Land Imprinting
Basics
The conservation tillage innovation called land imprinting was invented in 1976 by Dr. Robert Dixon and then patented in 1977 (now in the public domain, available here). The no-till method for seeding, called land imprinting, has been under development in Tucson, Arizona since the 1970s. Ranchers have applied imprinting to restore perennial grasses on their degraded range land for erosion control and forage production. Land degradation or desertification is caused by such human activities as livestock grazing, forest and woodland logging, land tillage, outdoor recreation, urban and industrial development, and military activities.
The Dixon Land Imprinter is a roller with triangle impressions designed to improve the water infiltration capacity of the soil surface. In the interview on AgroInnovations (link below), Dr. Dixon mentions a cost per Imprinter of $10,000.
