Cambridge, southwestern Nebraska | I have some that is 15 or so years of no-till. The ground started out as a heavy clay. When planting it was either too wet and gummy or hard and dry. Seldom ever worked up very well. This field also has terraces. Once the channels got water in them it may stay there all year. Yields were just average.
Since going to no-till the ground, after 5 years or so became more mellow on top and now there is a nice inch or so of decaying crop material that keeps the ground soft. Plants nice. The terrace channels seldom have water in them for more than 3 days even after a heavy rain.
It is in corn this year and that particular field will probably yield 25% more than a field a mile away that I just rented 3 years ago and has been no-tilled 2 years. The difference is pretty dramatic. Same varieties and plant dates and etc. Very similar soils. The long term no-till field withstood some dry weather longer than the other field did. I think it is due to more vertical pores in the soil due to earthworm activity. |
any long term no-tillers?
