No-till farming is an agricultural technique for growing crops or pasture without disturbing the soil through tillage. No-till farming decreases the amount of soil erosion tillage causes in certain soils, especially in sandy and dry soils on sloping terrain.
Effects of No-Till farming on soil
The world “to-till” originates from Proto-Germanic with the basic meaning “to cultivate”, “to plow”. The primary goals of no-till agriculture are to avoid cultivation with soil improvement in mind.
How Does No- Till farming help to reduce Erosion
No-till agriculture reduces soil erosion. Tillage breaks the earth’s surface and turns it over, moving the cover layer inside. As a result, the bare soil is subject to erosion because of the loosened structure. Deprived of cover matter, it is subject to quick erosion due to water flows, especially in slope and steep areas, and winds.
How No-Till farming helps to conserve soil fertility
No-Till farming helps to conserve soil and preserve its fertility. Tilling interferes with the earth’s flora and fauna balance impacting micro-communities. It does help to mechanically control mature pests and their larvae; yet, it destroys beneficial species at the same time. With no-till, certain soil microorganisms in their natural habitats are capable of improving soil fertility with their activities.
Benefits of No-Till
• Savings on tillage equipment needed to plow the entire field. Modern machines allow sowing directly on the residue-covered strips instead. Furthermore, plants can get nutrients from the decomposed matter this way.
• Shorted operation time. Sophisticated seeders do the job faster and complete it in one-field pass.
• Avoided human labor for tilling operations and maintaining tillage machines.
• Conserved moisture and decreased water spend due to slowed evaporation and low cracking.
• Eliminated herbicide leakage due to less frequent irrigation.
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