To maximize above-ground profits, Ed Winkle maintains that no-tillers must be attuned to the basics of what’s happening under the ground. The certified crop adviser with HyMark Consulting in Blanchester, Ohio, says a proper balance of oxygen, hydrogen and carbon is critical to harvesting top no-till yields.
With faith that no-till is totally compatible with Mother Nature, this Iowan believes it represents farming’s future both economically and environmentally.
During my 13 years in the Air Force after graduating from Iowa State University in 1956, a lot of things changed. In the military, I was part of a two-man team that flew the experimental SR-71, which became the world’s fastest airplane. It still holds speed records of more than 2,000 miles per hour.
While it's not likely to be a paying proposition in your no-till fields, gardeners are being encouraged to purchase earthworm castings to improve the productivity of their soils. Marketing materials for these casting products definitely show the correlation as to why increased earthworm numbers in your no-tilled fields help boost yields and protect the environment.
Q: How many earthworms do you need in no-tilled fields?
A: To gain the benefits of a good earthworm population with no-till, you need 8 to 10 worms per square foot of soil 6 to 8 inches deep.
The winner of the Phoenix Rotary Equipment Ltd., conservation tillage essay contest explains the benefits of boosting soil quality with no-till and direct seeding.
Conservation farming is revolutionizing agriculture through the adoption of new ideas, technology and practices. Direct seeding (no-tilling) is just one of these new practices that is reforming the way that we farm.
Increasing no-till yields is a matter of learning to “farm vertically,” maintains Ray Rawson. More than 40 years of no-tilling in northern Michigan have taught Rawson that it’s all about massive root systems and not ever about higher soybean plant populations.
Monsanto has received full U.S. regulatory clearance for the first biotech corn designed to control corn rootworm. The company announced in late February that both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has cleared YieldGard Rootworm for use in corn hybrids for resistance to this insect. Licensing the technology to other seed companies means a number of corn hybrids containing this technology will be available for no-tilling this spring.
If next spring’s planting season turns wet, Randall Reeder says no-tillers who use controlled traffic may be ahead of their neighbors. The Ohio State University agricultural engineer says it might let you no-till quicker despite wet conditions that normally delay planting.
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On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, Westville, Ind., no-tiller Jeff Herrold provides an update on how planting is going so far, and why a potential problem with slugs is causing some early-season anxiety. Herrold also explains why he prefers to plant soybeans before corn.
Needham Ag understands the role of technology in making better use of limited resources within a specific environment by drawing on a wealth of global experience to overcome the challenges facing today's farmers, manufacturers and dealers.
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