As a no-tiller, any form of tillage is usually a bad word and some no-tillers are adamant that any form of soil disturbance is taboo. However, there are places where some form of ‘tillage’ has its place and can add value to a no-till system. All the worms, microbes and organic matter that no-till fosters won’t always be the solution to every soil problem.

No-tillers planning to achieve better yields in the next growing season ought to look a little ‘deeper,’ so to speak, than just seed and inputs.

While one of the numerous benefits of seeding cover crops is helping solve drainage concerns, a few no-tillers say it has actually created more drainage worries. The concern is that cover crop roots were blocking tile lines.