Minimum Soil Disturbance

Rather than disturbing all the soil in a field - typically down to a depth of 15cm (six inches) - as little soil as possible should be disturbed. This is typically achieved by directly placing seeds into a small slot formed in the soil with a no-till planter for mechanized operations, jab planter, or even a stick for small-holder farmers.

In modern-day agriculture, tillage operations (ploughing, disking, harrowing, etc.) require a considerable amount of energy, different pieces of equipment, and can have considerable negative effects on the soil structure.