Program Information

For centuries, farmers have been associated with the plow, but in the last 25 years this piece of farm equipment is getting less and less use. Tilling the soil is the process of breaking up soil and turning it over in preparation for planting crops, but it can leave the soil vulnerable to the elements. Instead, farmers are opting for no-till planting, which conserves soil by reducing erosion.

ABCs of Agriculture informs about Virginia's farming community and how it affects you. ABCs of Agriculture are produced by the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) - an educational program which encourages and enhances agricultural literacy in Grades K-5 and 6-8.

Transcript

Hello, and welcome to the ABC’s of Agriculture! We’re here today to talk about the letter N, which stands for No-Till Planting.

For centuries, farmers have been associated with the plow…but, in the last 25 years this piece of farm equipment is getting less and less use. Tilling the soil, the process of breaking up soil and turning it over in preparation for planting crops… can leave it vulnerable to the elements… That is when wind and rain can erode fields or carry soil and attached nutrients into waterways… where it doesn’t belong….

One of the most effective remedies for this is called “no-till” planting. With this technique, farmers do not plow their fields at all. They leave the crop residue on their fields after a harvest… then they plant new crops, using specially designed planters that guide seeds into the soil under the protection of the mulch formed by the residue. That layer conserves soil by reducing erosion and saves water by helping the ground hold the moisture in the field instead of having it run off.

An example of no-till planting in Virginia is a field of soybeans planted amid the stubble of last year’s corn or wheat crop. When farmers rotate what gets planted, this enhances the soil… Benefits to the community and to our environment include better rainwater absorption and less flooding…. And cleaner water due to less erosion….

For the ABC’s of Agriculture, I’m Professor Brad… see you next time!

Virginia Standards