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Article: Field Notes.(soil management)
- Article from:
- Farm Journal
- Article date:
- February 18, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Farm Journal Media. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Dan DeSutter
From No-Till to Bio-Till
Soil erosion, soil quality and economics motivated my father to commit tillage heresy back in 1983 by converting from chisel plowing to ridge-till. Through perseverance (and a little Dutch stubbornness), Dad made ridge-till work well enough and long enough to see improvements in soil tilth and erosion control.
When Dad and I watched a 15-year no-till farmer dig a hole in his field, we were able to see the soil structure and rooting depth that had developed. That led us to shift from managing based on above-ground aesthetics to managing based on what was happening in the root zone.
As ...