This isn’t new! Using Zero-Till Farming For Sorghum, Soybeans

As we prepare for a new cycle in our Sorghum and Soybeans farming following the end of the long drought, we will be using a technology which had been. sweeping many farmlands all over the United States – Zero Tillage Farming.
This means that we will depart from traditional practice of deep plowing, harrowing and pulverizing the soil before furrowing and planting.
Instead, in the areas where we had planted Soybeans during the last cropping season, we will just control the weeds by applying herbicide and proceed to furrow and plant.
We will, however, be doing this in half of the area which will be planted with Sorghum during this cycle and retain our previous planting protocol of thorough land preparation in the other half of our farms.
This will give us a comparative study on the advantages and disadvantages of the “No-Till Farming” which is now being embraced by many farms in the west, especially the United States, including savings on production cost.
Zero-Tillage Farming actually is not something new to Philippine Agriculture because this had been practiced by our ancestors during the time when tractors were unheard of and when the only tools they had were trowels and hoes.
This is still being practiced by marginal farmers in many remote farming areas of Mindanao, especially in sloping and steep areas in a farming system called “Tudak,” or “Puay.”
While this farming system is looked down as primitive in our country, Western farmers are now discovering its benefits and embracing this.
In fact, there are advocacy groups like the Global Farmers Network and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) which are promoting this farming technology.
In a no-till system, seeds are planted directly into undisturbed soil, resulting in numerous environmental and climate benefits. And the benefits are multiplied when no-till is used in conjunction with other sustainable practices such as cover crops.
Here is what ESSI says about No-Till Farming:
“No-till is one way of practicing conservation tillage, an approach that leaves crop residues in the cultivation area to protect the soil from wind and water erosion. In addition to no-till, conversation tillage also includes in-row subsoiling, strip-till, and ridge-till practices. While conservation tillage has been adopted on half of the farmland in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated that only one fifth of farmland practices continuous no-till.
Fighting Climate Change
No-till farming mitigates climate change in two ways: it reduces the use of fossil fuel-powered machinery and it helps soil hold on to carbon, preventing the release of greenhouse gas emissions during tillage. Because no-till farming does not require a tractor to pull a plow, it saves fuel, cutting emissions. USDA estimates that across the United States, farmers who use no-till farming save 588 million gallons of diesel fuel annually—enough energy to power over 720,000 homes for a year. They also prevent at least 5.8 million tons of carbon-dioxide emissions, the equivalent of taking more than 1 million cars off the road.
Building Climate Resilience
No-till farming can build climate resilience by enhancing soil health. Healthy soil has a higher water-holding capacity, meaning it can better absorb and hold on to water during periods of heavy precipitation and drought, making farms more resilient to extreme weather. In a no-till system, the remains of the previous crop—such as husks and stalks—remain on the soil instead of being plowed under. This adds organic matter to the soil and prevents wind and water erosion, which is especially important for protecting soil as storms become more frequent and intense due to the climate crisis. In fact, no-till farming can reduce soil erosion by more than 80 percent, which has the added benefit of protecting water quality by keeping sediments on the land and out of bodies of water. Soil health can be improved even further when no-till is combined with cover crops and other sustainable practices.
Cutting Costs for Farmers
By reducing the need for fuel-intensive plowing, no-till farming can slash fuel usage by 50 to 80 percent, saving farms money. No-till farming also reduces labor-related costs, as it requires 30 to 50 percent less labor than a conventional tillage system. When used in conjunction with cover cropping, no-till can be an effective weed prevention method, leading to savings on herbicides. And the improved soil health and water efficiency resulting from a no-till farming system can help boost crop yields.”
#FarmingIsEndlessLearning!