Articles by Frank Lessiter

Rotations or No-Till Most Critical?

By Frank Lessiter posted on April 29, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Crop Protection, Soil Health

When growers and educators talk about soil health, it’s usually about combining the benefits of no-till, crop rotations and cover crops.

What Landowners Need to Know

By Frank Lessiter posted on April 7, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops, Residue Management, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

WITH A GREATER emphasis on the role agriculture can play in improving the environment, non-farming land owners are showing more interest in no-till and cover crops for the benefits they can generate in terms of improving the soil and boosting long-term production potential.

Getting Non-Farming Landowners On-Board with No-Till and Cover Crops

By Frank Lessiter posted on March 1, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops, Soil Health

When it comes to adopting no-till and cover crops, data from a recent Iowa State University survey shows significant differences between owned and rented cropland.

Getting Non-Farming Landowners On-Board with No-Till and Cover Crops

By Frank Lessiter posted on March 1, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops

When it comes to adopting no-till and cover crops, data from a recent Iowa State University survey shows significant differences between owned and rented cropland.

A True Friend of No-Till Passes Away

By Frank Lessiter posted on February 17, 2020

Long-time Purdue University agricultural economist Howard Doster passed away on February 13, 2020, at his home in Waynesville, Ohio. The 86-year-old Ohio State University graduate believed passionately in both the environmental and economic benefits of no-tilling for Midwestern growers.

The ‘Do Nothing’ No-Tiller

By Frank Lessiter posted on January 28, 2020 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101, Cover Crops, Soil Health

In explaining why his no-tilled fields looked so much better than those of his neighbors across the road that were extensively tilled, Roberto Peiretti indicated it was because he had simply “done nothing” while others worked their ground.

No, No, No... ‘He Chisel Plowed My 30-Year No-Tilled Ground’

It may take 6 years to return this long-term no-tilled ground to the superior soil quality it enjoyed before this tillage fiasco took place.

By Frank Lessiter posted on January 7, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Residue Management, Soil Health

In November of 2017, a long-time Corn Belt no-tiller came upon a shocking scene: One of his no-till fields was being chisel plowed by a misinformed tractor driver, working for a multi-thousand acre operator who thought the field was among some of his newly rented ground.

Even with the Extensive Benefits No-Tillers Enjoy with Cover Crops, There’s the Possibility They Could Lead to Global Warming Concerns

By Frank Lessiter posted on January 6, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops, Residue Management

With winter weather blanketing northern areas, researchers are finding that seeding cover crops can lead to much warmer field temperatures.

Managing Herbicide Resistance

By Frank Lessiter posted on December 11, 2019 | Posted in Crop Protection

With Australian no-tillers dealing with some of the worst weed resistance issues in the world, the country’s growers are adopting a “zero tolerance policy” or a “take no prisoners” approach to weed control.

Cover Crops Required in New York Town

By Frank Lessiter posted on November 19, 2019 | Posted in Cover Crops

New legislation addresses last winter's dust storms that led to wind erosion and health concerns among New York residents living in eastern Long Island.

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Articles by Frank Lessiter

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