The statement in the article about using less chemical control and less fertilizer is blatant falsehood. Typically no till is a chem fallow operation meaning we would burn the vegetation down with glyphosate before planting. As for fertilizer its a given requirement dependent upon available soil nutrients and crop selection.
No till was pushed hard in the late 80s and became very popular. It works great in very dry regions to help control soil moisture. Its a good tool in my area to help control erosion in slope fields. However it is not a replacement for tillage and the downsides have become apparent over the years. Most farmers including myself have gone back to tillage or a mix of till and no till.
Tillage has benefits that include organic material incorporation and no chemical weed control. If done correctly it can also mitigate panning which is something that no till is supposed to do as well but doesn't always work that way. Crop selection and soil profiles have the most to do with tillage type needed.
All that being said, I have no experience in no till gardening as I have always tilled mine, but I would assume most of the premise would be the same.
Thanks for the input.
Many years ago I passed a filed where they were preparing it for some kind of crop.
They had a huge tractor like device that had a massive, I guess flame thrower is the best way to put it, on it. The flames were directed downward and as the soil was tilled, the burners passed over it, and obviously cooked everything living in the soil. It would clearly take care of weed seeds and overwintering pests.
I know in England in Aug the farmers burn their fields over. I saw that as we drove through the countryside on a visit there.