No till farm technique

No-till​​is​​a​​ technique​​and​​tool​​to​​achieve​​the​​farmer’s​​objectives​​of​​reducing​​tillage and​​building​​soil​​health.​​It​​is​​also​​a​​whole​​farm​​system.​​And​​these​​techniques​​and tools​​can​​work​​equally​​well​​on​​all​​farms.​​The​​term​​basically​​describes​​ways​​to​​grow crops​​each​​year​​without​​disturbing​​the​​soil​​through​​tillage​​or​​plowing.​​A​​true​​no-till system​​avoids​​disturbing​​the​​soil​​with​​tools​​like​​chisel​​plows,​​field​​cultivators,​​disks, and​​plows.​​No-till​​can​​help​​your​​farm​​in​​a​​number​​of​​different​​ways​​but​​it​​is​​imperative that​​the​​system​​be​​implemented​​in​​ a​​way​​that​​encourages​​success.

Here​​are​​just​​a​​few​​of​​the​​key​​concepts​​to​​think​​about: •​​No-till​​depends​​on​​the​​cover​​crops​​to​​provide​​the​​nutrition​​needs​​of​​the​​cash​​crop.​​Of course,​​the​​nutrients​​from​​the​​cover​​crops​​are​​not​​available​​immediately.​​They​​are​​partially available​​the​​first​​year​​and​​partially​​available​​in​​successive​​years.​​​If​​your​​soil​​is​​low​​in organic​​matter,​​or​​if​​you​​have​​not​​farmed​​organically​​before,​​it​​may​​take​​a​​while​​to​​build​​the soil.​​​Think​​of​​it​​as​​money​​in​​the​​bank.​​You’re​​investing​​in​​your​​soil,​​and​​as​​time​​progresses you​​will​​be​​able​​to​​cash​​in​​on​​the​​dividends​​or​​interest​​from​​your​​account.

•​​Kill​​is​​achieved​​with​​a​​roller-crimper​​rather​​than​​synthetic​​herbicides.​​It​​works​​by​​rolling​​the cover​​crop​​ plants​​in​​one​​direction,​​crushing​​them​​and​​crimping​​their​​stems.​​The roller-crimper​​can​​be​​front-mounted​​on​​a​​tractor,​​freeing​​up​​the​​rear​​of​​the​​tractor​​for​​a​​no-till planter,​​drill​​or​​transplanter​​to​​plant​​directly​​into​​the​​rolled​​cover​​crop.​​While​​other​​tools,​​such as​​a​​stalk​​chopper,​​rolling​​harrows,​​and​​mowers​​have​​been​​used​​for​​this​​purpose,​​the roller-crimper​​has​​several​​advantages​​over​​other​​tools.

•​​The​​rolled​​cover​​crop​​acts​​as​​a​​mulch,​​preventing​​annual​​weeds​​from​​growing​​through​​the entire​​season.​​To​​achieve​​adequate​​weed​​control,​​the​​cover​​crop​​should​​be​​planted​​at​​a​​high rate​​and​​produce​​approximately​​3​​to​​ 4​​tons​​to​​the​​acre​​of​​dry​​matter.​​For​​this​​reason,​​cover crops​​that​​ yield​​a​​high​​amount​​of​​biomass​​work​​best​​for​​the​​no-till​​system.​​It’s​​also​​important to​​select​​cover​​crops​​with​​a​​carbon​​to​​nitrogen​​ratio​​higher​​than​​20:1.​​​The​​higher​​the​​ratio, the​​more​​carbon,​​and​​the​​more​​slowly​​the​​crop​​will​​break​​down.​​​This​​will​​provide​​consistent weed​​management​​through​​the​​season.

Here​​are​​some​​suggestions​​about​​how​​to​​get​​started—without​​planting​​a​​single​​seed.​​The following​​ideas​​will​​help​​you​​become​​a​​successful​​no-till​​farmer,​​while​​managing​​the​​risks​​of adjusting​​to​​a​​new​​system.

