<div><iframe title="K-State Research Center finds limited tilling offers crop benefits" src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/zbrem-cef805&?from=usersite&skin=3&fonts=Helvetica&auto=1&download=1&share=1&version=1" height="122" width="100%" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player"></iframe></div>By JAMES BELL Hays PostNo-till crop production has been promoted for decades, with good results across the state, but recent findings from the K-State Agriculture Research Center now suggests limited tilling might help control pervasive weed growth, without diminishing the benefits of completely till-free farming.“No-till production where we use herbicides to control weeds
and we don’t stir the soil — till it up or plow it, like we did historically —
has been a really important improvement in agriculture in the western United
States, the Great Plains and in Kansas over the last 40 to 50 years,” said Bob Gillen, WKARC department head.Over the years, no-till farming has allowed producers to grow crops, like soybeans, that were previously unavailable to them as well as increase yields in northwest Kansas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578954917028.jpeg" alt="Bob Gillen / K-State Extension photo" />
 <figcaption>Bob Gillen / K-State Extension photo</figcaption>
 </figure>But as benefits from the practice have become well known, problems have begun to arise.“Producers have made really great strides with (no-till farming) and that
helps with soil moisture capture, helps with soil health, helps keep the soil
from blowing," Gillen said. "But because we use herbicides to control the weeds, now we have
some weeds that have developed resistance to those herbicides and so our system
is kind of breaking down a little bit.“We want the no-till benefits, but we can’t figure out how to control all the weeds, without doing some tillage,” he said.With that concern in mind, the center began looking for ways to retain the no-till benefits, while also finding a way to control weed growth.“One of the things with no-till we are always concerned that
once we quit tilling the soil and stirring it do we need to always continue
that to contain those great benefits,” Gillen said.During their research, they found a surprising result.“Well, it looks like we need to go back to some tillage to
control these very difficult to control, herbicide-resistant weeds,” Gillen said.Further, they found that limited tilling may retain the benefits of completely no-till farming while enabling better weed control.“We didn’t want to go back to regular tillage, because we know that’s just not what we want to do,” Gillen said. “But if we just tilled once every three years, very strategically — may be a one-time thing — to control these really hard to beat weeds and get back on top of them could we maintain those benefits of no-till,” Gillen said.<h2>“We are not talking about going back to regular tillage." </h2>Researchers further found introducing limited tilling does not damage the soil in ways incurred from regular tilling.&nbsp;“If we need to do that once in a while, it isn’t going
to destroy the good soil structure that we have developed over a long period of
time. It’s not going to reduce the organic matter,” Gillen said. “So it looks like we can use this tool of very occasional
tillage, get on top of the weeds, and still keep all of those advantages.”They found the tilling needed is not just limited in frequency, but also in practice.“We are talking about one, very shallow, tillage to remove
some very shallow-rooted grasses,” Gillen said.“I wouldn’t use the word breakthrough, but it looks like
this is going to be a really positive result,” he said.<h2>“I think this is a good example of something we have done to address&nbsp; a problem that is right in front of us that I think can have a widespread, positive impact in western Kansas.”</h2>️The day-to-day pressures of a typical producer may limit the ability of a producer to come to the same conclusion, so long-term study is where groups like the research center can help farmers find the best solution to pressing concerns.“If you take just one or two years," such as data an average producer might be able to collect, Gillen said, “You can get very misleading results.”In this case, continuing research from the center may have another positive and long-lasting impact on farming practices in the area, and how producers manage their land, especially in dry regions like northwest Kansas.&nbsp;“The real number factor there is moisture management,” Gillen said.“We really want to keep as much acreage as possible no-till
and keep it tilled as little as possible, and it looks like we can do that, if
we are careful.”

🎤Hays researcher: Limited tilling found to provide crop benefits