CONSERVATION CORNER
A weekly blog for all things conservation
![]() Glenn Bell, Ag Conservation Technician, BCCD Tilling is the process of churning up the top layer of soil, typically with a plow or disc, to prepare the land for the planting of a crop. This is done to aerate the soil profile, control weeds and to make a nice fluffy seedbed. This may sound great, but conventional tillage does have its downsides when considering soil health. Typical plowing and discing disrupts the top 8”-10” of soil, and in the process destroys soil structure and millions of beneficial organisms. Once the soil has been tilled and most life destroyed within it, there is nothing to hold it together. This exposed soil is now highly erodible leading to topsoil, nutrient, and money being washed downstream. One way to protect soil health is with no-till practices. In a no-till system, seeds are planted directly into undisturbed soil, resulting in several environmental and climate benefits. The most obvious benefit is reduced erosion, largely due to the simple fact that the soil wasn’t disturbed with a plow or disc. Furthermore, by eliminating tillage, the soil surface typically stays covered. This could be in the form of last year’s corn stalks, sod, or even weeds which all help to reduce erosion and protect the soil. In an ideal no till system, a cover crop like cereal rye would be planted after the cash crop is harvested. Not only would erosion be greatly reduced by having something growing year-round, but it will also feed the organisms underground that will later benefit the next year’s crop. As an extra bonus, you can take overwintered cover crop off as early forage in the spring, and then no till in your cash crop.
By leaving crop residue on the field surface, typical no till soil will increase in organic matter or carbon over time, compared to tillage which releases carbon. Soil organic matter is important because it allows the soil to hold onto more nutrients (money) and increases the soils’ ability to hold water. Another benefit of no till is reduced labor and fuel. By eliminating tillage, that time sitting in the tractor seat burning fuel is also eliminated. Most no till systems just need two passes: one with the sprayer and one with the planter. The Bradford County Conservation District owns a small no till drill that is available for rent. At only 3’ wide, it is targeted towards smaller operations and food plots but would also work great for renovating worn out pasture and hay ground. The unit is a Genesis 3 model and is self-contained with its own hydraulics allowing it to be pulled with at least a 30hp tractor or 800cc UTV. The rental price is $125 for up to 8 acres. If you are interested or would like more information, please reach out to Glenn Bell at (570) 485-3130. The Bradford County Conservation District is committed to helping people manage resources wisely. You can visit the Bradford County Conservation District at 200 Lake Rd in Wysox across from the Wysox Fire Hall. Contact us at (570) 485-3144 or visit our web page at www.bccdpa.com.
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AuthorsVarious staff at the Bradford County Conservation District Archives
June 2025
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Bradford County Conservation District
Stoll Natural Resource Center 200 Lake Road, Suite E | Towanda PA 18848 Phone: (570)-485-3144 |