ADVANTAGES AND DRAWBACKS

Be aware of some of the drawbacks to no-till farming. In a system where herbicides replace tillage, herbicide costs will be significantly higher than under conventional farming. Under no-till, soil incorporated herbicides are not used. Greater knowledge of weeds is required, including a changing weed spectrum plus the various stages of their growth' It is vital to know how to use herbicides effectively - timely application, rates, possible use of surfactants and additives. Late spring frost damage to crop seedlings can be more severe under zero tillage although today's hoe-type drills expose more heat retaining black soil. Proper spreading of straw and chaff takes knowledge and experience. A zero-till field may not be as smooth as a conventionally tilled one - spraying, swathing and combining in the same general direction the field was seeded will help. With zero till, you learn a new management system - one in which the use of some herbicides has been altered.

Zero till farmers are aware of these drawbacks but consider them minor compared to the long term benefits of this farming system.