modelling framework," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 91-102.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:146:y:2016:i:c:p:91-102
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2016.04.005
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X16300701
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agsy.2016.04.005?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Glithero, N.J. & Ramsden, S.J. & Wilson, P., 2012. "Farm systems assessment of bioenergy feedstock production: Integrating bio-economic models and life cycle analysis approaches," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 53-64.
    2. Knowler, Duncan & Bradshaw, Ben, 2007. "Farmers' adoption of conservation agriculture: A review and synthesis of recent research," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 25-48, February.
    3. Wilson, Paul, 2014. "Farmer characteristics associated with improved and high farm business performance," International Journal of Agricultural Management, Institute of Agricultural Management, vol. 3(4), pages 1-9.
    4. Glithero, N.J. & Wilson, P. & Ramsden, S.J., 2015. "Optimal combinable and dedicated energy crop scenarios for marginal land," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 82-91.
    5. Šarauskis, Egidijus & Buragienė, Sidona & Masilionytė, Laura & Romaneckas, Kęstutis & Avižienytė, Dovile & Sakalauskas, Antanas, 2014. "Energy balance, costs and CO2 analysis of tillage technologies in maize cultivation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 227-235.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yanmei Liu & Astley Hastings & Shaolin Chen & André Faaij, 2023. "A Spatially Explicit Evaluation of the Economic Performance of a Perennial Energy Crop on the Marginal Land of the Loess Plateau and China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-27, July.
    2. Mohammad Mobarak Hossain & Mahfuza Begum & Abul Hashem & Md. Moshiur Rahman & Richard W. Bell, 2020. "Mulching And Weed Management Effects On The Performance Of Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Transplanted In Non-Puddled Soil," Journal of Wastes and Biomass Management (JWBM), Zibeline International Publishing, vol. 3(1), pages 13-21, December.
    3. Iwona Jaskulska & Dariusz Jaskulski & Lech Gałęzewski, 2022. "Peas and Barley Grown in the Strip-Till One Pass Technology as Row Intercropping Components in Sustainable Crop Production," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-15, February.
    4. Glenk, Klaus & Shrestha, Shailesh & Topp, Cairstiona F.E. & Sánchez, Berta & Iglesias, Ana & Dibari, Camilla & Merante, Paolo, 2017. "A farm level approach to explore farm gross margin effects of soil organic carbon management," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 33-46.
    5. Houshyar, Ehsan & Grundmann, Philipp, 2017. "Environmental impacts of energy use in wheat tillage systems: A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) study in Iran," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 11-24.
    6. Václav Voltr & Jana Wollnerová & Pavel Fuksa & Martin Hruška, 2021. "Influence of Tillage on the Production Inputs, Outputs, Soil Compaction and GHG Emissions," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-24, May.
    7. Luz Maria Castro & Fabian Härtl & Santiago Ochoa & Baltazar Calvas & Leonardo Izquierdo & Thomas Knoke, 2018. "Integrated bio-economic models as tools to support land-use decision making: a review of potential and limitations," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 183-211, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Townsend, Toby J. & Ramsden, Stephen J. & Wilson, Paul, 2015. "Towards Sustainable Intensification of Cropping Systems: Analysing Reduced Tillage Practices within a Bio-Economic Modelling Framework," 89th Annual Conference, April 13-15, 2015, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 204298, Agricultural Economics Society.
    2. Zhang, XiaoHong & Pan, HengYu & Cao, Jun & Li, JinRong, 2015. "Energy consumption of China’s crop production system and the related emissions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 111-125.
    3. Marek Helis & Maria Strzelczyk & Wojciech Golimowski & Aleksandra Steinhoff-Wrześniewska & Anna Paszkiewicz-Jasińska & Małgorzata Hawrot-Paw & Adam Koniuszy & Marek Hryniewicz, 2021. "Biomass Potential of the Marginal Land of the Polish Sudetes Mountain Range," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-16, November.
    4. Cameira, Maria do Rosário & Rodrigo, Isabel & Garção, Andreia & Neves, Manuela & Ferreira, Antónia & Paredes, Paula, 2024. "Linking participatory approach and rapid appraisal methods to select potential innovations in collective irrigation systems," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 299(C).
