Articles by John Dobberstein

Putting the ‘Proof’ in No-Till

Missouri no-tiller Brian Martin is using a methodical, data-driven approach to building a no-till system that is both efficient and profitable.

By John Dobberstein posted on April 29, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Equipment

FOR BRIAN MARTIN, it’s not hard to see that having a no-till system keeps soil in place on his farm’s sloping terrain. But Martin also has a thirst for looking beyond the anecdotes for data that spells out what practices benefit the bottom line.

Earth Day and Keeping Up the No-Till Fight

By John Dobberstein posted on April 22, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

With Earth Day fresh on our minds, rather than planting trees, here’s something you can do to save our planet that will help farmers be more profitable as well.

Building Soils, Getting Over the Hump with No-Tilling

No-till practices, covers and better fertilizer management have been the right combination to return Linus Rothermich’s rain-soaked clay soils to productivity.

By John Dobberstein posted on April 7, 2020 | Posted in Nutrient Management, Water Management

SOME GROWERS measure their no-till success by crunching numbers on input formulas, poring over spreadsheets or deciphering complex soil health tests.

Do We Still Only Have 60 Harvests Left?

By John Dobberstein posted on March 25, 2020

With the passing of National Ag Day last week, we celebrate what’s been done to improve the sustainability of farming operations, but look ahead to what we must do to preserve and protect food security for future generations.

Digging Up Soil Health, Profitability with ‘Biotic’ Farming

Brendon Rockey turned to companion cropping, covers, compost applications and livestock to regenerate soils on his potato farm in a dry, arid environment.

By John Dobberstein posted on March 1, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops, Soil Health, Water Management

For all intents and purposes, Brendon Rockey farms in a desert where native soils have almost zero organic matter and precipitation is infrequent. But as bleak as that may sound, Rockey’s farm is actually thriving and biologically active.

Get Cotton Off on the Right Foot with No-Till

By John Dobberstein posted on February 27, 2020

Growers in the Northern High Plains of Texas are turning to cotton plantings in hopes of reducing their watering needs and possibly extending the life of the Ogallala aquifer. There’s one tool that should be used on all these new acres that could make this endeavor more profitable.

‘Getting Paid’ for Your No-Till Soil Health

Indigo Ag, Nori pushing programs to pay farmers for the carbon they sequester, as a switch to the open market looms.

By John Dobberstein posted on February 26, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops, Soil Health

While it may not be an immediate windfall, no-tillers who’ve been doing the right thing to protect and enrich their soils may finally have a chance to cash in on that beyond the money they’ve already saved in fuel, machinery and labor.

Unlocking the Yield Potential of No-Tilled Corn

No-tiller Darren Grumbine has logged 300-bushel-per-acre corn by taking care of the soil and managing nutrients efficiently and responsibly.

By John Dobberstein posted on February 25, 2020 | Posted in Residue Management, Nutrient Management

Darren Grumbine is leaving no stone unturned in his quest to maximize yield production on his no-till operation, whether that means tweaking equipment or casting a critical on eye on long-held assumptions about nutrient and disease management.

Occasional Tillage? Don’t Believe Everything You Read

By John Dobberstein posted on February 13, 2020

Recent studies defending the use of occasional tillage are interesting reads but leave a lot of questions and problems with this approach that are left unaddressed. Read on to see why you should keep the tillage equipment in your shed.

‘Getting Off the Treadmill’ for Better Soil Health

No-tilling, cover crops, biologicals and livestock grazing are pushing Luke Linnebringer’s central Missouri farm toward a more profitable future.

By John Dobberstein posted on January 27, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Equipment, Soil Health

For some time, Luke Linnenbringer felt like he was on a treadmill trying to farm profitably in a conventional-tillage system with degraded soils and stagnant yields. In fact, he was ready to stop cropping nearly a decade ago.

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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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