No-Till Agriculture

No-till agriculture is a farming method in which crops are cultivated without plowing, thus minimizing disturbance to the soil. Instead, the farmer plants seeds in a slot created by equipment that uses disks or chisels to create a narrow furrow in which the seed can be injected and then covered. This method of farming yields a number of environmental benefits relative to conventional farming. It preserves soil and, in most cases, generates higher crop yields than conventional farming.

Conventional tilling loosens and disturbs the soil, which allows for greater erosion. Plowing breaks up clods that naturally form from organic matter, such as roots and plant remnants, left in the soil. As this organic matter is churned up, it is exposed to the atmosphere where it quickly ...