No-Till, No Problem!

No-till field after heavy rain
(with cover crops).
Photo credit: Farm Progress

One of the top recommendations of Indiana's Soil and Water Conservation Districts for farmers is to no-till their land. That's right - put down the plow and let your land take care of itself. It is scientifically proven that no-till farming can be more profitable than traditional tilling methods. (source). The trick is doing no-till correctly, and identifying which practices are best for each farmer's unique operation and land needs.

"Utilizing no-till farming practices has been consistently identified as a method which is capable of conserving soil moisture, reducing soil erosion, improving water quality, benefiting wildlife, increasing labor use efficiency, limiting machinery investments, sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide, etc." (source)

Tilled field with standing water
after heavy rain.
Photo credit: UW-Discovery Farms

One of the reasons that traditional farm operations will till their land is to, ostensibly, reduce soil compaction. When soil is compacted, it is difficult for crops' roots to punch through the soil and take up the nutrients they need. However, tilling land is time-consuming and expensive, given the machinery and fuel needed to cover acre after acre. Conservation farmers and scientists have found that no-till fields, especially when paired with cover crops, resist compaction.

This article in No-Till Farmer lists some tips for managing soil compaction. Among them are keeping living roots (cover crops) in the soil year round, not driving on fields (or using low-psi flotation tires) and keeping cattle out of fields.

No-tilled fields perform admirably when paired with other conservation farming methods, like cover crops. For example, as noted in Farm Progress, "No-till builds up soil phosphorus levels in the top couple inches of soil. In a run-off event, soluble P losses can be substantial. That's why the practice still needs to be matched with other conservation practices such as buffer zones and cover crops."

Hoosier farmers are lucky to have a unique resource available: the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSI). In conjunction with SWCDs, CCSI "promotes a systematic approach to production agriculture focusing on:

1. Continuous no-till/strip-till
2. Cover crops
3. Precision farming
4. Nutrient and pest management

CCSI works with private producers as well. If you're interested in learning more about how no-tilling your fields can improve your operation, contact your local SWCD today. You can also visit a cover crop field day. Use CCSI's calendar to search for an event in your area.