Fourth-generation Danish farmer Knud Bay-Smidt describes no-till as a practical system grounded in observation and common sense. He has used the approach since 1987 across cereals, oilseeds, legumes and grass seed, and also sells no-till equipment.
Long experience with less disturbance
Bay-Smidt’s long adoption history matters because no-till remains relatively uncommon in Denmark. His system aims to reduce unnecessary soil movement while maintaining residue and using crop diversity to support field function.
The article presents no-till as more than a machinery choice. Rotation, residue management, weeds, establishment conditions and the capacity to learn from each season determine whether the system performs.
A farmer’s view of European policy
Bay-Smidt is critical of aspects of the European Union’s Green Deal and Danish regulation. In his view, some rules fail to reward no-till’s potential benefits and can unintentionally favour operations that disturb soil more often.
Those policy comments are his perspective, not a neutral assessment of every measure. Even so, they highlight a genuine adoption issue: environmental policy works best when its definitions and incentives recognise whole farming systems rather than a single visible practice.
Read the full No-Till Farmer article.