<b>By DOUG GRAVES<br>
Ohio Correspondent</b></p><p>

CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — A Pickaway County farmer has been honored with an innovation award by Syngenta Crop Protection and No-Till Farmer magazine.<br>

Bill Richards of Circleville was recognized for his innovation in crop production. Richards is seen as a pioneer in conservation tillage farming, as he and his family began no-tilling more than 45 years ago.<br>

Richards, who grows 2,600 acres of no-till soybeans with the help of his three sons, is now retired but continues to promote conservation tillage farming practices throughout the United States.
Reporters have called him the “Grandfather of No-till.”<br>

“At the beginning, farmers were using no-till methods so they could save money and farm more acres,” he said. “What we’ve discovered is that no-till is good for conservation purposes, as well.”<br>

No-till farming helps soil retain carbon. Healthy topsoil contains carbon-enriched humus – decaying organic matter that provides nutrients to plants. Soils low in humus can’t maintain the carbon-dependent nutrients essential to healthy crop production, resulting in the need to use more fertilizers.<br>

A lack of carbon in soil may promote erosion, as topsoil and fertilizers are often washed or blown away from farm fields and into waterways.<br>

In no-till agriculture, farmers plant seeds without using a plow to turn the soil. Soil loses most of it carbon content during plowing, which releases carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere. Increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have been associated with global climate change.<br>

Traditional plowing, or tilling, turns over the top layer of soil. Farmers use it for, among other reasons, to get rid of weeds, to make it easier to use fertilizers and pesticides and to plant crops. Tilling also enriches the soil, as it hastens the decomposition of crop residue, weeds and other organic matter.<br>

Richards pointed out that further understanding of soil carbon sequestration will come from long-term no-till experiments like those at The Ohio State University. He also highlighted the importance of keeping and strengthening the legacy of no-till research in Ohio.<br>

“If a problem arises with no-till, we could start working on the answer within a year,” said Richards, a former chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). “We wouldn’t have to wait for a grant, wouldn’t have to wait for Washington to approve it. These plots keep that research at home, close to the farmers of Ohio.”<br>

When he first became interested in no-till farming, Richards took the initiative to call OSU extension agents to learn about their experiments with no-till, which was a new method of farming at the time. He modified his own no-till equipment, and many of his designs were similar to those of today’s major manufacturers.
Richards also helped start the residue management campaign in the U.S. while serving as chief of the USDA Soil Conservation Service. “The interest in no-till slowed down in the late 90s, but it’s gained popularity since we’ve been confronted with an energy crisis,” he said.<br>

Throughout his career, Richards was heavily involved in no-till speaking engagements and conferences as both a participant and spectator. Some of his recent events include speaking at a 2006 no-till conference in Ada, Ohio, and speaking to the National Assoc. of Ag Engineers in Minnesota.