Most U.S no-tillers miss out on the full benefits of no-tilling because they incorrectly believe they must occasionally till for a variety of reasons, says Rolph Derpsch, an internationally respected no-till researcher and advocate from Paraguay.

No-tillers know the threat that compaction poses to their crops. And although no-tilling minimizes the risk of compaction, no-tillers might not understand how a hardpan might still sneak into their fields.

You can't talk about nitrogen management without talking about tillage management. And separating nitrogen management from management of no-till and other tillage systems can be dangerous, according to Alan Sundermeier, an Ohio State University extension educator.

The Reed family members are some of no-till’s biggest advocates. But the Washington, Iowa, farmers don’t say no-tilling is the perfect, cookie-cutter method. Instead, they say, while no-till is the best way to be a good steward of the land and a profitable farmer, it does take some know-how.

With the concentrated dairy industry in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, crops there are often grown on land fertilized with liquid manure that is hauled into the fields in tanker loads. While the manure is valuable for its nutrients and organic matter, the weight of the tankers concerns those who understand the dangers of soil compaction.

If you're strip-tilling or want to improve traffic control in your no-till fields, you should consider auto steering, says Randall Reeder, an agricultural engineer with Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. While the cost is hefty and a decision should be made carefully, the returns can be well worth the investment, he says.

Growers in all tillage disciplines have one common goal: yield. No matter whether you’re chisel- or moldboard plowing, strip-tilling, minimum-tilling or die-hard no-tilling, the more you grow, the more you make. Theoretically. But how do you make sure that you're reaching your crop's genetic potential? Since the days of Nostradamus, growers have been struggling with that question.