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Lynn Grooms

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Earthworms Are Your Underground No-Till Allies

They’re farming farther north where the growing days are longer, but some ideas that work for western Canada direct seeders might work for you.

By Lynn Grooms posted on September 1, 2004 | Posted in Soil Health

Earthworms serve as a no-tiller’s underground allies in three major ways:

Why 1-Acre Grid Sampling Works With No-Till

Going to smaller soil sampling sites boosts the no-till fertilizer confidence level by as much as 40 percent.

By Lynn Grooms posted on October 1, 2003 | Posted in Precision Agriculture, Soil Health

SINCE STARTING a 1-acre grid sampling program in 1996, the Rulon family has realized considerable fertilizer savings on their 5,000-acre no-till corn and soybean farm.

Harrowing Experiences!

Here’s what the experts say about fluffing, turning, mixing, scratching, leveling, shattering, warming and aerating no-till residues.

By Lynn Grooms posted on September 1, 2003 | Posted in Nutrient Management

Besides more effectively managing residue, aerators and rotary harrows are allowing some no-tillers to stretch the spring planting window to boost yields.

Use Deep Zone-Tillage To Farm Vertically

Higher yields can result from getting crop roots to grow deeper in your no-tilled fields.

By Lynn Grooms posted on August 1, 2003 | Posted in Seeding & Planting

"If you want to double the size of your farm, farm vertically,” says Ray Rawson. The developer of several pieces of zone tillage equipment and a no-till corn and soybean producer from Farwell, Mich., for many years has taken the time to look beneath the soil surface. The result has been higher yields on his own and and many other farms.

Maximize Your No-Till Nitrogen

When it comes to harvesting more bushels of no-tilled corn from your nitrogen, the use of stabilizers are a good investment.

By Lynn Grooms posted on August 1, 2003 | Posted in Nutrient Management

The potential for nitrogen loss in no-till presents you with both a problem and an opportunity, maintains Sam Ferguson, a customer agronomist with Dow AgroSciences in Omaha, Neb.

Search Underground For Higher No-Till Profits

Managing what’s found below the ground is a key to boosting your above-ground profits.

By Lynn Grooms posted on July 1, 2003 | Posted in Nutrient Management, Soil Health

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.

No-Till Cover Crops Are Worth The Extra Effort

Under drought conditions, cover crops have boosted no-till corn yields as much as 100 bushels per acre.

By Lynn Grooms posted on July 1, 2003 | Posted in Cover Crops, Nutrient Management

While no-tilling with cover crops requires more management than straight no-till, the extra effort may be worth it, especially in dry years, maintains Mike Plumer.

Small Details Make Big Difference

Attention to detail in fertility placement, planting date, timing of applications and even no-till equipment weight definitely pay.

By Lynn Grooms posted on June 1, 2003 | Posted in Crop Protection, Nutrient Management, Precision Agriculture

For Mike Guetterman, who farms 7,000 no-till acres with his father and brothers, small details make a big difference in the success of a continuous no-till program.

Get Set To Cash In On Carbon

No-tillers are in the driver’s seat when it comes to harvesting the economic benefits of carbon sequestration.

By Lynn Grooms posted on June 1, 2003 | Posted in Nutrient Management

When it comes to finding the solution to global warming, no-tillers will definitely play a key role. You may also be eligible to receive some supplemental income for sequestering carbon from your permanently no-tilled fields in the future.

Why Combine Adjustments Are So Critical With No-Till

If corn plants come out the back of your combine, you’ll get a mat of shredded corn stalks that will lead to cold and wet soils when you no-till next spring.

By Lynn Grooms posted on June 1, 2003 | Posted in Equipment, Precision Agriculture

Strategic combine adjustment during this fall’s harvest will have a big positive impact on both your residue management strategies and next year’s no-till crops.

View All Articles by Lynn Grooms

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