Print This PageConservation Tillage Brochure
In short, less plowing of the soil and more crop mulch and cover on fields are what make conservation tillage different from conventional farming. Tillage is simply the act of breaking up, pulverizing and smoothing out the soil in farm fields with some type of mechanical plowing device. From sticks to horse-drawn plows to huge tractors that pull complex configurations of disks, harrows, sweeps and cultivators, tillage has traditionally been the farmer’s way of preparing the ground for planting, fighting weeds and aerating the soil.
Regardless of where you live, agriculture is the most essential industry in the world. How crops are produced is important to everyone. Historically, the production of food and fiber has revolved around tillage that disturbs the soil in some way.
But tillage comes with a price. Loosened soil runs off fields during heavy rains, silting our waterways. Wind blows tiny soil particles in large quantities, lowering air quality and causing respiratory health problems. Essential moisture is lost when the soil is disturbed. Fortunately, this reliance on tillage in agriculture is starting to lessen. Beginning in the mid-70s and increasing throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the trend toward crop production methods that de-emphasize use of the plow has increased dramatically. This movement within the agricultural industry involves a range of new farming production methods that collectively are known as "conservation tillage." In short, less plowing of the soil and more crop mulch and cover on fields are what make conservation tillage different from conventional farming.
Mulch is a protective blanket of leaves, stems and stalks from a previous crop that is left on the soil surface after harvest and during and between growing seasons. Sometimes, mulch is created by planting cover crops such as wheat, rye or perennial grasses, then leaving the stubble to serve as the protective cover. This cover shields the soil surface from heat, wind and rain; keeps soils cooler; and reduces moisture loss to evaporation.
Conservation tillage is a major change in farming practices that impacts everyone, yet very few people have noticed or paid attention. This movement away from the plow has been a quiet revolution.
