Q: What was the single biggest factor in making your no-till operation a success?

O That’s easy: water conservation due to more soaking in rather than running off, and less water lost due to evaporation due to not stirring the soil and more ground cover lowering the soil temperature.

—Murray McKee, Des Moines, Iowa

O For me, without any doubt, the most important factor for successful no-tilling has been glyphosate herbicide. Without Roundup and its descendants for pre-seed weed control, where would any of us be? I’m a part-time farmer, custom direct seeder (our term for zero tillage seeding) and full-time reduced tillage agronomist.

—Ron Heller, Vermilion, Alberta, Canada

O Less input costs and more production are the biggest factors in no-till success.

—Larry & Carol Haynes

O The biggest single factor that makes my no-till operation a success is owning a sprayer. Unless it is financially impossible, I recommend any producer planning to move to a no-till operation purchase his own sprayer and learn how to use it efficiently.

When asked by other producers, I recommend that they purchase the biggest and best sprayer they can afford and do everything in their power to use it correctly and efficiently.

—J.L. Morgenstern

Q: What is the biggest change you plan to make in your no-till operation this year?

O The biggest change for our no-till operation will be planting no-till soybeans utilizing a parallel tracking light bar instead of markers. By doing this, we saved $3,000 on the cost of…