There are advantages and disadvantages to tillage. Advantages include smooth
seedbed preparation, weed control with reduced risk of herbicide resistance, and
break-up of compacted soil. Destruction of soil aggregates, creation of plow pans,
and increased production costs are often referred as disadvantages. There is
increased interest in no-tillage and its use is increasing. However, some form of
tillage is still widely used by most farmers. Are there benefits to both approaches?
Certain soils and crop rotations might be more conducive to one approach versus the
other. Soils with high soil organic matter contents, high amounts of aggregation, and
in flat fields can be quite productive when tillage is used. However, this increased
crop productivity is often at the expense of organic matter and soil health. Other
practices, such as crop rotations, manure application and cover crop use, might help
offset declines in organic matter and soil health brought by tillage. A combination of
approaches are most likely to provide benefits for a wide range of soils and conditions.
In this presentation, we will explore the advantages and disadvantages of
tillage practices on soil health, organic matter, and productivity.