No-till farming antidote to 'skinning' fields?
Professor David Montgomery thinks no-till farming, the technique used in this cotton field, is the best aid in decreasing soil erosion. (Photo by David Nance, USDA.)
A new analysis confirms that a farming technique called “no-till” agriculture can help curb soil erosion.
University of Washington professor David Montgomery looked at data from more than 1,600 measurements published in more than 200 studies examining various aspects of farming practices, soil creation and soil erosion. His conclusion was published in a 2007 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
He and others believe conventional agriculture is “skinning” our fields. He thinks no-till farming could help solve that problem.
David Montgomery: Instead of having the mineral and organic soil exposed bare to the elements, it’s covered by the residue from the last crops. And so, if runoff is running out over a field it would be running off over the vegetation residue and it won’t be able to take away as much soil as if the soil was bare.
Montgomery added that bare soil – exposed to wind and rain – is an easy target for erosion. Each year, 24 billion tons of soil are lost to erosion over the entire Earth.
In a world with nearly 7 billion people – and still growing – Montgomery and others think no-till farming should be the way of the future.
Conventional plowing is ‘skinning’ our agricultural fields a press release from University of Washington about Montgomery’s work.
Our thanks to:
David Montgomery
Professor of Earth and space sciences
University of Washington
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