Below are key no-till takeaways from several of the features found in the February 2026 issue of No-Till Farmer.
Planning for Drought Pays Off for No-Tiller
- Sticking with no-till, cover crops and livestock integration will build resilience in your soils.
- Take advantage of split nutrient applications when the weather turns on you.
- Soil biology improvements follow long-term no-till crop rotations.
Plant Disease Experts: 2026 Could be ‘Tar Spot Year’
- Tar spot inoculum overwinters, so the population will always be with us.
- Single mode fungicides, generally strobilurins, are viable products but only provide preventive protection.
- Beyond hybrid selection, experts recommend at least dual-action fungicides to help control the disease.
Solving a Farm Puzzle, 1 Piece at a Time
- Strip-till and no-till drive water stability in sandy fields.
- Constantly evaluating new hybrids with split planting keeps yields trending up.
- Data evidence proves fungicide applications in our corn and sulfur applications ahead of soybeans pay.
No-Till Innovators Honored as Champions of Conservation Farming
- Understanding the carbon pathway is a key to unlocking the benefits of regenerative farming.
- Have goals when you commit to changing systems — whether they’re economic, erosion-related, or conservation goals.
- Those new to conservation may want to seek out a safe, constructive place to learn by connecting with a local conservation district or soil health group.
Iowa No-Tillers Find ‘Forward’ Gear in Conservation Journey
- Don’t believe coffee-shop talk that soil organic matter takes ‘forever’ to build.
- Options like short-stature corn could be worth experimenting with to gain new options for fungicide and cover crop applications.
- Sometimes simple but finely tuned planter setups can produce just as good results as units with all the bells and whistles.
Drones Can Ease Transition to Livestock Integration
- Ride fences and check cattle with drones.
- Compare one-time UAV costs with lost calves and timely notice of calving problems.
- Consider Drones-as-a-Service or leasing arrangements for improved affordability.
Degraded or Thriving Soil?
- Consider how your management decisions will affect future generations of farmers.
- Do what it takes to protect topsoil ahead of everything else.
- Don’t be afraid to tell landlords about no-tilling and why it’s important.
