Tillage

How To Become A No-Till Farm

For a farmer to attain the No-Till achievement they must have not tilled their land in the past 12 months.

What is Tilling in Farming?

‍Tilling is the process of preparing the soil for planting new crops by breaking up and stirring the soil with a plow or rotary blade which is often towed behind a tractor. Farmers till their land because it removes the weeds by digging up the plant and gives their newly seeded crops more room to expand their roots into the broken-up soil. Farmers can also use tilling to incorporate their fertilisers, herbicides, and manures into the soil as it mixes it deeper into the soil. ‍

Environmental Impact of Tilling

‍By breaking up and stirring the soil we expose any microbial life and bugs directly to the sun which not only kills them but also reduces the soils moisture and releases the carbon stored in the soil. Tilling can also lead to an increase in erosion by wind and rain as now the soil isn’t held in place by plant roots. No-till farming helps protect the life in the soil and it can also reduce the farms fuel consumption as tilling is one of the most intensive practices farmers do.

‍Benefits of Supporting No-Till Farmers‍

At AgWe, farmers will be able to list themselves as no-till so you can support those farmers who aim to find more sustainable farming practices than tilling. This can help improve our soil’s overall health and reduce CO2 being released into the atmosphere from tilling.