Hi Frogleg,

As I understand it, no-till means no weed-clearing

For my understanding, it's a minimal soil disturbance and high residue
practice. I do organic no-till, and do mow weed and leave the residue
there.

As I understand it, no-till means no weed-clearing, with planting or
seeding accomplished by slits or holes poked through existing
organing
matter. I fail to understand how this reduces weeds.

To reduce chance of being eliminated by disaster(e.g fire), seeds will
not emerge at the sametime. Seeds deposit in soil are called seed
bank.

Most of small seeds need to be near/on soil surface to emerge.
Tillage do bring them to the soil surface, reduce tillage do reduce
the existing seeds of seed bank being bring up to soil surface.

High residue of plant(organic matter) insulate the new seeds carry by
wind from reaching the soil.

Some plant residue(mostly cereal) do release chemical that inhibit
seed emergent.

Some seeds need heat or light to emerge, high residue do isolate it.

Under high residue, clitters are active and eating seeds.

....

I also understand
that crop yields are *lower* with no-till, but one feels so good
about
being 'green' that it doesn't matter.

After the soil had been build up, no-till can acheive higher output
with same input compare to conventional tillage system.

To build up my soil fast, I mixed rice hull up to four foot deep in my
soil with one to one ratio.

I am also curious how no-till produces "better soil." It certainly
can
result in fields where topsoil isn't blown or carried away in
rainwater runoff, but I fail to see how that improves soil quality.

Clitter in soil will transport nutrient around from where it's
abundent to where it's lack of, and create tunnel that facilitate air
and water moving, root extend easier by follow these tunnel. Clitter
need organic matter for energy, tillage do cause lost of organic
matter in soil and break up those tunnel.

Tillage also break fungus that provide phosphorus to plant.

....

That said, its foolish not to practice it on a home level as it is
a
better practice in every facet and the results will show this.
Better
yeilds, less pests, less weeds, less water. All things every
gardener
lusts for on a daily basis.

Please elaborate on "better practice in every facet." Give me a few
facets.

For home garden, I will mow weed and left it there, on top of the weed
residue add some more organic matter. Make a hole put in my
transplant.

In this way:
Soil life and the tunnel created by them will not be disturb.

Meat eatting critter will eat those plant eatting critter, pesticide
are not needed. Critter in soil will eat weed seeds, herbicide are not
needed. Harmful lifeform(e.g fungus) to plant will be suppress either
eaten by or compete resource with other lifeform, other (xxx)icide are
not needed.

No hand tillage mean reduce back pain.

....

Regards,
Wong

--
Latitude: 06.10N Longitude: 102.17E Altitude: 5m