Heavy soil tilling for agriculture can do more harm than good

The flow of water through tilled soil can leave land susceptible to floods and drought

A group of scientists work inside a tent. Nearby, another group is walking in an open, grassy field.

Scientists used fiber-optic cables to detect how tilling affects the movement of rainwater through soil at an agricultural research site at Harper Adams University, in Newport, England (shown).

Marine Denolle/University of Washington

For thousands of years, humans have prepared to plant by tilling, overturning the soil to manage moisture, airflow and nutrients.