Reading​​and​​learning Find​​out​​as​​much​​as​​you​​can​​about​​which​​cover​​crops​​do​​well​​in​​your​​area.​​This​​might include​​talking​​to​​other​​no-till​​farmers,​​taking​​advantage​​of​​resources​​available​​at​​your​​local Extension​​ office,​​and​​following​​up​​by​​consulting​​reference​​guides.

Assess​​your​​farm Look​​at​​your​​soil​​types,​​the​​crops​​you​​intend​​to​​plant,​​the​​equipment​​and​​resources​​you​​have and​​the​​time​​you​​have​​to​​explore​​new​​planting​​systems.​​Like​​any​​changes​​on​​your​​farm, knowledge​​is​​power​​and​​understanding​​how​​new​​cover​​crop​​management​​tools​​will​​fit​​into your​​operation​​will​​be​​critical​​to​​your​​success.

Source​​local​​seed Locally​​adapted​​cover​​crop​​seed​​will​​give​​you​​an​​edge,​​providing​​a​​crop​​that’s​​already adapted​​to​​ your​​area.​​​It​​will​​be​​less​​likely​​to​​winter​​kill​​and​​may​​perform​​better​​on​​your​​farm.

Since​​it​​may​​take​​some​​time​​to​​track​​down​​a​​local​​source,​​you​​should​​begin​​early.​​​This​​is especially​​ true​​for​​organic​​seed​​since​​quantities​​may​​be​​limited.

Test​​plot Perhaps​​the​​biggest​​source​​of​​risk​​comes​​from​​transitioning​​to​​a​​new​​management​​system and​​a​​completely​​new​​technology.​​During​​the​​first​​couple​​of​​years,​​the​​learning​​curve​​may​​ be fairly​​steep.​​​It’s​​a​​good​​idea​​to​​start​​with​​a​​small,​​experimental​​area​​or​​test​​plot​​on​​your​​farm.

Cover​​crops​​are​​an​​essential​​part​​of​​any​​organic​​system​​but​​are​​especially​​crucial​​to​​the success​​of​​no-till​​in​​an​​organic​​operation​​and​​provide​​a​​multitude​​of​​benefits: Increase​​soil​​organic​​matter No-till​​is​​an​​intensive​​system​​which​​requires​​at​​least​​3​​to​​4​​tons​​of​​dry​​matter​​per​​acre​​to​​be effective.​​Cover​​crops​​are​​grown​​to​​their​​full​​potential,​​instead​​of​​being​​tilled​​in​​at​​an​​earlier growth​​stage.​​This​​means​​that,​​in​​general,​​the​​organic​​matter​​will​​be​​higher​​in​​carbon​​and lower​​in​​nitrogen​​making​​for​​long-lasting​​benefits​​as​​mulch​​for​​weed​​management.

Provide​​year-round​​cover​​for​​the​​soil Covering​​the​​soil​​increases​​infiltration,​​reduces​​evaporation,​​stabilizes​​soil​​temperatures, provides​​habitat​​for​​soil​​life,​​and​​reduces​​soil​​crusting.

Decrease​​ erosion The​​roots​​of​​the​​cover​​crop​​stabilize​​soil​​and​​reduce​​runoff,​​while​​the​​above-ground​​portion of​​the​​plants​​protects​​the​​soil​​against​​ the​​destructive​​force​​of​​raindrops.​​In​​an​​organic​​no-till system,​​actively​​growing​​cover​​crops​​(or,​​the​​rolled​​and​​killed​​cover​​crops)​​are​​in​​place during​​key​​ times​​when​​erosion​​can​​occur,​​including​​spring​​melt,​​winter​​thaws,​​and​​summer storms.

