Sustainable Farm Systems Improving the Quality of Life in the Pacific Northwest Overview Air, water and soil are simplistic components. Together they offer diverse environmental benefits within which wildlife and man can thrive.
Air	Water	Soil
Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association promotes the adoption of crop production methods which provide measurable improvements in each of these three areas - thus improving the Quality of Life. Direct seeding has been shown to increase or improve Wildlife Habitat, Environmental Sustainability, Economic Viability and Energy Conservation. The agronomic, economic and environmental benefits of direct seeding help to improve the sustainability of farming in the region. Sustainable agriculture supports rural economies, the environment and the overall Quality of Life in the Pacific Northwest. Definition of Direct Seeding
	Direct seeding refers to farming systems that fertilize and plant directly into undisturbed soil in one field operation, or two separate operations of fertilizing and planting. Only narrow strips of soil are disturbed by the equipment openers used to place fertilizer and seed in the soil without full width tillage. Much of the residue from the previous crop is retained on the soil surface. The reduced soil disturbance and retention of surface crop residues with direct seed systems provide improved environmental protection while maintaining or increasing soil productivity, and potentially reducing production costs for farmers.
Benefits of Direct Seeding Reduced Costs Direct seed growers can save on input costs including fuel, water, labor, and equipment. Costs to society lower when sedimentation declines (dredging streambeds, cleaning ditches, etc), air and water quality improve and wildlife habitat increases. Agronomic Benefits Time saved by eliminating tillage passes allows a grower to farm more acres with the labor and equipment or reduce labor and equipment expenses. Improved water holding capacity increases soil water content and decreases irrigation needs. More porous soil allows for greater air and water movement, and plant root growth. Increasing soil organic matter content and biological activity results in improved soil fertility over time. These factors combined often lead to higher yields. Conserves Farmers Time and Energy Reduce Fuel Consumption Save an average 3.5 gallons an acre or 1,750 gallons on a 500-acre farm Reduce Equipment Support Costs Reduce use and eventually manufacturing Reduce Irrigation Reduce power and water consumption (From www.agric.gov.ab.ca) Energy Conservation
	Fewer trips across the field reduce fossil fuel consumption and emissions from farm equipment saving an average 3.5 gallons of diesel an acre or 1,750 gallons on a 500-acre farm each year. The cost of repairing, purchasing and hence manufacturing new equipment declines with less use. In irrigated areas, improved water conservation reduces irrigation needs, cutting power use.
Lower Energy Consumption An average 3.5 gallons an acre or 1,750 gallons of fuel saved on a 500-acre farm per year (CTIC). Between 0.5 and 0.66 tons per acre of CO2 per year can be kept out of the atmosphere. This is the equivalent of not burning about a 20-gallon tank of gasoline per acre per year. Minimizes the breakdown of humus and increases the carbon content of the soil 1.0 ton/ha/yr or more (2). Fuel Consumption: Save an average 3.5 gallons an acre or 1,750 gallons on a 500-acre farm Direct Seed Challenges Grower Challenges Environmentally, direct seeding appears the best choice for farming in most regions. Transitioning from conventional tillage to a direct seed cropping system, however, is a challenge, especially to farmers in the Pacific Northwest. Adopting a direct seed farming system alters the way a grower thinks and farms; it demands patience, flexibility and openness to change. The transition breaks with tradition by replacing practices that have been passed down for generations with an ever-changing environment. The initial cost of investing in new equipment for an uncertain outcome is often prohibitive. Research and practical experience are less likely to have definitive answers to a whole new slate of agronomoic challenges and risks. The Pacific Northwest faces geographic challenges other areas do not confront and therefore has been slow to adopt direct seed cropping systems. For these reasons, incentive programs are critical and spreading the available research and practical know-how are critical to its adoption in the region. Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association (PNDSA) The Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association is a grower-based organization committed to increasing direct seed farming systems in the Pacific Northwest from the current 650,000 to 2 million acres by 2005. PNDSA fills a void by uniting growers under a cropping system, rather than specific crops, and by bringing together diverse groups with common interests for economic and environmental benefits for growers and society as a whole. The 2002 Quality of Life Direct Seed Cropping Tour brought together farmers and the environmental community. It demonstrated that direct seed cropping systems benefit the environment without taking agricultural lands out of production; and provided a forum for individuals from diverse groups, who play a critical role in agriculture and the environment, to interact and find ways to work together toward common goals. PNDSA grower members currently represent over 600,000 acres in the Pacific Northwest and Montana spanning rainfall regions from 8-24 inches. Early in 2002, the Association signed a historic agreement with an energy company; by leasing carbon credits, farmers are being paid to direct seed. For more information on PNDSA or the Quality of Life direct seed cropping concept, please refer to www.directseed.org. Soil Quality
	In addition to controlling cropland soil erosion, direct seed cropping systems also improve soil quality through minimized soil disturbance and increased retention of crop residues. Increased organic matter and soil porosity improve soil macro and micro fauna diversity and activity. Earthworm populations can increase dramatically in some areas, further enhancing soil fertility and porosity.
