The Organic No-Till Farming Revolution, Part I: Advantages of No-Till Farming

Much of the interest in no-till farming comes from a desire to avoid the negative effects of tillage. So before talking about how to do no-till, we should talk about why people want to go no-till in the first place. Negatives associated with tillage include soil compaction, stirring up weed seeds, burning up organic matter, and requiring a lot of time and equipment. Positives of good no-till systems include carbon sequestration, labor savings, enhancing soil life and diversity (including the important fungal component of the soil), and increasing the water-holding capacity of the soil.