Everyone's heard seed salesman say that almost every corn hybrid will perform well with any type of tillage. While more seed companies are finally admitting that cold vigor, residue level, germination rate and a few other items should be evaluated when selecting corn hybrids for no-till, Kevin Newgard maintains a number of other key agronomic factors need to be considered.

As you start inching closer to the National No-Tillage Conference in Indianapolis, Ind., from Jan. 8 to 11, 2003, get a head start on topics you want to hear about by jumping on our Web site’s message board, Farmer’s Forum, at www.no-tillfarmer.com. It’s a great place to make some no-tilling contacts with people that you’ll be able to meet up with at the conference.

While the acres have leveled off nationally since the mid-1990s, a lot of farmers are having tremendous success with no-tilled corn.

Dean Fehl has been no-tilling soybeans on his LaPorte, Iowa, farm since 1989. About 6 years ago, he began strip-tilling corn.

What corn hybrids are best suited to early no-till programs?

At last months seventh National No-Tillage Conference in St. Louis, there was considerable interest in the soybean intercropping program used by no-tillers Keith and Doug Thompson of Osage City, Kan. With this unique doublecropping program they intercrop soybeans into standing wheat in early April.