Anna Cates, Minnesota Soil Health Specialist, and Jodi DeJong-Hughes, Extension educator High input costs and tight margins are forcing Minnesota farmers to take a hard look at every pass across the field, and tillage is one of the first places real savings can be found. In 2025, Minnesota farmers made more money on no-till soybeans than tilled soybeans, and over the past decade, minimal tillage has been the most profitable system for corn. As I write this, diesel is $5.10 in Sleepy Eye and Litchfield, and $5.20 in Wadena. Now is a good time to take a hard look at tillage costs and consider practical ways to reduce expenses this spring.
Reducing tillage costs
Drop a field pass
Tillage is often an overlooked aspect of total input costs. But this year, a fall chisel plow pass and two field cultivator passes can cost you $62.00 an acre, which could easily be the difference between break-even and profitable fields. As you can see in the chart, running heavier and more aggressive tillage equipment is more expensive. Dropping one field cultivator pass this spring can save you $2.50 an acre in fuel, which, when calculated over 1,000 acres, can save you $2,500 in diesel, wear and tear on your tractor, and 23 hours of labor.
Reduce tillage depth
Shallowing up a tillage pass can reduce your costs as well. For example, field cultivation at 4.8 mph at a 4.5" depth used 0.63 gal/ac. Field cultivation at a 3" depth used only 0.50 gal/ac, a savings of 20%. Disking at 4.7 mph at 6" depth used 0.32 gal/ac, while a 4" depth used 0.23 gal/ac, a 28% fuel savings. These small changes can lead to big savings without affecting yield.
Consider no-till
It’s worth considering no-till this spring. No-till soybeans carry less risk than no-till corn. However, don’t try this if you have used a chopping head combine on corn last fall. This leaves a thick residue mat that’s hard for your planter to work through. If it’s your first time planting no-till beans, consider slightly increasing your plant population as well. Talk to neighbors who have experience with no-till farming, check out their equipment, and explore cost-share options available through your local Soil and Water Conservation District.
Source : umn.edu