Over time, a soil that is not disturbed by tillage and to which crop residues have been continually added, develops an extensively diversified biota; i.e., bacteria, fungi, micro & macro fauna AND EARTHWORMS. The maze of tunnels, old root channels and pathways greatly increase the soil's water holding capacity. The secretions of these biota tend to aggregate the soil and give it a very stable structure, while keeping it uncompacted and increasing its "tilth". The waste products of these biota place nutrients in a form very accessible to plants. Therefore, soil that remains in no-till long term has greatly increased water holding capability, can support heavy equipment without being compacted, has enhance tilth and increased fertility. Often, long term direct seed growers report using 30% LESS nitrogen fertilizer to grow the same amount of crop as the conventional grower. Similarly, dry land no-till growers frequently report that as much as 25% MORE water is stored in the soil matrix were it is available to grow better crops. Irrigated no-till growers need to apply LESS water and have experienced greatly increased "water transmissibility". Erosion is virtually eliminated in both cases. Reduce or Eliminate Erosion No-till farming has been adopted as a conservation culture practice because of it's ability to reduce soil erosion, sedimentation and chemical runoff to streams. Soil erosion from wind and water can be reduced by up to 90% A 95-99% reduction in soil loss has been demonstrated Surface runoff can be reduced up to 69% (Tebrugge). On average, results in 93% less sedimentation and 69% less water runoff. Improve Soil Microbiology: Healthy soil=Sustainable soil Tillage can change the abundance (by 2-9 times) as well as the composition (diversity) of earthworm populations. (K.Y.Chan) Many earthworms will produce 79 tons of castings/acre/year. Nutrients in earthworm castings include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium. In about 20 years of intense tillage most agricultural soils lose 50% of soil carbon. Increasing carbon/organic matter increases the soil's nutrient- and moisture-holding capacity, and reduces soil crusting. Soil organic matter is a storehouse of plant nutrients and a binding agent that influences soil erodability, aeration, and water retention properties, buffering capacity. Water Quality
	Reduced soil disturbance and increased retention of crop residues on the soil surface improve soil porosity, water infiltration and holding capacity, and can reduce erosion from water and wind by 90% or more. This results in less sedimentation ditches, streams, rivers and lakes. Reduced sedimentation improves fish habitat and minimizes the need for dredging. Less soil erosion also reduces offsite movement of agricultural chemicals tied to the soil particles.
Air  Quality
	Direct seeding leaves crop residue on the surface and improves air quality by: reducing wind erosion and consequently particulate matter; minimizing fuel consumption and emissions; and reducing the need to burn. Direct seeding also reduces the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Greenhouse Gases Tillage accelerates the biological decomposition of soil organic matter and crop residue, resulting in the release of carbon dioxide as a byproduct to the atmosphere and a decline in soil organic matter content over time. Direct seeding can reverse this process of carton loss and sequester carbon in the soil & reducing the buildup of greenhouse gases and increasing soil organic matter.
Cut Greenhouse Gases: Between 0.5 and 0.66 tons per acre of CO2 can be kept out of the atmosphere. This is the equivalent of not burning about a 20-gallon tank of gasoline per acre per year. Minimizes the breakdown of humus and increases the carbon content of the soil 1.0 ton/ha/yr or more (2). Wildlife Habitat
	Wildlife species diversity and numbers have been shown to increase in areas where direct seeding is practiced. Crop residue in the form of cover and food, less disturbance from equipment, crop diversity, cleaner water and air provide favorable habitat for wildlife, such as game and nongame birds, big game animals, such as deer, small mammals, and salmonid fish species. Less soil disturbance and reduction of insecticides also encourages the development of a greater diversity of beneficial insects including a higher proportion of predators and fewer herbivores.
Increase Wildlife Species Diversity and Sustainability through habitat enhancement Quail can obtain their daily caloric intake (DCI) necessary for survival in only four hours per day in no-till fields of some crops. In conventionally farmed fields, it takes the same quail 22 hours per day to gain its DCI. Diversity and density of nesting birds increases with the amount and structure of soil surface residue: 36 nests of 12 species/100ha on no-till vs 4 nests of 4 species/100 ha in conventional tillage. (Basore et al, 86)
	Salmon Recovery in the Pacific NW The PNDSA recognizes the importance of several salmon species in the tri-state region, and believes agriculture can play a key role in the process of recovery. Conservation farming practices including direct seeding can help bring endangered salmon species back to our rivers. The importance of water quality in promoting better spawning conditions is critical to that recovery. Direct seeding contributes directly to salmon recovery through reduction of erosion and improvement of spawning habitat. We support formation of collaborative partner arrangements with entities interested in environmental improvement that will directly enhance salmon recovery through improved production practices.