No-till farming (also called
zero tillage or
direct drilling) is a way of growing crops or pasture from year to year without disturbing the
soil through
tillage. No-till is an agricultural technique which increases the amount of water that infiltrates into the soil and increases organic matter retention and cycling of nutrients in the soil. In many agricultural regions it can reduce or eliminate
soil erosion. It increases the amount and variety of life in and on the soil, including
disease-causing organisms and disease suppression organisms. The most powerful benefit of no-tillage is improvement in soil biological fertility, making soils more resilient.
Farm operations are made much more efficient, particularly improved time of sowing and better trafficability of farm operations.