No-till farming is great—it protects soils from erosion, builds organic matter and saves the lives of millions of earthworms every year. But weed management depends on herbicides—which are prohibited in organic farming, cost money and can harm the environment.
Jeff Moyer, farm manager at The Rodale Institute, teamed up with neighboring farmer John Brubaker in 2002 to build a front-mounted roller-crimper that can kill cover crops mechanically. To provide organic farmers a giant step forward, we are focusing on a one-pass system doing the rolling and planting at the same time.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service is funding the Institute to lead a project that evaluates the potential of this tool to save time, lower costs and improve sustainability. This page describes the work of researchers and farmers here on our research farm and seven other regions around the country to learn how the roller might fit in their farming systems.
November 28, 2003: Here’s the story of how good neighbors designed and constructed a front-mounted cover-crop roller that allows you to knock down a weed-suppressing mat and plant through it, all in one quick pass!
Conservation System Research Team
Maintained by the USDA-ARS National Soil Dynamics Lab this site has lots of no-till info, including research on alternative kill strategies for cover crops. Conservation Tillage Information Center
A non-profit info clearinghouse based at Purdue University. European Conservation Agriculture Federation
A European conservation tillage site, including many additional links. No-Tillage & Sustainable Agriculture in the New Millennium An extensive website maintained by South American no-till & sustainable ag researcher Rolf Derpsch. Includes publications, statistical profiles, equipment and cover cropping info. No-till.com This site features active links to no-till organizations from around the world, including Australia, Canada, and the U.S. Great Plains. No-till Farmer The online home of the monthly no-till newspaper from Lessiter Publications. Includes a discussion board, a directory of no-till equipment suppliers and details on the annual National No-Till Conference. No-Till on the Plains
Includes a section on working with cover crops. Southern Conservation Agricultural
Systems Conference
A project of the Southern Extension and Research Information Exchange Group 20, the SCTCSA hosts an annual conference on conservation tillage in the South.
THANK YOU We'd like to thank the following organizations for their generous support to the No-Till Plus initiative:
United States Department of Agriculture,
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Marisla Foundation
Wallace Genetic Foundation, Inc.
NE-SARE roller research
newsletter debuts March 15, 2007: Regional farmers and Penn State researchers are working with The Rodale Institute to develop best management practices for use of the no-till cover-crop roller in the Northeast. This regional focus is funded by the USDA’s Northeast SARE program. Details in a new newsletter.
Choosing cover crops for no-till organic soybeans
October 13 , 2005. The more biomass the better for weed suppression—but you do have to be able to plant through the stuff. Of the three cover crops used rye, shown above, provided the most biomass.
Emerging trends surface at national no-till conference April 19, 2005 Cover crops were among the hot topics under discussion at the 13th annual National No-Tillage Conference, reports No-Till Farmer editor Ron Perszewski.
Visit the New Farm No-Till + Forum to share questions, ideas and insights about reduced-input no-tillage systems.
global no-till
Frontiers in conservation tillage April 19, 2005 International no-till expert Rolf Derpsch shares his views on the current state and future possibilities of reduced tillage systems worldwide.
Getting started with cover crops April 19, 2005 Cover crops can build tilth, stem erosion and deliver nutrients to primary crops. TRI research agonomist Dave Wilson shares selection and establishment tips for on-farm cover crop research.
one farm to another These are exciting times! March 17, 2005: Those were the sentiments of a group of researchers and farmers who met during the first week of March at The Rodale Institute’s farm in southeastern Pennsylvania to initiate plans for further research into organic no-till.
Planting soybeans into rye, round two November 23, 2004: In northwestern Minnesota, Robin Brekken, Lee and Noreen Thomas and other organic farmers are working to perfect a system for no-till planting soybeans into a standing rye cover. Despite ongoing unpredictable weather, the strategy is showing promise.
Perfecting organic no-till systems nationwide September 28, 2004: The Rodale Institute Experimental Farm receives NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant to build, distribute and test 10 organic no-till assemblies tailored to regional production needs.
Organic no-till for vegetable production? January 12, 2004: It can be done--Virginia Tech professor Ron Morse has been trialing a wide range of cover crop species for no-till planting of organic brassicas, cucurbits, solanaceae and more.
Weed FREE! An ode to rye September 12, 2003: Minnesota researcher Paul Porter is working with five farmers to figure out the best way to use a rye cover crop as an effective weed suppressant for soybeans. No-till planting in rye is looking really strong as a strategy.
Let's talk about soil January 6, 2003: We want soil to work for us, says soil scientist Ray Weil. We want it to hold water, recycle nutrients and keep diseases at bay. But we pulverize it with plows and expose it to evaporation and erosion. Now, does that make sense?
