Amish agriculture and no-till: The hazards of applying the USLE to unusual farms

Using the universal soil loss equation, conservationists in Holmes County, Ohio, estimate that 7-15 tons/acre of topsoil are lost from Amish farms in that area each year. The Soil Conservation Service is currently encouraging these Amish farmers to adopt no-till because it has been shown to be a viable conservation option in the region. This study addresses two problems: What effect does traditional horse-drawn farming, as practiced by the Amish, have on soil properties and does no-till improve soil quality in comparison with Amish methods. Two farms were studied, one under traditional Amish management and one in modern no-till corn and alfalfa production. Both farms are located on Wooster silt loam (Typic Fragiudalf), 6-12% slope, and both produce corn yields that are well above the state average. The Amish farm exhibits significantly higher rates of infiltration, more organic matter, higher levels of alkaline phosphatase activity, and lower bulk density than the no-till farm. An attempt is made to link the differences in these soil properties to the crop production systems employed on the two farms. Finally, an evaluation of the USLE shows that it lacks the flexibility to account for the innovative techniques used by the Amish.