CROPS Going the no-till way: Part 1

Practising no-till farming will ensure better crops and boost your profits. The process starts with improving the quality of your soil, says Bill Kerr.

- Bill Kerr

No-till farming is a method of growing crops without ploughing the soil. It works extremely well; I know, as I’ve practised it for many years.

Sadly, there is very little, if any, commercial incentive to teach the concept to farmers, whereas selling fertiliser, tractors and implements to them makes billions of rands. As a result, few farmers get to discover or understand the benefits of no-till farming.

Another challenge is that, while the benefits of no-till start immediately, they take years to become noticeable. But they are worth every bit of time and effort!

There are two main benefits of no-till farming:

Drastically reduced costs;

Greatly improved soil that will give you a much higher yield and far healthier crops.

Soil quality is defined largely by the level of humus in the soil. Humus is formed from the decay of organic matter (plants and animals), and the richer the soil is in it, the better.