Direct drilling (no-till) is a cultivation system in which seeds are placed directly into the crop residue of the previous crop, without ploughing and without pre-sowing tillage. In Scandinavia and Western Europe no-till has been used for 30 years. In Poland interest is growing rapidly.
Benefits: fuel savings of 40–60 % (no ploughing, cultivating or rolling), protection of soil structure and biological life, reduced water and wind erosion, sequestration of organic carbon, faster sowing (one pass instead of 3–4).
Requirements: a seed drill adapted to working in crop residue (e.g. Tume Agri JC 4000 Star), good crop rotation, patience — the full benefits appear after 3–5 years of building organic matter.