    5. Peter L. Stenberg & Mitchell Morehart, 2012. "The existence of pent-up demand for rural broadband services: an exploration," Chapters, in: Charlie Karlsson & Börje Johansson & Roger R. Stough (ed.), Entrepreneurship, Social Capital and Governance, chapter 9, pages 221-240, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Valbuena, Diego & Tui, Sabine Homann-Kee & Erenstein, Olaf & Teufel, Nils & Duncan, Alan & Abdoulaye, Tahirou & Swain, Braja & Mekonnen, Kindu & Germaine, Ibro & Gérard, Bruno, 2015. "Identifying determinants, pressures and trade-offs of crop residue use in mixed smallholder farms in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 107-118.
    7. Olson, Kent & Gauto, Victor & Erenstein, Olaf & Teufel, Nils & Swain, Braja & Tui, Sabine Homann-Kee & Duncan, Alan, 2021. "Estimating Farmers’ Internal Value of Crop Residues in Smallholder Crop-Livestock Systems: A South Asia Case Study," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315188, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    8. Šarauskis, Egidijus & Masilionytė, Laura & Juknevičius, Darius & Buragienė, Sidona & Kriaučiūnienė, Zita, 2019. "Energy use efficiency, GHG emissions, and cost-effectiveness of organic and sustainable fertilisation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 1151-1160.
    9. Nick Middleton & Utchang Kang, 2017. "Sand and Dust Storms: Impact Mitigation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-22, June.
    10. Aude Ridier & Caroline Roussy & Karim Chaib, 2021. "Adoption of crop diversification by specialized grain farmers in south-western France: evidence from a choice-modelling experiment," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Springer, vol. 102(3), pages 265-283, September.
    11. Gerhard Moitzi & Reinhard W. Neugschwandtner & Hans-Peter Kaul & Helmut Wagentristl, 2021. "Comparison of energy inputs and energy efficiency for maize in a long-term tillage experiment under Pannonian climate conditions," Plant, Soil and Environment, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 67(5), pages 299-306.
    12. Nelson Mango & Clifton Makate & Lulseged Tamene & Powell Mponela & Gift Ndengu, 2018. "Adoption of Small-Scale Irrigation Farming as a Climate-Smart Agriculture Practice and Its Influence on Household Income in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-19, April.
    13. Senthold Asseng & David Pannell, 2013. "Adapting dryland agriculture to climate change: Farming implications and research and development needs in Western Australia," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 118(2), pages 167-181, May.
    14. Mudaca, Joao Daniel & Tsuchiya, Toshiyuki & Yamada, Masaaki & Onwona-Agyeman, Siaw, 2015. "Household participation in Payments for Ecosystem Services: A case study from Mozambique," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 21-27.
    15. Suha Elsoragaby & A. F. Kheiralla & Elkamil Tola & Azmi Yahya & Modather Mairghany & Mojahid Ahmed & Wael M. Elamin & Bahaaddein K. M. Mahgoub, 2024. "Energy Utilization and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions of Tillage Operation in Wetland Rice Cultivation," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-13, April.
    16. Riffat Ara Zannat Tama & Md Mahmudul Hoque & Ying Liu & Mohammad Jahangir Alam & Mark Yu, 2023. "An Application of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to Examining Farmers’ Behavioral Attitude and Intention towards Conservation Agriculture in Bangladesh," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-22, February.
    17. Medwid, Laura J. & Lambert, Dayton M. & Clark, Christopher D. & Hawkins, Shawn A. & McClellan, Hannah A., 2016. "Estimating Soil Loss Abatement Curves with Primary Survey Data and Hydrologic Models: An Empirical Example for Livestock Production in an East Tennessee Watershed," 2016 Annual Meeting, February 6-9, 2016, San Antonio, Texas 230052, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    18. Pedzisa, Tarisayi & Rugube, Lovemore & Winter-Nelson, Alex & Baylis, Kathy & Mazvimavi, Kizito, 2016. "The Intensity of adoption of Conservation agriculture by smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 54(3), January.
    19. James Wangu & Ellen Mangnus & A. C. M. (Guus) van Westen, 2021. "Recognizing Determinants to Smallholders’ Market Orientation and Marketing Arrangements: Building on a Case of Dairy Farming in Rural Kenya," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-16, May.
    20. Caroline Roussy & Aude Ridier & Karim Chaïb, 2014. "Adoption d’innovations par les agriculteurs : rôle des perceptions et des préférences," Post-Print hal-01123427, HAL.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:146:y:2016:i:c:p:91-102. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.