Several new label uses and new insecticides came in for special attention at the recent National No-Tillage Conference in Indianapolis, Ind.

While Francis Childs certainly doesn’t no-till, the Manchester, Iowa, farmer uses a number of ideas some ideas that you could use in your own no-tilling operation. Using a mini moldboard plow that works the soil up to 14 inches deep yet still leaves up to 40 percent soil cover from his extremely heavy continuous corn plant residue, he harvested an amazing 442.1 bushels of corn per acre last fall. For the sixth straight year, he took top honors in the 2002 National Corn Growers Association National Corn Yield Contest.

If you have the feeling that fewer new herbicides are coming on the market these days, your thinking is right on the mark.

Until recently, it was generally believed by scientists that seeds must come in direct contact with the soil in order to obtain needed amounts of water for effective germination. But a recent discovery by a Pacific Northwest Agricultural Research Service soil scientist indicates that’s not necessarily true.

With fewer new herbicides coming on the market each year, no-tillers are paying much closer attention to developing more effective weed-management plans. As a result, no-tillers are intently studying how various herbicide and tankmix combinations perform in their fields.

With growing concerns about worldwide oil supplies, no-tillers have an excellent opportunity to help conserve a considerable amount of fuel. It’s crucial as global oil production should peak between 2005 and 2010 before beginning a long and slow descent.

New developments in recent years in regard to more effective weed and insect control have paid big dividends for Joe Alexandrowski.