To Till or Not to Till: The Question of Economic Efficiency and Tillage Systems in a Sample of Illinois Grain Farms

Abstract

For farmers, estimates of changes in input expenditures as well as cost share can provide beneficial additional information in planning and budgeting activities. Marketers, confronted with the question of whether or not to segment the farmer's market with respect to tillage practice, might benefit from the analysis done concerning reaction to price changes. The knowledge that efficiency regime does not change with tillage practice is important for policy makers, who constantly have to assess the potential effects of new technologies and practices not only on the ability of farmers to feed the nation, but also on the ability of U.S. agriculture to compete in a world economy.