Soil erosion is a major challenge in agricultural production. It affects soil quality and carries nutrient sediments that pollute waterways. While soil erosion is a naturally occurring process, agricultural activities such as conventional tilling exacerbate it.

Farmers implementing no-till practices can significantly reduce soil erosion rates, a new University of Illinois study shows. Completely shifting to no-till would reduce soil loss and sediment yield by more than 70 percent, says Sanghyun Lee, doctoral student in the University of Illinois’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

“A comprehensive modeling framework to evaluate soil erosion by water and tillage" is published in Journal of Environmental Management. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture provided funding. For more information, read the University of Illinois article.