No-till and other conservation tillage systems have long been promoted for soil and water conservation. Research plots were established in 1981 to evaluate six different tillage systems in a soybean/grain sorghum rotation using the same tillage system year after year. The data from these plots and the experiences gained in the management required to make no-till and reduced tillage systems successful have provided valuable support for Extension programs.
These dryland production plots have been maintained ever since 1981 and are showing that with proper management, no-till is the most profitable tillage system. The yields, listed below for this long-term tillage system study on the Rogers Memorial Farm, show that even with the drought conditions of 2000, no-till was the hands down winner.