Title:
Throw Away the Plow? Why Experts Say Strip Tilling
Is Better
Description: This is
a VOA Special English General News Report.
See text below
Text:
A huge cloud of dust blew through Lubbock, Texas, in
October after months of heat and drought. To some
people, it brought back memories of the Dust Bowl in
the 1930s. That was when dust storms repeatedly
struck the Great Plains. Texas state official
Salvador Salinas says a return to Dust Bowl
conditions is unlikely. SALVADOR SALINAS: "We have
come a long way from those days where we had these
occurrences as a common occurrence." Experts say one
reason for the storms 80 years ago is that plowing
was more common back then. In areas where the soil
was broken up, it often was blown or washed away.
Bram Govaerts has seen the effects of such erosion.
He is with the International Maize and Wheat
Improvement Center in Mexico. BRAM GOVAERTS: "There
is a percentage of area in certain states of Mexico
where farming is no longer possible because we
already eroded those areas." He suggests a different
method. BRAM GOVAERTS: "Throwing away the plow. No
longer plowing. No movement of soil." In the Texas
High Plains, that means farmers cut just a thin
strip of soil where the seed and fertilizer go. The
rest of the field is left alone, says farmer David
Ford. DAVID FORD: "Everything in between these rows
is the organic matter left from the wheat straw, and
which helps keep the ground covered, reduces soil
erosion." Keeping the ground covered helps to
protect the land from wind and sun. It also keeps
the soil from drying out. Brandt Underwood works
with the United States Department of Agriculture.
BRANDT UNDERWOOD: "I think it made a huge
difference. It's my opinion that the strip-till
system right here and the residue management is
what's enabled David to produce this kind of corn
crop in this drought-type year." David Ford says
plowing less saves him money. DAVID FORD: "We don't
have to burn the fuel that we used to burn. Our
equipment will last longer." Bram Govaerts says his
center is designing equipment like this
hand-operated tiller for farmers. BRAM GOVAERTS: "We
want to have machines locally built that the local
small businesses also get better from the improved
technologies." Research has shown that farmers get
as good or better crop production using these
methods. They also can save money on production
costs. That means, with the age-old tradition of
plowing, less really is more. I'm Steve Ember.
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Hi. I
personally reviewed this video and found it appropriate for
the news section of English Global Group. This
is a Voice of America video which covers an interesting
topic in Special English. I would appreciate some feedback from both
students and teachers about this video. You can comment in
the window below using any of a number of different services
including Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail.
