Drought Hot Topic at Milan No-Till Day

Tennessee soybeans planted in a no-till field. Photo courtesy Blake Brown/UT

Thousands of farmers from across the country will find their way to Milan, Tennessee, Thursday at an annual event that began decades ago as a way to share the latest research to prevent soil erosion. It’s called “No Till” farming. It happens to also be an effective method to protect row crops like corn and cotton from the effects of heat and drought, like the conditions still plaguing the Midwest.

Instead of plowing under last year’s crop, farmers plant the seeds right under the leftover foliage. It does require the use of more weed-killing chemicals. But Blake Brown – director of UT’s research center in Milan – says it’s better for the plants.

“If you look at the benefits to the soil, to the crop, a dry year like we’ve had this year, nine times out of 10, the no-till is going to shine over a conventional till plot just because that residue sort of works as a mulch.”

Brown says convincing farmers to move away from plowing is now just a small part of the annual “No Till Field Day” because the method has become the industry standard. Agriculture Department statistics find 74 percent of the acreage in Tennessee went unplowed this year.