Benefits Of No Till Farming

“Erosion occurs when the soil lacks protective vegetative cover”. (Pimentel, Kounang, 1998) “Soil erosion reduces the productivity of the land by loss of water, soil, organic matter, nutrients, biota, and depth of soil.” (Pimentel, Kounang, 1998) With no conservation methods in place in certain places like: no contour farming, no cover crop, no terraces, no water ways, and tillage on steep hills is asking for a loss of productivity from the land. The effects on the land that non-conservation methods have is horrible. “Its effects are pervasive, and its damages are long lasting. (Pimentel and others 1995a)” (Pimentel, Kounang, 1998) Soil loss is a bigger factor then most people think. For an example an comparison of how much soil is actually lost in certain environments: “On sloping agricultural land under tropical rainfall, as much as 400t/ha/yr of soil is lost (Pimentel unpublished report,1990).”(Pimentel, Kounang, 1998) “Under arid conditions with relatively strong winds, as much as 5600t/ha/yr of soil has been reported lost (Gupta and Raina 1996).” (Pimentel, Kounang, 1998) Soil loss is a huge factor when conservation practices are not put into place. “According to some investigators, approximately 75 billion tons a fertile soil are lost annually from the world’s agricultural systems (Myers 1993).” (Pimentel, Kounang, 1998) Soil loss is a huge factor and many different things can be done to help slow it,

With environmental concerns garnering increased international publicity and concern, the debate over no-till or conventional tillage farming has escalated to a heated argument. No-till farming entered the debate over organic versus traditional farming in the past few decades as a possible solution to the issues of erosion, runoff, and pollution, but the downside of additional herbicides scared many from the plow-free farm model. With strong opposition on both sides, no-till farming has seen greatly variable levels of acceptance worldwide. This complex issue seems to somewhat boil down to the concerns over herbicides. Their profound impacts on health, economy, and the environment make them highly controversial. Perhaps both sides of the debate could be satisfied by implementation of recent research in regenerative, organic no-till agriculture and by use of tax credits as an economic cushion for new no-till farmers, like those used in Australia.

Compacted soil can result in soil that is unable to create a run-off surface. If this happens, the water will be unable to seep into the soil and irrigate the crop. Tractors passing over soil can cause this compaction to occur, which is why tilling is a more effective way to stir up the soil. And as a bonus, tilling can help get rid of weeds, so it is a win win.

The only downfall from this timely conception is the damage to the soil if the crops are not rotated every few years. Berry speaks about the fact that some individuals focus on the production of crops instead of the health of their land; this irresponsibility causes problems for the environment. Berry states, “Once one’s farm and one’s thoughts have been sufficiently mechanized, industrial agriculture’s focus on production, as opposed to maintenance, becomes merely logical…The farm and all concerns not immediately associated with production have in effect disappeared from sight” (Berry, p. 2, p. 3). Some of America’s Society do not care about the consequences of constantly harvesting. Instead, people concern themselves with meeting the supply and demands. Berry expresses his views about soil science and its uses of replacing the lost nutrients from the overuse of the land.

Severe water scarcity could be imminent in the not so distant future. Flooding crop furrows has been an inexpensive irrigation method for over six thousand years. Though traditional, it is very wasteful. An excessive amount of the water evaporates into he air, or soaks into the ground while the plants receive very little. The excess water drains into rivers and underground aquifers. The water running from the furrows is polluted with fertilizers. The constant use of flooding creates erosion, waterlogging and salinization of the soil. 40 percent of the world’s food grows on irrigated soil.

No till farming uses double-disc openers to cut out the last crop planted and dropping the new seed in its place. This farming technique does not disturb the soil as much as normal tilling. Many soil conservationists argue that soil tillage destroys the aggregation and microorganism of the soil. This in later terms reduces the sustainability of our food production and reduces the intake of water by the crop. No till farming benefits all farmers when used with cover crop, crop rotation or windbreaks.

