An all-time record crowd took in 4 days of no-till knowledge, tips and discussion as the National No-Tillage Conference celebrated its 20th annual event last month.

Getting the soil back into shape wasn't the impetus for Jay Franklin’s no-till conversion more than 2 decades ago. As a young farmer facing tough times, he simply had his back against the wall.

In 1977, Rod Nelson had accumulated enough savings to pay down 348 acres of farmland near Chatfield in the rolling hill country of southeastern Minnesota.

From only 3.3 million acres in 1972 to an estimated 90 million acres today, there’s been plenty of progress as more farmers shift to no-till. Yet, we’re still a long way from the estimated 54% of U.S. row-crop ground U.S. Department of Agriculture economists predicted back in 1975 that would be no-tilled by now.

Agricultural manufacturers and farmers have played key roles in the development of no-till from its pioneering days to its modern-day look.

Whether it’s strip-tilling on 20- or 22-inch rows, a small, but dedicated number of strip-tillers are making narrow rows work for them.

You can’t farm by the seat of your pants anymore. It takes a business plan and research to get maximum yields and profits.

Enzymes, microbes and humic acids may be the next evolution in residue management, as no-tillers continue searching for ways to increase biological activity in their soils and break down tough cornstalks.