Those trips across field add fuel costs

URBANA, Ill. – Strip-till and no-till tillage systems have lower fuel use and lower costs than typical-till and heavy-till systems.
“Tillage adds about $9.50 in costs per acre and between one and two gallons of fuel use,” said Gary Schnitkey, a University of Illinois farm financial management specialist.
But fuel isn’t the only cost factor you need to consider before parking the plow.
“The economic advisability of adopting these reduced tillage systems depends on whether yield losses occur or pesticide costs are increased with their adoption,” Schnitkey said.
The report, Costs and Fuel Use for Alternative Tillage Systems, was prompted by recent increases in fuel and new equipment prices. It examines two systems that have little tillage and two systems that rely on tillage. The systems are: