Articles by Mark Parker

Focus on Biology for Better Soil Health

By Laura Barrera and Mark Parker posted on March 12, 2021 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101, Cover Crops, Residue Management, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

For farmers aiming for sustainable and profitable crop production, optimizing soil health and function is the ultimate endgame.

3 No-Tillers Honored for Their Responsible Nutrient Management Practices

Maryland, North Dakota and Pennsylvania growers share their efficient, effective fertility practices with no-tillers at the National No-Tillage Conference.

By Mark Parker posted on January 16, 2015

No-tillers across the Nebraska Panhandle and surrounding High Plains region are challenged by low rainfall and high summer temperatures. It’s a double-whammy that limits cropping intensity, as well as crop value.

Yellow Field Peas Could Boost No-Till Profits In High Plains

Yellow field peas provide High Plains no-tillers with an excellent wheat transition crop that helps build soil quality and, with recent market developments, have the potential for profitability.

By Mark Parker posted on February 1, 2014

Yellow Field Peas Could Boost No-Till Profits In High Plains

Yellow field peas provide High Plains no-tillers with an excellent wheat transition crop that helps build soil quality and, with recent market developments, have the potential for profitability.

By Mark Parker posted on February 1, 2014

Yellow Field Peas Could Boost No-Till Profits In High Plains

Yellow field peas provide High Plains no-tillers with an excellent wheat transition crop that helps build soil quality and, with recent market developments, have the potential for profitability.

By Mark Parker posted on February 1, 2014 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Water Management

Killing The Most Popular Cover Crops — The Right Way

Effective termination of cover crops is essential if no-tillers are to get the best results from their seeding and establishment efforts.

By Mark Parker posted on February 1, 2014 | Posted in Cover Crops, Crop Protection

Your cover crop has protected the soil, contributed nutrients and helped enhance soil health. But it has to die for the following crop to reap the benefits.

On Trial: Finding The Best Closing Wheel For No-Till

Early research results from a Beck’s Hybrids study indicate no-tillers may have better alternatives than traditional rubber closing wheels, particularly when planting conditions turn out to be less than ideal.

By Mark Parker posted on February 1, 2014 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Equipment

Which closing wheel is right for no-till operations? That’s the big question Beck’s Hybrids seeks to answer by putting several closing wheel options to the test in multiple locations.

Fertility, Covers, Precision Inputs Form Complete No-Till Package

Bill Murr leverages the soil-building benefits of no-till with strategic nutrient, weed and disease management on his 3,400-acre farm in northeast Kansas.

By Mark Parker posted on January 1, 2014 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops

It was a simple observation that first set Bill Murr on the no-till path. Corn stalks lying in the field held silt that would otherwise wash away, he noticed.

No-Till, Covers Make CRP Acres Protected And Productive Again

Missouri farmer Jerry Morris says no-till and cover-crop mixes helped him put CRP acres back into crop production and keep his sloping fields from suffering erosion.

By Mark Parker posted on December 1, 2013 | Posted in Cover Crops, Crop Protection

The benefits of no-till and cover crops have helped a farm in Missouri open up the productivity potential of marginal land and protect fragile soils.

No-Till, Covers May Hold Key To Easing Nutrient-Loading Issues

The success of no-till, cover crops and nutrient stewardship in Indiana’s Eagle Creek Watershed could serve as a blueprint for preserving farmland productivity without sacrificing water quality.

By Mark Parker posted on November 1, 2013 | Posted in Nutrient Management, Water Management

Farmers are increasingly faced with a daunting task: increasing crop yields for a growing world population while trying to minimize the impact of their management decisions on fragile watersheds.

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Last-Minute Planter Prep for No-Tillers & Strip-Tillers

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, precision specialist Chad Baker, co-owner of Baker Precision Planter Works in Orangeville, Ill., helps a first-generation no-tiller with planter setup, and later encounters a couple problems with a strip-tiller’s new 24-row planter. Plus, veteran agronomist Brad Forkner checks in with a couple tips for farmers to keep in mind before they take the field.

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Articles by Mark Parker

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