Besides looking at new traits, plant breeders are paying close attention to each new corn hybrid’s reaction to various production practices. These include a hybrid’s performance with post-emergence herbicides, foliar fungicides, different seeding rates, various planting dates, continuous corn and nitrogen usage.

The land that Jeff Notstad no-tills might cause a lot of farmers to scratch their heads. It’s 480 acres of rocky, shallow loam soils that aren’t ideal for raising crops.

With its deep root system that breaks up compacted soils, annual ryegrass is an attractive cover. But those deep roots can also make it a challenge for no-tillers to burn down.

No-tiller's yields dropped as much as 14 bushels per acre when rootworms were not controlled.