The still-germinating carbon credits market favors no-tillers, who ought to get on board early to make the most of the long-term financial rewards. That’s the advice from Mark Wilson, president of Land Stewards, a Columbus, Ohio-based consulting firm hired by the non-profit Ohio No-Till Council to study the subject.

Thinking strategically about nitrogen fertilizer, especially anhydrous ammonia, helps hold down costs while maximizing profits, says Sam Ferguson, an agronomist for Dow AgroSciences.

For several years, there's been talk in western Canada about offering tax credits to no-till farmers who store additional carbon in the soil. A few years back, Canadian utility companies saw the concept as a way to offset huge penalties for atmospheric emissions from coal-powered electric plants.