Capture,​​hold​​and​​stabilize​​nutrients Many​​cover​​crops​​(also​​called​​“catch​​ crops”)​​are​​excellent​​scavengers​​of​​nitrogen​​and​​other nutrients.​​Rye,​​in​​particular,​​can​​scavenge​​25%-100%​​of​​residual​​nitrogen​​left​​behind​​from the​​previous​​crop.​​As​​covers​​are​​rolled​​down​​and​​begin​​to​​decompose,​​this​​nitrogen​​is​​slowly released​​for​​use​​by​​the​​subsequent​​cash​​crops.​​Buckwheat​​is​​especially​​good​​at​​capturing phosphorus​​and​​releasing​​it​​for​​use​​by​​cash​​crops.​​Cover​​crop​​roots​​can​​also​​forage​​deeper in​​the​​soil,​​bringing​​calcium​​and​​potassium​​up​​from​​untapped​​soil​​layers.​​Unlike​​chemical fertilizers,​​organic​​amendments​​are​​more​​likely​​to​​provide​​a​​slow​​release​​of​​nutrients.

Increase​​biological​​activity No-till​​increases​​diversity​​on​​the​​farm​​ by​​providing​​year-round​​habitat​​and​​minimizing​​soil disturbance.​​Cover​​crops​​provide​​roots​​which​​nourish​​microorganisms​​and​​stabilize​​organic matter.​​Aboveground,​​beneficial​​insects​​find​​both​​habitat​​and​​nectar​​sources​​which​​may

lessen​​the​​ severity​​of​​pest​​insect​​problems.

Reduce​​field​​operations In​​organic​​ no-till,​​the​​yearly​​field​​operations​​can​​be​​as​​few​​as​​two:​​one​​pass​​to​​roll​​the​​cover crop​​and​​plant,​​and​​another​​to​​harvest​​the​​crop.​​Additional​​field​​operations​​may​​be​​used​​at other​​points​​in​​the​​rotation​​to​​establish​​the​​cover​​crops;​​however,​​these​​crops​​generally​​don’t require​​any​​cultivation​​to​​manage​​weeds.

Save​​energy According​​ to​​some​​estimates,​​up​​to​​80%​​of​​the​​energy​​used​​in​​the​​production​​of​​corn​​is conserved​​ by​​converting​​to​​organic​​no-till.​​While​​the​​production​​system​​may​​require approved​​organic​​fertilizers,​​energy​​savings​​are​​realized​​through​​the​​elimination​​of conventional​​nitrogen​​fertilizer.

Provide​​non-chemical​​weed​​management For​​organic​​farmers,​​weed​​management​​is​​ranked​​as​​the​​number​​one​​challenge​​in​​most surveys.​​No-till​​can​​help​​by​​breaking​​weed​​cycles​​and​​by​​providing​​cover​​through​​much​​of the​​growing​​season.

Although​​the​​numerous​​advantages​​and​​positive​​effects​​of​​the​​no-till​​system​​of​​soil​​tillage​​are well​​known,​​its​​application​​has​​not​​taken​​hold​​in​​the​​Croatian​​agricultural​​practice​​as​​much as​​it​​could​​have​​done.​​One​​of​​the​​reasons​​can​​be​​the​​lack​​of​​adequate​​information​​about land​​suitability​​for​​the​​application​​of​​the​​no-till​​system.​​The​​Republic​​of​​Croatia​​currently​​has about​​220​​ 000​​ha​​of​​state-owned​​agricultural​​land,​​predominantly​​plough-fields​​in​​the low-lying​​continental​​part,​​which​​used​​to​​be​​owned​​by​​the​​state​​agricultural​​enterprises.

If​​no-till​​trend​​caught​​on,​​it​​could​​have​​a​​few​​big​​climate​​benefits.​​It​​would​​lock​​more​​carbon in​​the​​soil​​and​​curtail​​fossil-fuel​​use​​in​​farm​​operations.​​The​​UNEP​​estimates​​that​​no-tillage operations​​ in​​the​​United​​States​​have​​ helped​​avoid​​241​​million​​metric​​tons​​of​​carbon-dioxide since​​the​​1970s.​​That's​​equivalent​​to​​ the​​annual​​emissions​​of​​about​​50​​million​​cars.

Croatian​​Center​​of​​Renewable​​Energy​​Sources​​(CCRES)