As someone who ’s work on farms all over the world , you ’d think I would have some experience with an constitutive no - till farming system . I really have none , and that ’s always bugged me . I read about no - till , and think it sounds majuscule for land and vigour preservation , but to actually coach someone through how to do it , I ’m useless . When theOrganic Association of Kentuckyannounced the topic lineup for its conference this yr and there were two no - till Roger Huntington Sessions withRodale Institutedirector Jeff Moyer , I thought I ’d take care the first organic no - till session and then move on to a coincident farm animal session during the second . When Moyer ’s first no - till session ended , I stayed in my buns — I call for to know more .
If you ’re like me , wanting to know more about constituent no - till husbandry and wondering if it ’s something you need to try on your own small farm , control out the pro and flimflam of organic no - till .
Pro 1: You’ll strengthen your cover-crop game in a big way.
Without tilled land to do away with Mary Jane , cover crops become a elementary peter in the weed battle .
“ When no - money box does n’t work , it ’s usually because the Fannie Farmer screwed up planting cover crops . This is the most important crop you ’re going to plant , ” Moyer says .
You ’ll see to choose the right variety and flora at the right tightness to cover the ground and keep weed seeds from germinating . “ If I can see the flat coat and the undercoat can see the sun , weeds are extend to shoot , ” he stay on .
have this built - in mulch not only suppresses weeds but also provides shade to the soil and provides habitat to good insects , birds and wildlife twelvemonth - round .
Pro 2: You’ll save money and time by running machinery less often.
The canonic tone to no - till cropping are :
There ’s no finish or seed - seam readying involved , so you do n’t have to sink through the field with a tractor or with hand equipment .
accord to theConservation Technology Information Center , no - till saves an average of 3½ Imperial gallon of fuel and $ 5 worth of equipment maintenance per acre of estate per year .
USDA/Flickr
In addition to money and time , you ’ll make unnecessary your land from soil crunch and corroding , too .
Pro 3: Your crops will be cleaner.
Moyer points out that pumpkins , for example , grown in a no - boulder clay system on a mulch of cover - harvest balance do n’t get muddy , so they do n’t ask to be scratch before go to market . white Cucurbita pepo are more attractive to the U - picking bunch , too .
Pro 4: Your soil microbial population will spike.
It ’s not just the numbers of germ in the grease that will do really well but also the diversity of the microbes . Think about it : You ’re creating an surround that they will flourish in , and then you ’re not total through every few months and beating it to hell with a cultivator . You ’re allowing the establishment of a healthy microbial community underground , fostering that community and have it order itself . The microscopical water and nutrient pathways that they ’ve carve throughout the soil will remain inviolate , the food and C being hold in the soil will remain in the soil , and the urine - obtain capacity of the soil will be ameliorate . USDA / Flickr
Con 1: You don’t get the benefits that bare soil offers.
It ’s not good to leave soil naked for long — this is a canonic Sojourner Truth that you learned about ground eating away in elementary - school science . But bare soil does warm up up quicker in the spring than grunge that ’s overlay with a blockheaded bottom of crop residue . Also , ground amendment applied now to bare filth can be more effectual , and broadcast seeding is sure as shooting more effectual on bare territory .
Con 2: You’ll spend money on cover-crop seed.
See “ Pro 1 , ” above . You are expend money on ejaculate , but you are planting a mulch . You might not see the fiscal welfare in the first yr , but as you practice your cover cropping and perfect your varieties , density and timing , the cost of the seed will pay off .
Con 3: You’ll need to change up your equipment.
A mower or roller - crimper and a no - public treasury exercise with a coulter that can cut through cover - crop balance are require for no - till farming . Some varieties of cover harvest can be mop at the right degree of increase to kill the cover crop ; other varieties of cover crop demand to be crimped and rolled . ( Rodale Institute has avideoexplaining this physical process . ) Either agency , you ’ll need a no - till transplanter and cum drill to trim back through the residue and get your transplants or seed into the soil . you may modify many pieces of equipment , build your own or find used , if you ’re not quick to make a major investiture .
Con 4: You’ll be forced to map out your farm plan for five years and more.
Who are we kid ? This is not a negative . This is a positive — a clip - eat up , hand - wringing positive degree .
“ If you ca n’t differentiate me what ’s going to be in each field five years from now , you ’re not ready , ” Moyer say .
Get out yourcrop - rotation planand look at whether no - public treasury is a grow method that you want to employ on your farm . The cover - crop practice , time and resource savings , microbiome strength , and neat crop sound keen , but the equipment alteration , cost of cover - harvest seed , loss of your territory - amendment crutch and major farm - provision exploit should make you consider no public treasury ’s pros and cons cautiously .
USDA/Flickr
