When farmers “till” the soil, they dig up the soil to get the ground ready for planting. However, too much tillage can cause problems.
Too much tillage can bury a lot of “crop residue”--dead plant material left on top of the ground after harvest. Crop residue protects the soil from the battering power of raindrops and moving water.
That’s why a lot of farmers have switched to “no-till.” They plant crops without doing any tillage. This leaves more crop residue on top, creating a protective shield so rain doesn’t wash as much soil away.
Tillage machinery turns over the soil to get it ready for planting. However, too much tillage can bury “crop residue”--dead plant material that protects the soil from erosion.
Photo: U of I College of ACES-ITCS