CROPS Going the no-till way: Part 2

Humus, mulch and legume cover crops can save you money and greatly improve the quality of your yields, says Bill Kerr.

- Bill Kerr.

In my previous article (FW, 13 January 2023), I stressed the need to carry out a soil analysis of your land, and then to work in nutrients accordingly. Lime, for example, is often required, and manure, compost or both should also be added. Even though the humus content of the soil is low at this stage, you can still get a good crop if you apply the manure correctly.

The soil structure is unlikely to be good, but with no-till, the soil will improve significantly every year and farming will become much easier, less risky and more profitable.

Depending on the crop, you may need to apply nitrogen until the level of humus and the numbers of living organisms in the soil have increased sufficiently.

This is the way to create healthy soil. Tillage degrades the soil immediately by lowering the humus content, which is converted to carbon dioxide and enters the air.

MULCH

With no-till production, you should ideally have something growing in the soil at all times. As you harvest, pull the crop out, place it on the soil in the middle of the bed, and plant the next crop straightaway (depending on what you grow, of course). It doesn’t matter if the soil is wet from rain; this is only a problem for conventional farmers who till the soil.

The residue of the crop you have just harvested should then be left to become a mulch. This will slowly feed the soil organisms, and the earthworms that feed on this residue will take the nutrients down into the soil.

By planting the next crop immediately, you will save time and money and have no need to use a tractor.