I don't think it is all that effective from what I have read in Permiculture and even conventional farming circles.
Tillage works, but I am convinced it is more detrimental then it helps. Perhaps if compaction is real bad, it would pay to till, sow a good blend of nitrogen fixing seed varieties and even adding alfalfa and turnip to mix to break up that compaction in the future.
You could try frost seeding which works, but emergence is only 50%...or at lest has been all the times I have tried it. You could double up on the application rate with some good blends including alfalfa and turnip and probably get the compaction broke up in a growing season.
Not sure how many acres you are talking, but no-till equipment is expensive. If you are talking a lot of acres then you might be able to have a neighbor no till it for you, or work with your
local Soil and
Water Conservation District. Mine has a no till seeder that they loan out. Again a lot of research on what grows where you live would help. What dos well here is different where you live I am sure.
