No-Till
Many land owners and producers have probably considered switching to a no-till production system at one time or another but have felt anxiety about switching from their conventional tillage practices. It’s natural for anyone who has owned land or farmed for any length of time to feel anxious about trying a new system. For a land owner or producer to establish and learn a new system, it may seem daunting, but in the long-run can greatly increase profitability compared to conventional till farming systems. The biggest benefits of no-till are soil and water conservation, which is critical to long-term sustainability for Southern Plains cropping systems.
Oklahoma No-till Facts
- No-till does not reduce grain and has potential to increase yield in dry years and in the long-term by improving soil health.
- Nearly a third of Oklahoma cropland is no-till, increasing by 20 percent over the last 15 years.
- No-till is suitable for nearly all of the cropland in Oklahoma.
- Crop rotation is an important part of a no-till system in Oklahoma.
Why switch to no-till from a land-owner’s point of view?
- Reduce soil erosion from wind and water. Soil is not a renewable resource; once soil is lost to erosion it is gone. This greatly reduces the productivity of the soil.
- Allows producer’s to increase cropping intensity, which can help their profitability.
- Conserves soil moisture during dry periods with residue cover which can help increase crop yields.
- No-till is the best farming system to help protect the environment.