Zero Tillage Farming – Advantages and Disadvantages

Zero tillage farming, which is also known as no till farming, is becoming more and more popular with farmers in the U.S. and throughout the world because of its many benefits.

What Is Zero Tillage Farming
After World War II, zero tillage farming started taking hold in the U.S. With conventional tillage planting, you dig, stir up the soil, and turn it over to prepare the ground for seeds. This often takes two or more passes over the field. With zero tillage farming, you don’t till the soil. Instead, you use a no till drill or no till planter to cut a seed furrow (which is a V-slot), place the seeds, and close the furrow – all in one pass across the field. You do all of this by cutting through the remains of previous crops.

Advantages Of Zero Tillage Farming
There are many zero tillage advantages, including:

• less soil erosion from wind and water (because the mulch cover of previous crops covers the soil)
• less soil compaction
• more fertile and resilient soils
• less moisture evaporation
• lower fuel and labor costs (because there are less passes across the field)

Disadvantages Of Zero Tillage Farming
There are some zero tillage disadvantages, including:

• initial cost of zero tillage equipment (the upfront costs can be high, but they should be recouped through higher crop yields and fuel and labor savings)
• gullies can form in the fields (low-pressure tires and changing traffic patterns across the field can help prevent these)
• increased use of herbicides
• learning curve for zero tillage farming

At Exapta, we’re constantly innovating and exploring – looking for the best zero till equipment, parts, add-ons, and after-market products for drills and planters.

Check out our catalog of no till equipment parts – you can view, download a PDF, or we’ll be happy to mail you a catalog.

If you’ve further questions about zero tillage farming, please call (800) 417-8020, or e-mail info@notillagriculture.com.

Note: All of our zero till equipment, add-ons, parts, and after-market products can be shipped anywhere in the U.S., Canada, and the world.