Even though temperatures have cooled and rainfall has eased drought conditions in some parts of the Corn Belt, worries about drought conditions remain elsewhere.

With this years drought conditions there is less residue than normal in many fields. In some, the crop was harvested as a forage or cut as silage, leaving very little residue at all. Without residue to absorb the energy of raindrop impact and keep the wind off the soil surface, soil erosion will be greater and surface crusting could be a problem. Also, without the water-conserving residue mulch, soil moisture losses by evaporation will be much higher.

With much of the country suffering from a lack of moisture, it’s a good time to think about the many benefits no-till offers in capturing valuable moisture from snow cover. This is also linked to the height of standing stubble left in your no-tilled fields after harvest and the impact it can have on capturing winter moisture.

Just when you thought scorching droughts were becoming the “new normal” in agriculture, a weather-research firm told the farm media at last week’s Farm Progress Show that 2013 will likely be nothing like 2012.

When we're in a drought, farmers don't think about planting cover crops, but they should consider it, says Kris Nichols, research soil microbiologist with the USDA Agriculture Research Service, Mandan, N.D.

After striking a deal in June to have Great Plains Mfg. supply twin-row planters, Case IH showcased the new technology at its media event in Racine on Aug. 9, 2012.