No-till Production Farmers Can Cut Herbicide Use, Control Weeds, Protect Profits
Published:31 Aug.2021 Source:Penn State
Farmers using no-till production -- in which soil never or rarely is plowed or disturbed -- can reduce herbicide use and still maintain crop yields by implementing integrated weed-management methods, according to a new study conducted by Penn State researchers.
While no-till agriculture can conserve soil and energy, it relies primarily on herbicides for weed control and to terminate cover crops and perennial crops, noted the study's lead author, Heather Karsten, associate professor of crop production/ecology. When farmers are no longer using tillage to disrupt weed growth, they typically use more herbicides to control weeds.