No-Till Farmer editors encounter a variety of articles, social media posts, podcasts and videos that offer a unique look at the grower's world from the lofty digital realm. Here is our favorite content from the past week from across the web:
- Yes, Larson Farms, You Should Try No-Till
- Walkthrough of the Horizon DSX No-Till Drill
- Illinois No-Tiller Adds Carbon to His Rotation with Carbon Farming Payments
- Swiss University Lab Buries 2,000+ Pairs of Undies to Study Soil Health
- Cattle Rancher Takes a ‘Leap of Faith’ By Drilling Fall Grain
Best of the Web This Week is brought to you by Sound Agriculture.
SOURCE by Sound Agriculture wakes up the soil microbiome so you can access more nitrogen and phosphorus from your field. This bioinspired chemistry fixes atmospheric nitrogen and unlocks phosphorus that is tied up in the soil. It’s like caffeine for microbes, working with the soil you’ve already got to make your season more productive. Learn more at www.sound.ag.
Yes, Larson Farms, You Should Try No-Till
In this YouTube video, the farm crew at Larson Farms is in the shop repairing tillage tools on a hot day in August. After a lot of broken and worn parts, greasing and sweating, they’re wondering if they should try no-till. “Yes, you should try no-till!” cries every no-tiller reading this. No-till saves money on equipment, $24 per acre on fuel, and improves your soil health, which leads to higher yields. Maybe you can use the savings to install an air conditioner in the shop. (Oh and yes, no-till is possible in Minnesota, as no-tillers Tim Little and Brian Biegler prove.)
Walkthrough of the Horizon DSX No-Till Drill
Charlie Eaton, sales manager for Horizon Agricultural Machinery based in the United Kingdom, lists the 10 best features of the Horizon DSX No-Till Drill in this YouTube video. Among the highlights are the unique coulter assembly, its ability to cut through residue, penetrate heavy clays and close the seed trench; and easy setup and transportation.
Illinois No-Tiller Adds Carbon to His Rotation with Carbon Farming Payments
No-tiller John Nergenah has been no-tilling and cover cropping 100% of his 1,500 acres in Morgan and Scott counties, and he says selling carbon credits for his soil-saving efforts requires different — not more — management. We did it because we were already doing it, and all we had to do to get money back was some paperwork.” Nergenah talks about the process in this article from the Journal Courier.
Swiss University Lab Buries 2,000+ Pairs of Undies to Study Soil Health
The van der Heijden Lab in Switzerland took the “Soil Your Undies” demonstration you’ve likely seen before to the extreme, burying more than 2,000 pairs of underwear and 12,000 teabags to demonstrate how crop production management impacts microbiology and soil health. Anyone want to venture a guess as to which pairs came from no-till fields?
Last year we buried over 2000 pieces of underwear and 12000 teabags with 1000 volunteers to estimate soil health. This Wednesday first results will be presented. We found thousands of microbial taxa and results point to the importance of land use and soil carbon. @SFranzBender1 pic.twitter.com/oYmYMho3qc
— van der Heijden Lab (@vandeHeijdenLab) September 27, 2022
Cattle Rancher Takes a ‘Leap of Faith’ By Drilling Fall Grain
Utah cattle rancher Chris Evens takes you in the cab as he drills fall grain for the first time ever. His county bought a Great Plains 1006NT no-till drill, and he’s excited to give it a try on his pasture land. Next time we hope he eliminates disking the field before planting.
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Best of the Web This Week is brought to you by Sound Agriculture.
SOURCE by Sound Agriculture wakes up the soil microbiome so you can access more nitrogen and phosphorus from your field. This bioinspired chemistry fixes atmospheric nitrogen and unlocks phosphorus that is tied up in the soil. It’s like caffeine for microbes, working with the soil you’ve already got to make your season more productive. Learn more at www.sound.ag.