With spring right around the corner, it will soon be time to dust off the planting equipment for another busy season.

With planting typically comes tillage, but maybe this year is the year you give no-till another look. There are many benefits to no-till planting: less time, less fuel, improved water infiltration, improved soil quality, erosion reduction and improved nutrient holding capacity are just a few.

But not all of these benefits can be achieved if tillage is still a limited part of the crop rotation. No-till improves the soil structure, water infiltration and nutrient holding capacity by allowing the micro and macro organisms in soil to produce "glues" that bond the soil particles together. This bonding helps the soil resist water erosion and enables the fine root hairs to expand and improve plant nutrient uptake and water holding capacity.

These "glues" do not form overnight, and it could take several years for the soil to structure itself to the point where increased crop yields and plant health is seen.

With no-till comes earthworms, a farmers best friend. Earthworms are major soil movers, improving the soil with each burrow they create. By creating these burrows, earthworms allow rainfall to quickly enter and soak deeply into the soil profile, preventing runoff. One study showed more than 10 percent of rainfall infiltrated worm burrows yet the holes only occupied 0.3 percent of the horizontal area.

As earthworms feed at night, they gather surface residue and pull it down deep into their burrow. Not only are their casts high in stabile nutrients, but the uneaten residue is pulled deep into the soil profile. As that material breaks down, plant nutrients are released right at the root level.

Earthworm burrows also provide travel corridors for plant roots. Research has shown rye and soybean roots traveling 3 to 4 feet deep in earthworm burrows. These corridors allow plants to access water deep in the soil profile and are a major benefit during dry periods or drought conditions.

As the soil improves with the adoption of long-term no-till practices, the water holding capacity improves greatly.

A four-year runoff study was conducted several years ago on no-tilled ground versus farmland that received tillage. The average rainfall runoff was 0.09 inches on no-till land versus 7.01 inches on ground that was plowed.

Not only rain runs off plowed ground, but also manure, fertilizer and pesticides.

The one benefit that is evident immediately is the significant reduction in fuel use. It's not uncommon to see a 65 percent to 70 percent reduction in fuel use when switching from moldboard plowing to no-till. That translates to a savings of about $9 per acre with fuel at $2 per gallon.

If you haven't tried no-till, or you tried it years ago and it wasn't successful, then maybe this year is the year you give this system another look.

Our office is available to help diagnose planting problems and offer incentives to try no-till for a three-year period. The incentives we offer are typically high enough to cover the cost of hiring a custom planter. If you would like to discuss no-till or see how no-till could work for your operation, feel free to contact our office at 724-482-4800, Ext. 108.

Andy Gaver is a conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Butler County.