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Laura Barrera

Laura Barrera is the former managing editor of No-Till Farmer and Conservation Tillage Guide magazines. Prior to joining No-Till Farmer, she served as an assistant editor for a greenhouse publication. Barrera holds a B.A. in magazine journalism from Ball State University.

Articles

ARTICLES

Cover Crop Veteran Shares Secrets of Interseeding Success

Cover crop and no-till veteran David Brandt explains why no-tillers need to consider their herbicide program, cover crop seeding method and choice of species to make interseeding work.

By Laura Barrera posted on July 11, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Soil Health

David Brandt knows cover crops. The Carroll, Ohio, no-tiller has been using them on his 600-acre farm since 1978 and today has a cover crop seed company to help others improve their soil health and land management practices.

Experiments with ‘Extreme Biomass’ Provide Soil and Water Protections

Pennsylvania no-tiller Jim Hershey shares his thoughts on maximizing cover crop benefits by interseeding and delaying termination.

By Laura Barrera posted on May 28, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

Lancaster County, located about 90 minutes west of Philadelphia, is the largest livestock-producing county in Pennsylvania. It’s also the county with the most impaired streams, making it a major contributor of pollution to the Chesapeake Bay.

Curbing Nitrogen Runoff in the Chesapeake Bay with Data, Precise Placement

With over 10,000 acres of cover crops, Trey Hill explains how he’s updated his equipment for better fertilizer placement, while data from Encirca helps him decide on nitrogen amounts.

By Laura Barrera posted on March 29, 2019 | Posted in Cover Crops, Nutrient Management

In an effort to curb nutrient pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland farmers have been met with strict regulations on when, how and how much fertilizer they can apply to their fields.

Shake Up Your No-Till Operation with New Rotations, Non-GMOs

By Laura Barrera posted on February 27, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Soil Health

Here are some additional information and tips from Williamsport, Ind., grower Rick Clark for promoting a more diversified no-till system through utilizing different rotations and adding non-GMO crops.

Rolling Covers, Planting Non-GMOs ‘Green’ Leads to Efficient, Thriving No-Till System

By relying on good farm data to improve their operation, Rick Clark and family are capitalizing on the non-GMO crop market while cutting costs, building soil health and stabilizing yields.

By Laura Barrera posted on February 25, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Equipment

Yield doesn’t drive Rick Clark’s no-till system. Instead, the fifth generation no-tiller intensely focuses on building soil health as the driver of his family’s 7,000-acre operation near Williamsport, Ind.

How Embracing Soil Biology Leads to Better No-Till Profitability

Ray Archuleta explains why soil biology is so important to crop production and how utilizing soil life more aggressively can boost no-till performance.

By Laura Barrera posted on December 28, 2018 | Posted in Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

Ray Archuleta has more hope for the soils affected by the 1985 Chernobyl nuclear power-plant explosion than he does for most agricultural fields in the U.S.

Soils, Rainfall Influence Payoff of Spoon-Feeding Nitrogen in Corn

Growers with sandy or heavy textured, poorly drained soils that experience nitrogen leaching or denitrification are most likely to benefit from split nitrogen applications.

By Laura Barrera posted on October 15, 2018 | Posted in Nutrient Management

When it comes to designing and implementing a nitrogen (N) application plan for no-tilled or strip-tilled corn, the options seem limitless.

Surviving Pigweed Death Struggle with No-Tilling and Cover Crops

On the verge of bankruptcy from herbicide-resistant weeds, Adam and Seth Chappell discovered they could control weeds and slash inputs by embracing conservation practices.

By Laura Barrera posted on September 11, 2018 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Crop Protection, Water Management

Back in 2009, Adam Chappell was at the end of his rope. Trying to control pigweeds on the 9,000-acre farm he shares with his brother, Seth, in Cotton Plant, Ark., was a constant fight. They were making 15 trips across the field in per growing season with sprayers and various tillage equipment, spending anywhere from $100-$200 an acre on weed control.

6 Tips for Flying On Cover Crops Successfully

A pilot explains how a no-tiller’s choice in applicator, cover crop species, rate and timing play important roles in achieving a strong, uniform stand.

By Laura Barrera posted on July 25, 2018 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Equipment

One of the biggest concerns and complaints no-tillers have about aerially seeding cover crops is that it doesn’t result in a good stand.

5 Things No-Tillers Should Ask About When Looking at Fertilizer Recommendations

By Laura Barrera posted on June 9, 2018

John Grove, University of Kentucky plant and soil scientist and director of University of Kentucky’s Research and Education Center, says that if a no-tiller sees the following recommendations for fertilizer on his soil test report, it should raise some questions.

View All Articles by Laura Barrera

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