Articles by Darrell Bruggink

Sorting Through The Strip-Till Puzzle Pieces

Precision expert and strip-tiller Steve Cubbage lays out the key considerations for managing a successful, top-notch strip-till system.

By Darrell Bruggink posted on August 1, 2008 | Posted in Strip-Till Farming

If you’re going to make strip-till work, Steve Cubbage warns you, first of all, that it isn’t for the “faint of heart.”

Tillage Radish Holds Great Promise As Cover Crop

Between reduction in nitrogen use and increased corn yields, these deep drillers offer numerous no-till soil-enhancing benefits.

By Darrell Bruggink posted on August 1, 2008 | Posted in Cover Crops

“Soil is meant to be covered.” Those are the words on Steve Groff’s favorite cap.

No-Till Corn Champ Offers His Tips For Success

Continually feeding the corn plant and micronutrients are among the things that work for Virginia no-tiller David Hula.

By Darrell Bruggink posted on July 1, 2008 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Nutrient Management

While it might seem hard to believe, the no-tiller who grew the highest yields in the nation last year calls corn just a rotational crop. That’s because David Hula has a thriving soybean and small grains seed production business.

Saving Soil A High Priority For Illinois No-Tiller

David Uchtmann puts 240 acres of marginal cropland into filter strips, quail habitat and sod waterways to keep dirt out of creeks.

By Darrell Bruggink posted on July 1, 2008 | Posted in Soil Health

While some farmers are driven purely to make a buck, you might say that David Uchtmann is driven to get a buck.

Is Tillage OK Once Every 10 Years?

There are better ways than moldboard plowing to reduce potential phosphorus runoff in no-tilled fields, experts say.

By Darrell Bruggink posted on June 1, 2008 | Posted in Seeding & Planting

Is there a benefit to moldboard plowing a no-till field once every 10 years? A recent article, “Changing Tillage, Changing Nutrient Management,” in the Spring 2008 issue of Plant Nutrition Today suggested that continuous no-till can lead to accumulation of phosphorus (P) at the soil surface, causing higher P concentrations in runoff.

Management That Makes Nitrogen More Efficient

Planter setup modifications and cover crops are helping an Indiana no-tiller improve his fertilizer efficiency while maintaining high corn yields.

By Darrell Bruggink posted on June 1, 2008 | Posted in Nutrient Management

Like many no-tillers, Mike Starkey got his start with soybeans. But after struggling to make no-till corn work, he practiced rotational tillage for more than a decade.

New Weed Control Tools Coming Into Fuller View

It may not be a Roundup Ready dominated world for long, as several new herbicide-tolerant technologies will be available in the near future.

By Darrell Bruggink posted on May 1, 2008 | Posted in Crop Protection

Remember the days when it seemed a new herbicide mode of action or active ingredient for controlling weeds was being discovered and made available to no-tillers each year? Well, we’re beginning to enter a similar golden era with herbicide-tolerant crops.

Corn Doesn't Like The Sight Of Weeds

Ontario researcher says that corn’s negative reaction to weeds may have more to do with “seeing” them than competition for nutrients, moisture and sunlight.

By Darrell Bruggink posted on May 1, 2008 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Crop Protection

Weeds compete with crops for light, moisture and nutrients. That’s one of the theories that you will hear from any class in college or a university system, Clarence Swanton admits.

Your No-Till Soils Could Stand Some Improvement

Penn State soil scientist says there are several things you should do to make your no-till soils perform even better.

By Darrell Bruggink posted on May 1, 2008 | Posted in Soil Health

Just because you are no-tilling, it doesn’t mean that you are doing the best you can for the soil structure of the land that you farm, Sjoerd Duiker says.

A Change In Weed Control?

By Darrell Bruggink posted on May 1, 2008 | Posted in Crop Protection

Those number on your glyphosate bill are going to look a lot larger. In fact, glyphosate prices have doubled from a year ago, and could perhaps triple in some cases.

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#Plant24 Update: Weather Delays No-Till Planting in Some States

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, find out how several no-tillers are handling a wet month across parts of the Corn Belt. Central Illinois no-tiller Dave Brown is patiently waiting for Mother Nature to cooperate before he can finish up planting several hundred acres, while Wisconsin no-tiller Tyler Troiola deals with a tractor glitch and a 2-inch rain event in one day.

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Articles by Darrell Bruggink

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