Print This PageConservation Tillage Brochure
Farmers who practice conservation tillage burn up to 50 percent less fuel and greatly reduce the release of greenhouse gases from the soil that contribute to global warming.
The term "conservation tillage" is an umbrella classification for several crop production systems, including no-till, ridge-till, strip-till, mulchtill, reduced-till, minimum-till, stale seedbed, direct seeding and other names. Put simply, all of these methods leave crop mulch covering the ground between growing seasons, providing a protective cover that holds soil in place, minimizes runoff and dramatically decreases erosion.
The structure and texture of the soil are improved significantly, often after just two or three years, in conservation tillage systems. Organic matter, the key ingredient in soil “richness,” gradually increases from year to year. Earthworms are also more plentiful. Every gardener in the world, whether organic, recreational or commercial, will tell you that earthworms increase soil porosity, improve the movement of air and water through the soil, and generally improve the overall condition and richness of the soil.
Repetitious use of the plow is destructive to the earthworm. Compared with conventional farming methods that require from three or four to as many as six or even ten trips over fields with tillage equipment, these various forms of conservation tillage allow farmers to get by with little or no tillage. Worms thrive, and the soil is richer for it. In addition, microbes, bacteria and a host of other living organisms that sustain the soil increase.
Farmers who practice conservation tillage burn up to 50 percent less fuel and greatly reduce the release of greenhouse gases from the soil that contribute to global warming. Conservation tillage systems also provide a more hospitable and productive wildlife habitat, improve water-use efficiency and significantly reduce the runoff of soil into lakes, rivers and streams.
