# Conventional vs. No-Till Drills. What is the real difference?



## jstrohfus (Nov 16, 2009)

Ok, this is a newbie question. What is the main difference between a conventional drill (ex. the kind in my shed that is 30 years old) and a "no-till" drill.

I realize technology evolves all the time but is there something specific that merits a badge of "no-till"?

I am assuming it has something to do with the furrows and the ability to cut through more trash.

UPDATE: I found this which was helpful
http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G1210

The next question is, what happens if you try to use a conventional drill on existing grass? Will it just plug up?

Thanks,

John


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## Creekside Quarters (Dec 24, 2009)

The biggest difference is the ability to cut through existing stubble, trash, and other residues. We used a Truax no-till drill to plant our hay fields in orchardgrass and red clover. The fields were previously row cropped and the only thing left was stubble. So all I had to do the fall is spray the fields down with roundup to kill off competition and then run the drill through it. The drill had notched coulters out front which cut through the residue/trash and allowed the disc openers to penetrate into the ground the appropriate depth. Don't think you would be able to get appropriate seed depth trying to run a traditional drill over the ground, you probably end up wasting alot of seed. The no-till was much easier for us and kept the ground firm, cut down alot on soil erosion, and not to mention less trips over the field. Not to mention we had a great germination rate. 
You should take a look at the truax website and you will be able to see the difference very quickly. Truax Seed Planting Equipment. We used the FlexII-816 Grass Drill.

Hope this helps,

Dave.


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## UpNorth (Jun 15, 2009)

Creeksides description is pretty good. The conventional (probably an old grain drill in most cases) is design to go through a clean, well tilled seedbed. There are a number of variations on the parts (types of colters, press wheels, opening discs vs the baker boot, etc.) so looking around and matching the whole set up to your needs is very important.

If you also grow row crops on heavier soils you may also want to look into to strip tilling in the fall.


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