Cropping, tillage and land management practices in southwestern Ontario 1986

This report represents the results of a survey conducted on 1,115 farms in southwestern Ontario in the fall of 1986. The purpose of the survey was to provide a detailed data base for the Soil and Water Environmental Enhancement Program (SWEEP). SWEEP is a 5-year program to reduce phosphorus loadings in the Lake Erie Basin from cropland run-off and to improve the productivity of agriculture. The survey gathered information on cropping, tillage, fertilization and land management practices in 13 counties and regional municipalities of the SWEEP study area. All of these factors impact on phosphorus delivery in the Lake Erie watershed. This data was compiled to serve as a benchmark against which future progress in the implementation of soil and water conservation programs might be evaluated at the conclusion of the SWEEP Agreement.