No-Till FarmingMany farmers are always wondering about newer, more efficient farming methods. Agriculture is becoming more and more precise every day; Farmers are struggling to cope with moisture loss caused by periods of drought, soil and nutrient runoff caused by erosion, and trying to achieve higher yields. Even though it seems like there is no answer, many farmers are turning to no-till as a solution. Some farmers oppose no-till, saying it keeps the soil too cold for too long in the spring, or that it won't allow them to grow their crops, but plenty of research proves these beliefs to be false. No-till has an advantage over conventional tillage for three main reasons: it conserves soil moisture, reduces erosion caused by wind and rain, and increases the quality of the topsoil. One of the advantages of direct tillage is that it conserves moisture. in the ground. By not turning the soil, more moisture remains underneath, allowing crops to retain a water reserve during dry periods when there is little or no rain. Since more water stays in the soil, this benefits crops because during hot months like July, where there is little rain, crops need water, and no-till helps provide that water. Crops like corn pollinate in July when it's hottest and driest, and a little extra water in the soil never hurts. During periods of drought, as conventional farmers' crops burn, no-till crops have more water to drink and can often survive these dry periods. Since thatch and waste remain to shade the ground, the land remains unexposed to the sun and is less vulnerable to evaporation. As Darnell Poage, a no-till farmer, says, “The field cover retains moisture from the sun and wind. » Because the sun doesn't shine directly on the ground...... middle of paper ......try it. Direct seeding has proven itself time and time again. Many farmers view no-till as an advantage because it conserves soil moisture, reduces erosion from wind and rain, and increases topsoil quality. Works cited by Al-Kaisi, Mahdi and Mark Hanna. “Research supports no-till. » Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Np, and Web. October 20, 2011. Al-Kaisi, Mahdi. “Tillwork in 2001: direct seeding.” Integrated crop management. Np, and Web. October 20, 2011 “CropWatch: Tillage and No-Till Systems.” » Water.unl.edu. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2011. Web. October 20, 2011Horowitz, John; Robert Ebel, Kohei Ueda. “American farmers are increasingly adopting the no-till system for major crops. » Amber Waves 8.4 (December 2010): 9. Web. October 25, 2011 Poage, Darnell. Personal interview. November 6, 2011Voss, Jim. Personal interview. November 6. 2011