Social Dynamics of No-Till Adoption in England

Research by Dr Anna Krzywoszynska (University of Sheffield) on how English farmers experience and sustain the transition to sustainable soil management. Published in Soil Use and Management (2019). Summarised in Direct Driller Issue 6.

Three Stages of Transition

1. Seeking

  • Triggered by efficiency or productivity concerns (fuel costs, suboptimal yields, time) — not initially environmental
  • “Lightbulb moment”: shift from seeing soil as inert substrate to living system
  • Described as “a change in perspective or mentality”, “a farming life-changer”
  • Key influences: Elaine Ingham, Elizabeth Stockdale, farmer testimonies

2. Experimenting

  • Some go “all in” (invest in direct drilling kit); others adopt gradually (contractors, partial adoption)
  • Immediately visible to neighbours through “scruffy” looking fields
  • Different working rhythms (no longer ploughing) = out of sync with neighbours
  • Creates feelings of isolation and loneliness: “sometimes it does feel very lonely when you see your bad fields and the neighbours’ good fields”
  • Reputation risk: “I’m sticking my neck out… I don’t want to end up getting egg on my face or losing credibility”

3. Contributing

  • Experienced farmers spread knowledge
  • Become mentors and advocates within their communities

[Source: dd-issue-06, 2026-04-11]

Communities of Practice

  • Farmers form groups of “like-minded” practitioners to exchange learning and support
  • Online activity crucial: The Farming Forum, Twitter, WhatsApp groups
  • International connections (Australia, NZ, USA) with longer no-till experience
  • “I wouldn’t be able to do this on my own”
  • Community prevents regression: without support, farmers “think oh, I might just do it the old-fashioned way”

[Source: dd-issue-06, 2026-04-11]

Role of Science

  • Farmers use scientific hypotheses to justify adoption but rarely use scientific tools to validate outcomes systematically
  • Many operate on “intuition” — “I just think for all sorts of reasons… this is the right thing to do”
  • Scientific support provides legitimacy to practices that neighbours see as “abnormal”
  • Farmers want scientists to: work with them on-farm, clarify technologies, and demonstrate value to society
  • But: “it’s very much a farmer-led change in which scientists are welcome”

“Looking at all our weird farmer anecdotes and then methodically and studiously showing why those anecdotes are the case.”

[Source: dd-issue-06, 2026-04-11]

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