A way of growing crops from year to year without disturbing the soil through tilling. Tilling is removes weeds, mixes in fertilizers, shapes the soil into rows, and prepares for seeding, but it also can lead to soil compaction, loss of organic matter, disruption of soil microbes, arthropods, and earthworms, and soil erosion where topsoil is blown or washed away. In no-till farming the soil is left intact and crop residues are left in the fields. Source
No-till farming, also known as conservation tillage or zero tillage is a way of growing crops from year to year without disturbing the soil through tillage. Once called chemical farming, the reference was subdued in order to promote the idea of no-till being more natural. It is becoming more common as researchers study its effects and farmers uncover its economic benefits.