To Till or Not to Till

In conventional farming, the earth is tilled, or turned over with a machine, to loosen the top layer of soil and open it up to oxygen and nutrients that have made their way deeper underground. This has been the accepted farming method for years, but there is evidence that it may not be the most effective. In comes no-till farming. In no-till farming, the earth is not tilled between crop rotations, but instead a special machine is used to create small holes in the earth where the new seeds are then planted.

What are the benefits of this system? Does it really make a difference? There are hundreds of benefits, and it does make a difference to the health of the soil and the environment.
Theoretically, conventional plowing is used to prevent soil erosion. However, what happens in practice is that the topsoil suffers from degradation. According to the World Wildlife Fund, half of all topsoil on the planet has been lost in the past 150 years. This does not simply affect the fertility of the soil and ability to grow crops, but it also reduces the soil’s ability to hold water thereby increasing pollution and sediment levels in water through run-off. With no-till farming, this topsoil is preserved with help from the chosen cover crop. This is excellent for protecting the soil and the environment.

The un-tilled soil is able to retain more water, preventing runoff and keeping the soil healthier, even in times of drought. This increase in water also benefits microbes and nutrients in the soil, allowing more beneficial microbes to grow and retain nutrients. Additionally, less work and machinery is required, making the process more cost-effective and applicable to developing regions of the world. Though no-till farming is sometimes paired with synthetic systems, the environmental benefits are astronomically higher when paired with organic, like using neem-based fertilizers and pesticides. By keeping the whole process natural with biopesticides like neem, the entire system – the farmer, the earth, and the consumer – all benefit.