30 years of research from Michigan State University shows that no-till consistency produces higher, stable yields compared to tillage.

Research at the university's Kellogg Biological Station near Hickory Corners, Mich., has been comparing conventional and no-till systems for the past 30 years.

Michigan State University’s Christine Charles tells Brownfield Ag News that the consistency of higher yields with no-till stands out among the 30 years of data. No-till crop yield averages over the length of the study were 13% higher for corn, 2.5% higher for soybeans and 13.7% higher for wheat. She emphasizes the value of the stability that no-till systems can bring in terms of yield, especially in very dry and very wet years.

“We’re not paying for time in the field when it comes to labor, and then we’re not paying for gas going out in the field,” she says. “Those input and cost reductions make a huge difference, in addition to our yield increases, in our overall profitability.”

Charles says it took about 13 years to pay off the upfront costs of no-till equipment purchased in the late 1980s, but production costs for conventional systems were consistently higher throughout the study.

Improved drainage and water holding capacity also helped crops become more resilient during weather extremes.

“In general, we’re seeing infiltration rates similar to our natural forest areas, which is really exciting,” Charles says.

Stacking practices like no-till and cover crops to increase environmental benefits and take advantage of programs for those practices adds value to an already profitable system, according to Charles. She says precision nutrient management reduces greenhouse gasses more than no-tilling alone, and using cover crops builds more carbon in soil than alone in a no-till system.

“Imagine when you stack these practices and combine them," Charles says. "You’re even further increasing the amount of carbon that you can sequester or greenhouse gasses you can reduce, thus making your approach to those programs more profitable.”

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