Organic no tillage - oxymoron or opportunity

Effective integration of high-residue cover-cropping practices and no-till systems have many well acknowledged advantages  

5 preservation and build-up of active SOM, which is the principle soil constituent responsible for generating soil quality (Magdoff and Weil 2004). 

In concept, integration of organic cropping systems with no-till practices is a logical step or progression toward improved crop yields and soil quality (Barberi 2002, Schjonning ef al. 2004). 

Organic no-till systems present many challenges, including production and management of high-residue cover crops, establishment of cash crops and weed management. Each challenge is discussed below with desired objectives, recommendations for success, and limitations. 

To produce uniformly distributed high-residue ( 6 t ha biomass), grass-legume cover crop mixtures on permanent controlled-traffic raised beds, keeping the soil continuously covered using diverse rotations of cash and cover crops. 

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