No-till has some drawbacks. There are different weed control and plant disease issues from those in conventional farming, and, in a few cases, certain insect pests are more likely. However, Grove says the benefits of no-till far outweigh the drawbacks for Kentucky's agricultural community. He says that no-till farming and similar conservation methods end up helping all Kentuckians. From a public perspective, the real benefit of no-till is sediment control.
Soil becomes dirt when it ends up in somebody's water.