MINIMUM TILLAGE FARMING

A farming technique that reduces the degree of soil disruption. Crop residues are not plowed under after harvest, and special planters dig narrow furrows in the crop residue when new seeds are sown. Advantages of the technique include reductions in energy consumption by farm equipment, less soil erosion, and lower soil moisture losses during the fallow season. Disadvantages include the possibility of encouraging insect pests by leaving the crop residue in the field and the use of herbicides to control weeds in the place of mechanical cultivation. Sometimes incorrectly termed No-Till Farming.