Experts weigh in on no-to-low-till farming equipment, tools, and technology that will preserve the health of your soil to maximize growth potential.
Soil consists of sand, silt, and clay, which come together with organic matter to form aggregates. Pores within and outside these aggregates hold water, air, organic matter, and minerals, and these pores help soil organisms and plant roots thrive. Tilling breaks apart these aggregates and their pores, while no-till farming minimizes soil disturbance and preserves the pores.
No-to-low-till farming practices improve soil health and reduce erosion. They also increase the water-holding capacity of soil, and conserve and regulate moisture within soil, such as by controlling water infiltration and improving water retention. However, no-to-low-till farming doesn’t necessarily exclude equipment or technology for working the soil. Consider the following no-till equipment for the next growing season.
No-to-Low Till Farming Planters and Drills
“The very first piece of equipment we need to talk about is a no-till planter or drill,” says Ekrem Ozlu, an assistant professor and extension specialist at the North Carolina State University Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. “To ensure the proper seed placement, we must have these drills.”
No-till coulter discs are often part of the no-till planter or drill. They cut through residue (fresh mulch that can help suppress weeds and protect soil moisture) and some of the soil.
No-till drills and planters then create an opening in the soil, drop the seed, and cover it. No-till drills and planters slice through the soil, but they don’t overturn it. “The topsoil is the most important part,” Ozlu explains. “You don’t want to disturb that. You need to make sure that soil is providing a good seedbed for good germination.”
The right size of equipment will depend on your acreage. If you’re gardening for yourself or you have a small market garden, you may find hand-sowing is financially better than investing in a no-till drill. Farmers with 5 acres or fewer may not need a no-till planter or drill larger than two rows.
Also, consider the width of your tractor tires and drills, and the weight of your machinery. “These are going to cause different field traffic,” Ozlu explains.
Field traffic refers to heavy machinery compacting the soil. Use the widest, lightest equipment possible to reduce the impact of field traffic on soil. Wider tires also disperse more weight. Avoid harvesting, planting, spraying, cover-crop killing, or other activities when the soil is wet to prevent compaction. (For more ideas on how to minimize soil compaction, see “Compacted Soil Remedy” in our February/March 2024 issue. – Mother)
Penetrometers and Subsoilers
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, soil compaction usually occurs between 12 and 22 inches. But how do you measure compaction? Penetrometers, either as hand tools or tractor implements, measure soil resistance in pounds per square inch (PSI). The higher the PSI reading, the more pressure and thus compaction, which reduces the movement of water, nutrients, and plant roots. This information will allow you to determine how much you’ll need a subsoiler, which can break up the compacted soil layer.
Precision Planting Technology
“There are some new technologies, such as precision-planting or GPS, which can attach to the tractor,” Ozlu says. “Sometimes, it’s hard to keep the tractor straight, especially if you don’t have any marks on the surface because you’re no-till.”
Sometimes, hardpan, the compacted soil layer that plant roots can’t grow in, is fairly deep in the ground. Other times, it’s closer to the topsoil. GPS coordinates will help you remember these variable depths. Since soil compaction may affect the drills, technology, such as depth control, will adjust the sowing based on the soil’s tension.
“On just 5 acres in North Carolina, you can find 10 to 12 different soil types,” Ozlu says. “When challenged with that much variability, your best friends are technology and getting to know those soil characteristics in your own fields.”
Precision technology can also calculate locations of different soil types to direct the subsoiler. This will prevent your subsoiler from pulling up the compacted layer in your field and thus will avoid multiple problems, such as hardpan on the surface, holes, or rocks in the field.
Roller Crimpers
A roller crimper usually attaches to a tractor, and kills the cover crop by breaking its stems and turning it into residue. Roller-crimping allows you to add organic matter slowly back into the soil.
Hand Tools
“If you’ve got a home garden or a market garden, weed control is probably your biggest issue,” says Timothy Harrigan, an associate professor in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at Michigan State University.
While you’ll only sow a few times a year, you’ll have to weed multiple times For weeding, try a sweeping type of hoe or a stirrup hoe. “They’re much more effective and easier than a chopping-type hoe that a lot of people may be using,” Harrigan says.
Harrigan also recommends a broadfork that “opens up the soil, improves infiltration and aeration, and loosens the soil to improve root growth. You can also use it to harvest root crops. It’s very useful and inexpensive.”
For those who want to dive into mechanization, a two-wheel tractor can accommodate a wide range of tools, including those for creating a seedbed, cultivator sweeps, and precision mechanical weeding tools for those who don’t like to use chemicals.
Kenny Coogan earned a master’s degree in global sustainability. He lives on a 1-acre homestead and runs a successful carnivorous plant nursery in Tampa, Florida. Listen to Coogan co-host the “Mother Earth News and Friends” podcast.
