Tillers and Organic Matter

[MN Slick]

Are tillers as bad on OM as some folks claim? What about just working the top couple inches of soil?

 

[4wanderingeyes]

It is best not to disturb the soil at all, but sometimes you have too. But the key is to limit to the least possible. If you have rich black soil, it isn’t as big a deal. If you have sandy soil with low om, then the least possible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ToddG]

I just till the top 2 inches. I started with red clay and if you don't break it up, it gets a crusty layer on top. The top 3 to 4 inches is now nice black dirt.

 

[BuckSutherland]

Tillage destroys soil and soil structure. A tiller beats the soil into a fine dust or powder. It takes away pore space and the ability for water infiltration. Guys that keep tilling year after year will eventually turn it into a brick and reduce there organic matter.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Tillage destroys soil and soil structure. A tiller beats the soil into a fine dust or powder. It takes away pore space and the ability for water infiltration. Guys that keep tilling year after year will eventually turn it into a brick and reduce there organic matter.

Agree in part, I know of some very successful organic farmers in SD growing good corn crops that depend on tillage.
Thing is they work around the OM issue by incorporating large amounts of green matter into the system.
Thus providing most of the nutrient requirements of the crop by recycling OM and constant nutrient turnover.

Also know a good handful of growers in W Minn that without, deep subsoil aeration, the ground turns sour with IDC in heavy gumbo clay soils.

There is no one wrong or right way to do most things in life, it all depends on the situation one is facing.