Is there a benefit to moldboard plowing a no-till field once every 10 years? A recent article, “Changing Tillage, Changing Nutrient Management,” in the Spring 2008 issue of Plant Nutrition Today suggested that continuous no-till can lead to accumulation of phosphorus (P) at the soil surface, causing higher P concentrations in runoff.

No-tillers forced to work in wet fields this fall after heavy rains might want to know that most experienced no-tillers favor the freeze-thaw cycle and cover crops rather than tillage to break up compacted soil.

Having no-tilled since 1972, Paul Schaffert has learned a few things while growing corn, wheat, soybeans, sunflowers, milo and grain sorghum on a 2,000-acre irrigated and dryland farm in Indianola, Neb. The lessons have come even harder recently, because the area, which normally receives 10 to 17 inches of rain each year, has been suffering through a drought for the past several years and irrigation is now restricted to 13 inches per year.

When we asked No-Till Farmer readers to describe the critical changes they’re making this fall, we received a wide variety of ideas. Faced with needing to make changes based on rising expenses, environmental concerns and weather worries, these innovative no-tillers are adopting a number of different ideas to boost yields, trim costs and improve profitability.