Conservation Tillage Training for Georgia’s County Agents

Farmer interest in conservation tillage (CT) has increased with rising fuel prices, the new Conservation Security Program, and desire for improved resource stewardship. Research has shown that farmer’s see maximum benefit to CT if it is part of a cropping system that includes cover crops and crop rotation. The CT system best suited for a particular operation will vary with the crop, site, soils, and other factors. Many county extension agents in Georgia indicated they needed further training to meet the informational needs of their farmers. Consequently, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences created a multi-disciplinary conservation tillage educational task force to develop a training program. The College recognized the need for input from other agencies that had extensive experience in conservation and management of natural resources. The task force includes UGA-CAES faculty, USDA-NRCS personnel, USDA-ARS research scientists, and non-governmental representatives. A survey of the county agents was conducted to determine specific training needs and attitudes towards CT. The survey indicated most county agents had a positive attitude towards CT systems, but their knowledge was weak on the differences between CT systems and conventional systems in terms of: inputs, equipment, changes in soil quality and fertility, effects on yields and quality of different commodities, and specifics on how to implement CT practices. The survey also indicated that more information on the economics of CT systems was needed. Agents preferred a combination of classroom and field training. The results of the survey were used to develop specific training modules with the purpose of improving the knowledge level of county agents on conservation tillage systems.