Reduced Tillage in Vegetables

Project Lead: Anu Rangarajan

Tillage can be a valuable management tool on a vegetable farm but intensive and repeated tillage is hard on soils. We support small to mid-scale vegetable farmers, many using organic practices, in adopting reduced tillage practices on their farm. These practices can take many different forms. Our goal is to integrate reduced tillage with other soil building practices, to foster the growth and viability of vegetable farming in New York and the Northeast.

We work across different tools and practices, fit to the the scale and resources of the farm, and are learning from many innovative farmers leading the way. We conduct applied research to trial new and emerging practices to understand the science behind them while sharing practical lessons learned to support farmers in fitting them into their own operations. We partner with farmers in experimenting on their farm and offer workshops and other training opportunities for farmers to share their methods and ideas with one another. Explore this website to learn more about our research, events, and resources.

Reduced Tillage Resources

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Tarps on Permanent Beds

About Reduced Tillage in Vegetables

Reduced tillage practices minimize soil disturbance with targeted and appropriate tillage based on farm goals. Reduced tillage means less intensity, shallower depth, and less area disturbed, either in the bed, field or across the farm. It can mean less frequent tillage and lead to successful adoption of no-till practices.

Practices take many forms. They may be system-wide, applied across the whole farm, or only fit in a part of the rotation for specific crops. They often maintain the benefits of some tillage for managing weeds, making a better seed bed for crop establishment, or incorporating residues. How they take shape on a farm can depend on farm size and soil characteristics, access to equipment or materials, farm skill sets, and labor availability.

Events

Events

Today

News and Updates

  • Eco-Friendly Ag Practices May Be Easier Than Farmers Think

    by

    Caitlin Hayes

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    New research shows that labor is thought to be a bigger barrier for farmers to adopt climate resilient practices than it actually is. Rotating crops, using compost, adding cover crops

    Read More

  • Successful Field Day for Latino/a/x Farmers in Hudson Valley

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    Tim W. Shenk

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    The Latino/a/x farming community gathered for the Second Annual Hudson Valley Area Latinx Farmers’ Field Day on July 15, 2024. The Spanish-language event was hosted at Three Sisters Farm in

    Read More

  • Natural Senescence: Integrating Tools into Gardening as We Age

    by

    Lee Rinehart

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    A gardener will likely confront the necessary evils of power tools as their body experiences aging, but there are workable solutions for overcoming this ethical and practical gardening challenge.   

    Read More

  • Tarps, Mulch, and Timing: No-Till Tools to Rob the Weed Seedbank

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    Stephen Stresow

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    Research shows how the legacy of tarping and mulching can lead to fewer weeds in no–till vegetables. By Stephen Stresow and Ryan Maher The Woes of Weeding  One of the

    Read More

  • Reduced Tillage Project Sharing Research at Soil Health Field Days

    by

    Ryan Maher

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    Hear the latest Cornell Small Farms Program research on reduced and no-till practices for vegetables at Soil Health and Climate Resiliency Field Days this July. We’ll be sharing our research

    Read More

See the full archive from Reduced Tillage

Project Partners

We collaborate with other researchers at Cornell, extension educators within Cornell Cooperative Extension, and other organizations and universities across the Northeast.

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About Anu Rangarajan

Anu was appointed director the Cornell Small Farms Program in 2004. At the same time, she opened a U-pick strawberry farm in Freeville, NY. The experience of operating a small farm changed her entire approach to research and extension, and deepened her commitment to NY farms and local food systems.

Read Articles by Anu Rangarajan

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The Cornell Small Farms Program is housed at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) in Ithaca, NY, and works in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension across New York State.

Land Acknowledgement: Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York state, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ people, past and present, to these lands and waters.

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