No-till farming
No-till farming grows crops by placing seeds directly into untilled soil, leaving most crop residues on the surface and minimizing soil disturbance.
No-till planter: A planter designed to cut through surface residue, open a narrow seed slot, place seed, and close the slot in untilled soil. Its cutting discs and closing wheels establish seed contact while disturbing only a narrow strip.
Crop rotation: The planned sequence of different crops grown on the same field over time. Rotations diversify residues and disrupt weed, pest, and disease cycles in no-till fields.
Soil erosion: The detachment and transport of soil by water, wind, or other forces. Undisturbed soil and surface residue can greatly reduce erosion from fields.
Conventional tillage: Crop production that uses repeated plowing or other substantial soil disturbance to prepare fields and control weeds. It is the most direct comparison for evaluating no-till's effects on soil and farm operations.
Edward H. Faulkner: An American agricultural writer who criticized moldboard plowing in his 1943 book Plowman's Folly. His challenge to routine plowing helped popularize interest in farming with less soil disturbance.
Crop residue: Plant material left in a field after harvest, including stems, leaves, and roots. Surface residue shields soil and affects how no-till equipment and seeds perform.
Conservation agriculture: A farming approach built around minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop diversification. No-till is one of conservation agriculture's core principles, often combined with cover and rotation.
Soil organic matter: The carbon-rich material in soil derived from decomposed organisms and their products. Residues and reduced disturbance can increase organic matter near the soil surface.
Reduced tillage: Crop production that uses fewer or less intensive tillage operations than conventional systems. It occupies the middle ground between conventional soil preparation and strict no-till.
Herbert Bartz: A Brazilian farmer who developed and promoted no-till methods in Paraná during the 1970s. His farm became a prominent demonstration of no-till under South American conditions.