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Tillage practices viewed from space

Xiaocui Wu, Kaiyu Guan and Jonathan Coppess University of Illinois
Oct 9, 2026
41 mins ago

Drainage ditch — Practices like no-till or minimum tillage, use of cover crops, or adding perennials in the crop rotation can help improve soil structure, reduce compaction and enhance water infiltration.
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Xiaocui Wu, Kaiyu Guan and Jonathan Coppess University of Illinois

From 2014 to 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program invested a total of $133.7 million in no-till and reduce-till practices, out of a total of $10 billion in conservation financial assistance. Tillage practices are a critical component of natural-resource challenges like soil erosion, and the consequences of erosion. But tracking practice adoption across millions of acres is a monumental challenge.

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University of Illinois

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University of Illinois

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University of Illinois

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University of Illinois

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University of Illinois

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University of Illinois

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University of Illinois

Xiaocui Wu is a post-doctoral student and Kaiyu Guan is a professor in agroecosystem sensing and modeling at the University of Illinois-Agroecosystem Sustainability Center. Jonathan Coppess is an associate professor with the University of Illinois-Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics.