Home / Authors / Clair Urbain

Clair Urbain

Articles

ARTICLES

How to Change with the Climate to Maintain No-Till Yields, Productivity

More erratic precipitation patterns and shifting seasons are reinforcing the value of a comprehensive no-till plan for improving soil health.

By Clair Urbain posted on September 19, 2018 | Posted in Cover Crops, Soil Health, No-Till 101

For Jerry Hatfield, laboratory director at the USDA National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, climate change isn’t something that’s coming — it’s already here.

Using Precision Tools to Drive No-Till Performance

Whether it’s planting, fertilizing or harvesting, Illinois growers Don and Dave Myers are implementing technology in every facet of their no-till operation to achieve greater yields and returns.

By Clair Urbain posted on January 9, 2015 | Posted in Precision Ag

For Dave and Don Myers, measuring their progress in building a profitable no-till operation is a matter of inches — and measuring those inches.

Build Up Your No-Till Soils and Earthworms Will Come

Reducing tillage, adopting controlled traffic, seeding cover crops and improving drainage can help no-tillers build populations of these nutrient-laden subterranean creatures.

By Clair Urbain posted on December 8, 2014 | Posted in Soil Health

It's kind of a "chicken or the egg" question: Which comes first, soil health or earthworms?

Turning Back The Clock To Healthier No-Tilled Soils

Alabama’s Blythe Cotton Co. is using no-till rotations, a diverse herbicide program and a focus on precise fertilizer applications to transform their red-clay hilltops into productive soils.

By Clair Urbain posted on November 1, 2014 | Posted in Soil Health

The rolling red hills of northern Alabama share quite a history with American agriculture.

Making Dollars And ‘Sense’ With No-Till

From spraying to planting to soil sampling, Missouri no-tiller Garrett Riekhof crunches the math on nearly every equipment and precision investment to get the highest possible ‘ROI’ to the bottom line.

By Clair Urbain posted on August 1, 2014 | Posted in Precision Ag

When it comes to running a no-till operation precisely and profitably, Garrett Riekhof pushes the pencil on every aspect of his fifth-generation farm.

The New Era Of Spray Application

New technologies will help growers fine-tune their spraying applications as next-generation herbicide formulas and herbicide-resistant cropping systems hit the market.

By Clair Urbain posted on May 1, 2014 | Posted in Crop Protection, Precision Ag

New herbicide-resistant traits being introduced into seed varieties, and new formulations of tried-and-true chemicals, promise to be powerful weapons in the war on herbicide-resistant weed species.

Cut, Chop, Smooth, Mix: Vertical Tillage Seeks No-Till Role

Some no-tillers and strip-tillers say vertical-tillage tools are helping them size and incorporate residue, prepare seedbeds, reduce weed pressure and improve planting conditions without trashing no-till.

By Clair Urbain posted on November 1, 2013 | Posted in Residue Management

Since vertical-tillage implements debuted, they’ve been a bit controversial with no-tillers, with some feeling the tools violate the basic principles of no-tilling by disturbing the soil.

Fine-Tuning Fertility Makes Strip-Till More Profitable

Using precision technology, Paul and Mike Schweitzer continue to evolve their strip-till and fertilizer systems to slash input costs, preserve soil and water quality and achieve higher yields.

By Clair Urbain posted on May 1, 2013 | Posted in Strip-Till Farming

Paul And Mike Schweitzer don’t see the sense in tilling every inch of every field of their 1,200-acre farm operation.

Switching Hybrids On The Fly Could Boost Corn Yields

Using equipment already available, Beck’s researchers are matching corn hybrids and populations to management zones, netting nearly 20 bushels an acre more in yields.

By Clair Urbain posted on March 1, 2013 | Posted in Seeding & Planting

Researchers at Beck’s Hybrids are turning precision farming methods up a notch.

Promise Is Showing With Sequential Fungicide Applications

University and onfarm research is finding a one-two punch of fungicides is resulting in healthier plants and higher yields.

By Clair Urbain posted on January 1, 2013 | Posted in Crop Protection

In a world full of examples where more isn’t necessarily better, trials researching sequential fungicide applications on corn and other crops may be an anomaly.

View All Articles by Clair Urbain

Current Issue

No-Till Farmer

Get full access NOW to the most comprehensive, powerful and easy-to-use online resource for no-tillage practices. Just one good idea will pay for your subscription hundreds of times over.

Subscribe Now

What I've Learned from No-Tilling: On-Farm Testing and Evaluation Lead to 100% No-Till Adoption

Banking on the Soil for No-Till Success

Residue Removal Doesn’t Pay

Must Read Free Eguides

Download these helpful knowledge building tools

Allan Brooks on Why He Uses a Harvest International Planter

Allan Brooks no-tills 2,200 acres of vegetables in Markesan, Wis. We caught up with him at the 2020 National No-Tillage Conference, where he explained how he came to use Harvest International planters and reveals the new one he had built for the 2020 planting season.

Events

Milan No-Till Field Day

Date: 07/23/20

Location:

The historic Milan No-Till Crop Production Field Day, presented by University of Tennessee AgResearch and UT Extension, is going virtual for 2020.

View Event

More Events

Top Directory Listings

Yetter Farm Equipment

Finding solutions to the problems farmers face is what inspired Harry and Etta Yetter to open a small machine shop in west central Illinois in the 1930s. Today, four generations later, Yetter continues the tradition of solving agricultural problems to meet the needs of producers all over the world.

Needham Ag Technologies, LLC

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.

Titan International, Inc

Titan offers a full line of wheels, tires and undercarriage products for a wide variety of off-the-road equipment.