1. Oklahoma State University
Lessons Learned From On-Farm Demonstrations to Implement Conservation Tillage
Jim Stiegler
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK

2. Farmers Perception of Conservation Tillage
Complex system with challenging production practices
Difficult to understand and requires a high level of management skill
Involves new equipment and herbicides that are costly
Crop yields, profits, and return on investment are lower
Not compatible with existing ideas and beliefs
Others

3. How do we as “educators” address these concerns?
How do we speed up the time lag between farmers hearing about a practice and adopting it as part of their production?
Before we can discuss on-farm demonstrations, we
need to look at where these activities fit into the
ADOPTION PROCESS!!

4. Stages of the Adoption Process
Awareness
Interest-Information
Evaluation-Application-Decision
Trial
Adoption

5. Is there a problem?
Awareness

6. Is there a problem?
Awareness

7. Does the farmer have any control?
Understand the value of crop residue:
Wind erosion Water erosion
Runoff Infiltration
Evaporation Soil temperature Organic matter Crop yield
Awareness

8. Things that work!! Meetings Demonstrations Tours Field days
Rainfall simulator

9. Education meetings
Interest-Information

10. University research studies
Interest-Information

11. Rainfall simulator
Interest-Information

12. Equipment Demonstration
Drill/Planters
Tillage
Evaluation-Application-Decision

13. Evaluation-Application-Decision

14. Evaluation-Application-Decision
Innovative farmer
Evaluation-Application-Decision

15. Trial types:
*Strips
*Large blocks
*Multi-function
*Replicated
Trial

16. Replicated small plots
Trial

17. Involve the producer!
Work with him and his equipment! *Practices must be “do”-able.
*Time, and cost effective.
*Profitable.
Adoption

18. No-till soybeans
Adoption

19. THINGS TO REMEMBER Demonstrations are a powerful teaching tool!
“Activity” is more successful than “Function” in speeding up adoption!
Key, innovative farmers need to be identified to help sell conservation tillage -they can serve as spokesmen for University personnel!
Don’t get things too complex!
Partnerships!

20. “What a man hears, he may doubt What he sees, he may possibly doubt
Row-till cotton
“What a man hears, he may doubt
What he sees, he may possibly doubt
What he does himself, he believes.”
Seaman Knapp