If you have wet ground you have problem that run much deeper . Discing soil in the fall greatly increases wind erosion alomg with the soil compaction thats causing you wet fields. Yes that disk will affect your no-till structure.

Is disking the same as tilling?

High quality and healthy soil is the base for successful farm management. ... Disking is a soil preparation practice that usually follows the plowing, whether it was deep or shallow soil tillage. Plowing cuts, granulates, and inverts the soil, creating furrows and ridges.

What is considered no till?

No-till farming (also known as zero tillage or direct drilling) is an agricultural technique for growing crops or pasture without disturbing the soil through tillage. No-till farming decreases the amount of soil erosion tillage causes in certain soils, especially in sandy and dry soils on sloping terrain.

What is disking in farming?

Disking for wildlife is the process of disturbing soil and existing vegetation in an area by using a disk. Purpose. Disking disturbs the ground surface and vegetation to prevent an area from going through succession to a woody condition and stimulates establishment of annual plants that provide wildlife food and cover.

Why don t more farmers use no till?

Less Soil Erosion: In no till farming, the soil is more resistant to erosion caused by wind and water. This is especially true when an abundance of mulch cover (stalks, straw, leaves, pods, chaff) is maintained on the soil surface. No till soil (left) compared with compacted tilled soil (right).

Long-Term Conventional and No-tillage Systems Compared

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Do no-till food plots work?

The Ultimate No-Till Food Plot Method

For decades, people have used it as a summer crop to improve the soil and prevent erosion. ... It worked perfectly—and not just for small seeds like brassicas and cereal grains, but for bigger seeds like beans and peas, too, which typically need to be covered by soil.

Is tilling or no tilling better?

No-till gardens have better, moister soil.

Tillage destroys surface reside that helps to hold moisture and nutrients in the soil. By not tilling, you will end up with healthier soil overall and soil that does not dry out easily.

Why do we till the soil?

The purpose of tilling is to mix organic matter into your soil, help control weeds, break up crusted soil, or loosen up a small area for planting. ... Any heavy tilling when the soil is wet is also destructive to soil structure. The soil will become terribly compacted and dry out too fast.

Does disking cause compaction?

The compaction from a disk comes more from the sideways scrape or smear from the discs. That smear layer with some moisture creates a layer or higher density. Remember a disc blade is round, so it has to go down into the ground before it can come up to lift.

What's a cultivator used for?

Cultivators should be used for mixing soil that's already been broken up, such as when compost or fertilizer is added after tilling and before planting. Cultivators can also be used after planting to control weeds.

Can you plant corn without tilling?

Corn can be planted without tilling the soil first. No-till corn offers lots of benefits to the environment and farmers. ... Allows farmers to plant directly into a green, living cover crop, keeping living plant roots in the soil -- key for a healthy soil ecosystem.

How does a no-till drill work?

On a no-till drill, the rolling coulter travels ahead of the opener and cuts a slot through the sod, residue, and soil, and then the double-disk opener widens this slot. Conventional grain drills are used when the seedbed is already prepared and the coulter is not needed to cut through residue or the soil surface.

How do you make a no-till garden?

In the no-till world, instead of mixing amendments deep into the soil, slow-release organic fertilizers, compost, and/or mulch materials are added to the top of the soil on occasion. Those things, along with the left-behind plant roots, slowly break down to rejuvenate the soil and provide food for new plants.

Which is better tiller or disc?

A disc harrow is strong and can dig through deeper, harder soil whereas a tiller is better suited for smaller gardens. ... A disc harrow is better suited for farming and large acreages of crops whereas a tiller is easier to maneuver in a small garden.

Is harrowing tilling?

Tilling. First off, we have to establish the fact that harrowing is a form of tilling, which can be confusing when you consider that a tiller and a harrow have different jobs.

How many times should I disc a field?

Disking every two weeks to a month during the spring and summer before you plant can substantially reduce the infestation by bringing most of these seeds to the surface where they will germinate and then be killed when you disc again.

Can you disc wet ground?

As a moldboard or an angled disk blade slides across the bottom of the furrow, a compacted layer or plow pan can form. These effects are amplified in wet soils as soil particles and aggregates are lubricated by water, enabling more compression of pore spaces.

How deep is a disc?

When setting your disc's tillage depth, the first thing to consider is blade diameter. Over the years, AMCO's tough tillage experts have found that the ideal cutting depth in normal operating conditions is approximately 25% of the blade diameter. For example, for a 32″ blade, the cutting depth is about 8″.

Can you disc after rain?

Moisture is the main key. I usually disc after a good rain as soon as you can get in the field. This is a good practice as it helps break up big chucks you get when the soil is too dry.

Can you plant a garden without tilling?

The beauty of the no-till gardening method is that unlike tilling, dormant weed seeds are covered deeper and deeper as you continue to add a new layer or two of organic matter every year. ... One of the best benefits of no-till soil is the sponginess that is created over time for plant roots to grow and thrive.

Why should I not till my garden?

Tilling simply isn't playing the long game. It provides immediate fertility, but it destroys the soil life, the source of long-term fertility. It also opens up avenues for wind and water erosion, which takes away quality topsoil and eventually leaves growers with only infertile subsoil to work with.

Why should we not till soil?

When we till or dig up the soil, that natural system gets interrupted. Worms get killed and the exposed soil is being eroded by wind, rain, and frost. If you want to ruin your garden soil, till it twice a year.

What is the difference between till and no-till agriculture?

Conventional tillage practices require the farmer to make several passes over the field, first tilling the soil and then returning to plant seeds. No-till removes the step of tilling the soil and therefore saves the farmer time and money.

Why is no-till farming good?

No-till farmers grow crops with minimal disturbance to their fields and the organisms that call them home. This builds healthier soils while reducing money spent on fuel and labor – a win-win. With harvest season winding down, you're no doubt making an important decision for your working land.

Is Rototilling necessary?

Experts point at four main reasons why using a rototiller is not recommended: a rototiller can cause soil compaction, create more weeds, make the “bare soil” problem and can delay gardening season. For these reasons, it's best not to use it in your garden.