Articles by Dan Crummett

Crop Protection Roundup

Products to Fight Weeds, Insects and Diseases for the 2019 Growing Season

New chemistry, pre-mixes, formulations and biologicals populate 2019’s toolbox for combating weeds, insects and plant diseases on the leaf, in the soil and in the planter.

By Dan Crummett posted on December 16, 2018 | Posted in Crop Protection

Crop protection companies have been busy gearing up for 2019 amid reports of continued incidents of weed resistance to both herbicides and insecticides.

No-Tilling Tobacco Saves the Soil, Preserves Yields

Conservation groups and the tobacco industry take no-till demos to Kentucky farms to showcase better profitability, erosion control.

By Dan Crummett posted on October 15, 2018 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Residue Management, Soil Health

The 2004 Tobacco Buyout changed the face of the leaf industry in the U.S. forever, drastically reducing the number of small farms with widely spread “quota” plantings and giving rise to several concentrated areas of significantly larger-scale tobacco fields.

Efficient, High-Tech Spray Booms are Becoming No-Till Assets

Advanced sprayer designs today offer no-tillers wider working widths and improvements in efficacy for herbicide and fertilizer applications.

By Dan Crummett posted on October 11, 2018 | Posted in Crop Protection, Nutrient Management

When it comes to the form and function areas of sprayers, spray booms play a critical role in dispersing chemicals an efficient, accurate manner to control weeds or fertilize crops.

No-Till Practices Fix Land, Labor and Profitability

Kansas grower Roger Black says quitting the plow for no-till improved his soils, allowed expansion with adding machinery and bolstered his custom enterprise income.

By Dan Crummett posted on August 16, 2018 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Equipment, Water Management

When Roger Black switched to no-tilling in south-central Kansas more than two decades ago, he was searching for ways to reduce erosion in his silty-loam bottomland fields, as well as reduce fuel and labor costs.

Beating Back Tough Corn Residues with No-Till Soil and Planter Setups

Seven farmers share successes using no-till, cover crops and simple planter accessories to ease planting soybeans into tough corn stalks.

By Dan Crummett posted on July 27, 2018 | Posted in Equipment, Residue Management

The corn and soybean rotation has been a winner for many no-tillers in the Midwest and Northeast for years. While some still encounter frustrating planting conditions in heavy corn residue, many find that years of no-till management have led to systems that make planting soybeans into corn stalks effective and routine.

Spray Nozzle ‘Sweet Spots’ Help Reduce Drift Potential

Despite mounting drift-control concerns, sprayer nozzle designs and pressures should be maximized for efficient weed and insect control.

By Dan Crummett posted on March 10, 2018 | Posted in Equipment, Crop Protection

Given today’s wide variety of expensive crop protectants and their various label requirements — along with ever-changing, penalty-laden regulatory mandates aimed at controlling drift — it’s no wonder no-tillers and applicators search for that one nozzle that will do the best job on their sprayer.

No-Till Brings Radical Rethink to Drill Designs

Manufacturers have listened to no-tillers’ needs and are creating drills that can handle heavy residue, as well as plant cash crops and cover crops of various seed sizes.

By Dan Crummett posted on January 14, 2017 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Equipment

Aside from the planter and combine, drills are one of the most common pieces of equipment seen rolling across no-till fields today — about 64% of readers who participated in the 2016 No-Till Operational Benchmark Study said they own and use a no-till drill. And with cover crops picking up acreage in no-till systems, no-tillers are no longer relying on the tool just for seeding cash crops.

Committing to Strip-Till Transforms High Plains Farm

Harold Grall credits good records, strip-till and new technology for his ability to double his farm size while cutting fuel and irrigation water.

By Dan Crummett posted on April 16, 2016

Harold Grall already had extensive experience growing corn and grain sorghum in the Texas Panhandle when he bought out his mentor, Dale Coleman, and started farming on his own in 1994. At that time, he was farming 3,700 acres of High Plains silt-clay loam just north of Dumas, Texas, and was committed to ridge-till and furrow irrigation.

Individual Nozzle Control Provides Quick ROI

Controlling individual sprayer nozzles eliminates skips and overlaps, saving 8-20% on inputs while reducing crop damage and weed resistance.

By Dan Crummett posted on April 16, 2016 | Posted in Equipment, Crop Protection, Precision Agriculture

Kentucky grower Richard Preston says his operation represents the “worst-case scenario” for efficiently and responsibly sprayed chemicals.

Crop Protection Roundup 2016

Adjuvants to be Key with Newer Herbicide Technology

With dicamba-and 2,4-D-tolerant cropping systems hitting the market, adjuvants will be crucial to improving efficacy and reducing drift.

By Dan Crummett posted on January 11, 2016 | Posted in Crop Protection

Adjuvants in herbicides have been an important part of the mix for no-tillers since the first household detergent was added to a tank of Roundup somewhere in distant history.

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

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Articles by Dan Crummett

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