No Tillage

“That is, no plowing or  turning of the soil. For centuries, farmers have assumed  that the plow is essential for growing crops. However, non cultivation is fundamental to natural farming. The earth  cultivates itself naturally by means of the penetration of  plant roots and the activity of microorganisms, small  animals, and earthworms.

When the soil is cultivated the natural environment is  altered beyond recognition. The repercussions of such acts  have caused the farmer nightmares for countless  generations. For example, when a natural area is brought  under the plow very strong weeds such as crabgrass and  docks sometimes come to dominate the vegetation. When  these weeds take hold, the farmer is faced with a nearly  impossible task of weeding each year. Very often, the land  is abandoned.

In coping with problems such as these, the only  sensible approach is to discontinue the unnatural practices  which have brought about the situation in the first place.  The farmer also has a responsibility to repair the damage he  has caused. Cultivation of the soil should be discontinued.  If gentle measures such as spreading straw and sowing  clover are practiced, instead of using man-made chemicals  and machinery to wage a war of annihilation, then the  environment will move back toward its natural balance and  even troublesome weeds can be brought under control.”

Source:The One-Straw Revolution (Masanobu Fukuoka, October 1975)