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Articles by Laura Barrera

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Strategies for Addressing Site-Specific Problems with Variable-Rate Seeding and Fertilizer

Kentucky no-tiller Mark Chapman shares his approach and best practices for implementing variable-rate technology to push yields in the places where it matters most.
By Laura Barrera posted on February 25, 2021 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Precision Agriculture
For decades Mark Chapman was aware of the differences within his fields but was unable to do anything about it. But that all changed once he was able to bring GPS onto the farm.
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Should You Rely on Technology to Guide Your Nitrogen Decisions?

A soil scientist explains the accuracy of different nitrogen advisory tools, their limitations, and whether they’re likely to provide a return on investment.
By Laura Barrera posted on November 3, 2020 | Posted in Nutrient Management
NITROGEN (N) IS ONE of the biggest influencers on corn yield. In fact, University of Illinois plant physiologist Fred Below called it the second most important factor in his “Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World,” ranked just behind weather.
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9 Tips for Succeeding with Cover Crops in the South

Four South Carolina growers share why they started cover cropping, the challenges they’ve faced and how the practice is helping them improve their soils.
By Laura Barrera posted on August 5, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops, Soil Health
Jason Carter was always told that you can’t improve your soil organic matter in South Carolina. “You’re right, without cover crop, you can’t,” says the Eastover, S.C., no-tiller.
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Should You Rotate Your Cover Crops? 4 Issues to Consider

Some covers planted back to back, year after year, can cause problems for no-tillers with root and soil diseases if selection and timing isn’t carefully managed, says Dave Robison.
By Laura Barrera posted on January 26, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops, Crop Protection
Growers probably know crop rotation is a good thing as it helps prevent pests and disease, improves soil health and reduces fertilizer inputs — all of which can boost crop yields and the bottom line.
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Diversifying Crops and Livestock Saves Soil While Boosting Profitability

Gail Fuller learned it takes more than no-till to see a change in soil health, and since losing his crop insurance, he’s no longer focused on chasing yields for commodities, but building healthy soil for healthy foods.
By Laura Barrera posted on December 29, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Soil Health
Gail Fuller has always been driven by erosion. He decided to give no-till a try not long after he began farming full-time in the 1980s, because he hated seeing soil leave his farm in Emporia, Kan., where slopes range from 1-5%.
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Feeding the Soil Brings Dramatically Positive Results

At a soil health conference at Clemson University in October 2019, Doug Newton, a no-tiller from Clio, S.C., sat down with West Union, Iowa, no-tiller Loran Steinlage and discussed their experiences with no-tilling, cover cropping and creating fertility with plants.
By Laura Barrera posted on December 27, 2019 | Posted in Cover Crops, Soil Health
Doug Newton, a no-tiller from Clio, S.C., sat down with West Union, Iowa, no-tiller Loran Steinlage and discussed their experiences with no-tilling, cover cropping and creating fertility with plants.
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Understanding the Limits of Soil Health Tests

A study of three commercial soil health tests looked at whether they could distinguish different management systems and provide useful insights to no-tillers.
By Laura Barrera posted on October 9, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health
Several years ago, the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSI), a program focused on improving soil health in Indiana, began receiving questions from farmers about soil health tests.
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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.
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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.
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