Franklin D Roosevelt once said, “the history of every Nation is eventually written in the way in which it cares for its soil.” The United States began seeing sustainable management practices in farms, and healthier soil through this act. In 1982 through 2007, the United States soil erosion had declined by 43%” (Montanarella, 2015). Every year the United States loses about $400 billion dollars due to crop soil that is eroded. Soil is a limited resource and the largest resource for growing food, accommodating diverse ecosystems, and providing food resources. Therefore laws, acts, and provisions are necessary to protect this natural resource.

Congress declares soil erosion “a natural menace”. Under Hugh B. Bennett, the SCS will develop programs to save the topsoil and irreparable damage to the land. New farming techniques are put in place and farmers are paid to practice soil-conserving techniques as

Today, in the United States, farmers and ranchers produce a wide variety of commodities for food, fuel, and fiber in response to markets. These farmers understand and recognize the significance of managing their soil as well as their plant productivity. America’s farmers are true professionals because crop production is a very complex business.

No till farming by definition is simply “a system for planting crops without plowing, using herbicides to control weeds and resulting in reduced soil erosion and the preservation of soil nutrients” (1). “In no-till agriculture, the farmer uses a disk or chisel plow to prepare the field for seeding” (3). The plows create a big enough furrow for the seeds to be injected into the ground (3). “Plowing and tillage are major sources of erosion around the world” (2). Plowing and tillage “were key factors behind the Dust Bowl in the 1930s” (2). According to Brad Plumer of The Washington Post says “churning up all that soil can release a significant amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, helping to warm the planet” (2). Also according to Plumer

The last way that this new method helps his business is by saving the soil in his fields. When you till you land, you lose nutrients and carbon that is stored in the field. Along with that, you also lose some of the soil, itself. When you choose the no-till method, you conserve the nutrients, carbon, and soil. This will benefit his operation very much in the future and he will not have to worry about unfertile land or land that lacks topsoil.

Cover crops: reduce soil erosion, captures, recycles and redistributes nutrients, suppresses weed growth, minimizes and reduces soil compaction, increases soil organic matter.

Soil is the most important element for agricultural ecosystems. Healthy soil comes with beneficial microbes and insects. Unfortunately, these are often killed off by the abuse of pesticides. Healthy soil can produce strong crops that are less vulnerable to pests. Damaged soils often need strong fertilizers application to produce a high amount of crops. Soil quality can be amplified in many ways, including leaving crop remainders in the field after harvest and adding composted plant material (Union of Concerned Scientists) Compared to industrial agriculture, companies continue to damage and consume natural soil. While intensive plowing and monocrop (does not rotate) agriculture systems have caused nutrient exhaustion and soil erosion. Excessive application of fertilizers and pesticides has contaminated soils and polluted waterways (Grace Communications Foundations)

Erosion removes the surface soils, containing most of the organic matter, plant nutrients, and fine soil particles, which help to retain water and nutrients in the root zone where they are available to plants. Thus it affects the productivity of plants. The remaining, the subsoil, tends to be less fertile, less absorbent and less able to retain pesticides, fertilizers, and other plant nutrients. There are over 17,000 soil types recognized worldwide. They vary widely in structure, erodibility, fertility, and ability to produce crops. A generalized soil profile for a humid, temperate climate is showed. When the natural vegetation is cleared for agriculture, soils become exposed to erosion and loss of soil fertility. The removal of the above-ground natural

Agriculture in the United States has changed dramatically over the centuries. Since the 1960’s large commercial farms have been leading in sales. As a direct result of their success we, as a society, have access to affordable food. However, the success of large farms has lead to many negative impacts such as increased usage of resources and decreased diversity in crop fields. This begs the question, what can be done to reduce the negative impacts of large farms. One solution growing in popularity is sustainable agriculture. The idea of sustainable agriculture is to create farms that need little to no outside help from irrigation, pesticides, or fertilizers. Sustainability can be achieved in many way through