NoTill Systems

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No-Till Systems

• John Gibson, Daniel Stahly, Alan Doolittle,
  Brandon Moseley

Mato Grosso, Brazil
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No-Till

• A way of growing crops from year to year without
  disturbing the soil through tillage
• Also known as conservation tillage or zero
  tillage

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Background

• Traditionally in crop production there has been
  conventional tillage.
• Conventional tillage would consist of plowing or
  chisel plowing before finish tilling to prepare
  seed bed.
• There are several reasons that tillage became
  used on a regular basis and was preferred by
  many.
• It helps remove weeds, mix soil amendments,
  provide good seed bed, and usually increase
  yield.

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Advent of No-till

• Popularity rose of no-till in 1985
• Largely due to development of chemicals
• People became conscious of the environment
• In Indiana
• 28 of Corn and 77 of Soybeans are planted using
  No-till (2004 Survey)

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Effects on Soil

• With No-Till there is crop residue left on the
  soil surface.
• There are various conservation tillage methods
  that try to keep soil erosion, soil compaction,
  and carbon loss to a minimum.
• Reduced tillage and Strip tillage, which is no
  more than ¼ of the field, are two of the most
  common practices.
• These practices help conserve soil preservation,
  thus helping to reduce erosion.

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Effect on O.M.
Plant and animal residues such as leaves,
trimmings, and manure in various stages of
decomposition
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How?
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No-Till Planters
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Advantages compared to Conventional Tillage

• Reduced wind and soil erosion
• Topsoil is left intact
• Reduced carbon emissions into atmosphere
• Increased fuel and labor savings
• Increased biological activity
• Improves soil structure
• Help decrease soil compaction over time

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Disadvantages Compared to Conventional Tillage

• Yield tends to be lower
• Leads to higher fertilizer costs to compensate
• Lower soil temperatures
• Fields take longer to dry out in spring
• Increased chemical use which results in increased
  water contamination
• Loss of artifact recovery

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Field to Field Comparison
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Conclusion

• No-till plays an important role in agriculture
  today and will continue to in the future.
• We believe that the advantages of no-till
  outweigh the disadvantages

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Sources

• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-till_farming
• www.ndrcd.org
• www.fao.org
• www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/bse/442-457/442-457-3.jpg
• Crop Production Systems, Lee Schweitzer