No-tillers forced to work in wet fields this fall after heavy rains might want to know that most experienced no-tillers favor the freeze-thaw cycle and cover crops rather than tillage to break up compacted soil.

Only recently have large numbers of no-tillers discovered the value of cover crops to aid their soil and cash crops. Many no-tillers are still learning how and when to burn down the cover crops to prevent competition with their corn, soybeans, etc.

Researchers in Tennessee are looking at the feasibility of no-tilling switchgrass, a warm-season perennial that can grow up to 7 feet in height, as raw material for biofuels and an alternative to corn-based ethanol.