For the last 15 years we have been gathering information which shows the effects of tillage on soil and soil structure.

Below you see a tilled/planted field which was a soybean field in 2000.
On this particular day after a rainy event you see water standing in the tracks with some runoff.

Above is a second year no-tilled field without nightcrawlers which is across the road from the above tilled picture (on the same day taken during the same time of day).
As you see there is no water standing or running off. The shiny areas you see are the rows that were cleared of bean stubble where the corn is planted.

It has been suggested by some people that tillage used once in a while will not cause adverse effects on No-till ground --------
These next pictures prove this theory incorrect.
This field has been no-till for around 15 years. The area where water is standing was tilled last fall. As you can see there is no water standing in the foreground or background where the soil was undisturbed. May 5, 2001


This is the same area but the picture was taken on May 20, 2001 after a 1.5 inch rain.
The images below were taken on May 23 of the field above and show how the tilled areas have crusted and even have eroded.



This is what the field looks like where no tillage was done.

2 years after tillage