Articles by Frank Lessiter

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By Frank Lessiter posted on September 1, 2003 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101

One of the most popular speakers to ever appear on a National No-Tillage Conference program, Dwayne Beck, will be in Des Moines to share his highly innovative no-tilling ideas with you at next winter’s 12th annual National No-Tillage Conference. For more effective no-tilling when it’s too hot, too cold, too wet or too dry, Beck will have many of the no-till answers that you need!

What's It Take To Capture No-Till Corn Contest Honors?

Contrary to what you may think, most contestants don’t go overboard with inputs in their contest fields and find that competing helps them find new ways to push up no-till yields across the entire farm.

By Frank Lessiter posted on August 1, 2003 | Posted in Seeding & Planting

When it comes to learning what it takes to turn out profitable corn yields, many no-tillers find they learn a great deal from having contest plots on their farms.

Fight Drought With Less Tillage

By Frank Lessiter posted on July 1, 2003 | Posted in Strip-Till Farming

Besides being good for the environment, strip till and/or no-till can help you make more efficient use of available water, especially under drought conditions.

Without Herbicides, No-Till Would Disappear

Yet the impact on food production would be so dramatic that America could not live without no-till.

By Frank Lessiter posted on July 1, 2003 | Posted in Crop Protection

While you're certainly not about to lose the use of herbicides, you need to fully understand that any ban on agricultural chemicals would bring an end to all the benefits you’re getting from no-tilling.

Plows And History Do Mix!

By Frank Lessiter posted on July 1, 2003 | Posted in Equipment

Last summer, Pam and I took our three oldest grandchildren on a 3-day trip that centered around the use of the moldboard plow. Even though we certainly don’t encourage No-Till Farmer readers to use the moldboard plow, it played a key role in this family trip to look at farming history.

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No-Till’s Secret Weapon

By Frank Lessiter posted on July 1, 2003 | Posted in Soil Health

While it's not likely to be a paying proposition in your no-till fields, gardeners are being encouraged to purchase earthworm castings to improve the productivity of their soils. Marketing materials for these casting products definitely show the correlation as to why increased earthworm numbers in your no-tilled fields help boost yields and protect the environment.

Earthworms Revisted for Effective No-Tilling

Earthworms are an extraordinary asset to the development of healthy soil.

By Frank Lessiter posted on June 1, 2003 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101, Soil Health

As far back as the days of Aristotle, worms were referred to as the intestines of the soil.

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Look At Bean Seeding Rates

By Frank Lessiter posted on June 1, 2003 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Precision Agriculture

When it comes to calculating seeding rates for no-tilled Roundup Ready soybeans, recent University of Maryland research indicates that you may not need as high a plant population as you might have thought to get top yields.

No-Till’s “Super Glue” Works Wonders

The improved organic matter in many no-tilled soils may be due to this unique compound.

By Frank Lessiter posted on May 1, 2003 | Posted in Soil Health

Known as the glue that holds humus to soil particles, a gooey substance called glomalin plays a critical role in the success of your no-till program.

Direct Seed — Or Get Out!”

With only 7 inches of rain, it doesn’t make much sense to fallow your ground to save moisture.

By Frank Lessiter posted on May 1, 2003 | Posted in Seeding & Planting

When the government's Freedom To Farm program came along, John Hilderbrand gave tenants an ultimatum as crop leases ran out— “direct seed or get out.”

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Articles by Frank Lessiter

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