Farmers Share Tips on How to Successfully Implement No-Till Farming

On April 24, 2025, a No-Till Technologies Day was held in Kalviai village, Rokiškis District, as part of the LIFE IP EnerLIT project. The event gathered farmers and representatives of agricultural enterprises to share practical advice for maximizing the benefits of direct seeding technologies and other agro-technical measures. The results of financial support for direct and strip seeders were also presented.

Farmer’s Experience with Direct Seeding

Farmer Jonas Venslovas has been practicing no-till farming on 1,200 hectares of agricultural land for over a decade. According to him, although the soil texture on his farm varies greatly—from very light to very heavy—he has never used deep tillage equipment. Instead, he relies on maintaining soil structure through plant roots and minimal disturbance. His crop rotation includes wheat, buckwheat, beans, green manure, or radishes. Currently using a five-crop rotation, he plans to expand it further to enhance biodiversity, which in turn helps control pests and plant diseases.

Mr. Venslovas uses a tine direct seeder with tine thickness ranging from 1.8 to 2.5 cm, applying a maximum of about 120 kg/ha of nitrogen in the form of ammonium nitrate. Typically, winter crops are sown from late August to early September. He claims that direct seeding enables deeper root penetration, improves crop quality, and reduces the need for chemical inputs. His advice: sow buckwheat after wheat, but avoid planting beans after buckwheat. Concluding his talk, Venslovas stated confidently, “I am satisfied with the direct seeding technology I use and have no intention of switching from a tine seeder to a disc one.”

Principles of Soil Health

Tautvydas Beinoras, Chairman of the Lithuanian No-Till Conservation Agriculture Association, highlighted key factors affecting soil health. The first step in transitioning to no-till farming is to prepare the soil properly and eliminate any subsurface compaction layers. Direct seeding with tine seeders ensures good seed-to-soil contact, which is crucial for fast and even germination.

Beinoras also emphasized the importance of cover crops—plant diversity enriches the soil with a variety of nutrients and minerals. When applied correctly, direct seeding not only improves soil structure but also provides forage for grazing livestock through cover crops. Flowering buffer strips of about 6 meters in width next to crop fields are especially beneficial, as they support pollinators and beneficial insects such as ants, grasshoppers, ladybugs, ground beetles, and others. These insects help control pests by feeding on their larvae and significantly reduce weed pressure.

No-till farming also addresses water infiltration issues and increases humus content. For instance, in no-till soil, the water absorption rate can reach up to 762 mm/hour, compared to just 13 mm/hour in conventionally tilled fields. The lack of air circulation in heavily tilled soils further underscores the need to reduce soil disturbance. Scientific analysis reveals that costs in industrial agriculture are increasing nearly every year, while profitability is either marginal or almost nonexistent.

Crop Rotation Examples

Tautvydas Beinoras presented several crop rotation models aimed at maintaining long-term soil fertility. Effective solutions include two-species rotations and rotational cropping, where different crops are planted in the same field each year. Sample crop rotations:

• Winter rapeseed → winter wheat (+cover crop) → beans/peas → winter wheat (+cover crop) → spring wheat/barley

• Winter wheat + undersown crop → clover → winter wheat → winter rapeseed → winter wheat (+cover crop) → beans/peas

• Winter wheat (+cover crop) → buckwheat → spring wheat (+cover crop) → beans → winter wheat → winter rapeseed

• Winter wheat + undersown crop → alfalfa → alfalfa → winter wheat → winter rapeseed → winter wheat (+cover crop) → beans/peas

Funding Opportunities for Farmers

Andrius Venckus, Project Manager at the Transport Infrastructure and Projects Division of the Environmental Project Management Agency (APVA), reported that since the launch of financial support for direct and strip seeders, 468 applications have been submitted, with €29.1 million earmarked for funding. So far, 157 beneficiaries have implemented projects, and €8.3 million has been disbursed. Analysis shows that 55% of the funded seeders are strip seeders, with the most common working width being 6 meters.

Venckus also shared that another funding call is being considered for the end of 2025, subject to the availability of remaining funds. He reminded applicants who have changed their plans and no longer intend to purchase seeders through the support program to inform APVA and refrain from submitting a payment request. While not mandatory, this action would help optimize the planning of the next call for applications and ensure more efficient allocation of the available funds, as many farmers are still awaiting such an opportunity.

To learn more about the benefits of no-till farming for soil health, visit the LIFE IP EnerLIT project’s YouTube channel and listen to the latest podcast episode.