No-till and products for no-tillers were hot topics at the massive trade show and numerous educational events at Commodity Classic in Houston. Here are some of the takeaways from the No-Till Farmer editors' 2 days at the show:

1. Randy Dowdy compares no-till to a cult.
   No-Till Legend Marion Calmer hosted a panel discussion about vertical stratification with yield champions Randy Dowdy, David Hula and Eric Reed. Dowdy made some less-than-favorable comments about long-term no-till.

             “They’re no-tillers for a reason — it’s almost like a cult,” Dowdy said. “A lot of no-tillers say, ‘Well, I haven’t touched that ground in 40 years.’ Well, it’s time to touch the ground. It’s just the way it is’ What we’ve found at Total Acre is a lot of the growers are not only having problems with stratification, but compaction is a problem, too.”

Here’s what Dowdy said about no-till at the 2023 National No-Tillage Conference, where he and Hula spoke on the general session stage.

2. John Deere unveils new air cart, combine and more.
   John Deere made a flurry of announcements Wednesday morning, unveiling the new S7 Series combines, 9RX tractor models, C-Series air cart line and See & Spray Premium availability on the 2025 Hagie STS.
   
   The new C-Series air cart offers reduced maintenance and improved seeding accuracy. Features include faster calibrations with Deere’s EZCal calibration system. Tank sizes range from 350 to 850 bushels.

New John Deere C-Series air cart

3. Drought conditions top of mind for no-tillers heading into 2024 planting season.
   Drought conditions were top of mind for no-tillers at the show preparing for the 2024 planting season as many areas of the Midwest are coming off a drought year and a warm and dry winter. Hampton, Iowa, no-tiller April Hemmes shares some thoughts about the 2024 planting season in this video.
    
    

 4. You’ve heard about Liebig’s Law of the Minimum, but what about Mulder’s Chart?

Liebig’s Law of the Minimum isn’t the only principle to consider when it comes to nutrient deficiency. Wayne Becker, district agronomy specialist at Naturs, says Mulder’s Chart illustrates the antagonism and nutrient stimulation interactions that occur among nutrients and affect nutrient availability for crops.
 
 

Head to the No-Till Farmer Facebook page to see more photos and videos from the 2024 Commodity Classic in Houston.

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