No-till innovators were honored for the ideas and methods they have brought to no-till farming at the annual National-No-Tillage Conference in Cincinnati., Jan. 10-13.

The fifth annual No-Till Innovator Awards program, co-sponsored by Syngenta and No-Till Farmer, honored contributions to the advancement of no-till farming.

No-Till Crop Production

In 1970, the Worth & Dee Ellis Farms of Eminence, Ky., began to no-till 2,000 acres of wheat, soybeans and corn to contend with the 3 to 12 percent slopes in their fields. By showing the many benefits of no-tilling and precision farming, they added 1,081 acres from five new landlords during 1998 and 1999.

The Ellises now farm over 6,800 acres of double-cropped wheat and beans rotated with corn. Studies on their farm have shown no-till is more profitable than conventional tillage.

Over the past 30 years, the Ellises have hosted many field days at their farm to spread the word about the benefits of no-till. Mike Ellis has given hundreds of speeches about residue management and other key aspects of successful no-tilling to local, national and international audiences.

Crop Consulting

Dave Savage, a crop consultant and no-tiller from Farley, Iowa, is always willing to put his reputation on the line to promote the benefits of no-till. He experiments with no-till on his own farm and shares successful strategies with other farmers, serving as a consultant.

Savage is known as a pioneer in no-till planting techniques. He has also worked hard to find ways to reduce herbicide and nitrogen application rates…