Tillage
**1. Types of Tillage:**
– **Primary Tillage:**
– Loosens soil and incorporates fertilizer or plant material.
– Aims to achieve rough-textured soil.
– Involves implements like harrows, dibbles, hoes, rotary tillers, and cultivators.
– **Secondary Tillage:**
– Produces finer soil for seed bed preparation and weed control.
– Shapes rows and provides weed control.
– Implements used include cultivators and hoes.
– **Reduced Tillage:**
– Leaves crop residue cover on the soil during critical erosion periods.
– Implements like chisel plows or cultivators are used.
– Helps maintain soil structure and reduce erosion.
– **Intensive Tillage:**
– Leaves less than 15% crop residue cover on the soil.
– Involves multiple operations with implements like moldboard, disk, or chisel plows.
– Prepares the seed bed thoroughly.
– **Conservation Tillage:**
– Leaves at least 30% of crop residue on the soil surface.
– Slows water movement, reducing soil erosion.
– Benefits predatory arthropods for pest control.
**2. Effects of Tillage:**
– **Positive Effects:**
– Loosens and aerates topsoil.
– Mixes organic matter and nutrients evenly.
– Destroys weeds and pests.
– Prepares a smooth surface for planting.
– Reduces the risk of crop diseases.
– **Negative Effects:**
– Soil dries out.
– Loss of nutrients and water storage capacity.
– Decreased water infiltration rate.
– Induces erosion and compaction.
– Reduces soil biodiversity and organic matter.
**3. Techniques and Practices in Tillage:**
– **Zone Tillage:**
– Modified deep tillage technique.
– Agitates soil to reduce compaction and improve drainage.
– Produces a 5-inch wide strip for seedbed preparation.
– Used on over 36% of U.S. farmland.
– **Mounding:**
– Raised planting spots improve outplant performance.
– Influences soil temperature significantly.
– Receives more photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) compared to control spots.
– **Orientation of Linear Site Preparation:**
– Tree growth in linear site preparation affected by orientation.
– South-, east-, and west-facing microsites show greater stem volumes.
– Snow accumulation and melt rates vary based on orientation.
**4. Impacts and Alternatives:**
– **Archaeological Impacts:**
– Tilling can damage ancient structures.
– Modern plowing caused significant damage in the UK.
– Traditional farming caused less damage historically.
– **Alternatives to Tillage:**
– No-till farming reduces tillage with herbicides and specialized equipment.
– Reduces costs, soil erosion, and fuel usage.
**5. General Considerations and References:**
– **General Comments:**
– Implement type impacts tillage results.
– Night tillage reduces weed sprouting.
– Speed affects residue on the soil surface.
– **References and Further Reading:**
– Various historical sources provide insights into tillage practices.
– Conservation agriculture improves soil health.
– Reduced soil tilling has benefits for soil health and crop yields.