Hopefully that headline grabbed your attention! In all seriousness, every breakout classroom at the upcoming National No-Tillage Conference (Jan. 6-9 in St. Louis) will be “epic” with dynamic speakers who are currently working hard to put together info-packed sessions you can’t get anywhere else. But as the resident “strip-till and precision technology guy” in the office, I’ll highlight 3 strip-till/precision related sessions I’m really looking forward to.
If you’ve never been to the No-Till Conference, here’s a quick reminder of the classroom format. There are 4 blocks of 5-6 concurrent smaller-group classrooms throughout the 3-day conference. To get more bang for your buck, I recommend dividing and conquering if you’re with other people from your family or crew. Now, let’s get to my 3 picks.
New Ways to Supercharge Yields
Four-time Presenter of the Year Marion Calmer will explore the latest discoveries and innovations that are boosting corn and soybean yields on his Alpha, Ill., farm. The No-Till Innovator, strip-tiller and independent on-farm researcher will share his agronomic observations on the importance of early soybean planting and the products needed to ensure success.
He’ll also explain why short corn is the next big thing, and dive into the best ways to apply foliar fungicides, ideal fertilizer placement with strip-till and corn root architecture. This one takes place Wednesday morning, Jan. 7, and is sure to give you some new tips and tricks to think about on the car ride home.
Boosting Water-Use Efficiency with Cutting-Edge Technology
The no-till/strip-till father-son duo of Ray and Ryan Flickner are using about 40% less water than the county average in Moundridge, Kan., thanks to their adoption of cutting-edge tools and technologies. I got an up-close look at their impressive operation last spring when I presented Ray with the 2025 Strip-Till Innovator Award.
The Flickners, who also captured the Leopold Conservation Award in 2023, will detail their experience with subsurface drip irrigation, 360 Rain, Autonomous Pivot and more. This classroom, which will deliver innovative ways to increase your water and nutrient use efficiency, is set for Thursday morning, Jan. 8.
Simplifying Livestock Integration with Virtual Fencing
You’ll see many household names on the program, but here’s a new one you need to know — Kaitlyn Dozler. The rising star and virtual fence program manager for the Univ. of Missouri will provide a crash course on virtual fencing technology. I don't know a whole lot about virtual fencing, so I'm excited to learn more about it Friday morning, Jan. 9.
Dozler will explain how farmers are using this technology to integrate livestock in both cover crop and pasture systems. She’ll also shine light on how no-tillers and strip-tillers are using it for more than just grazing management. As a special bonus, a mystery guest is scheduled to join her to discuss how he’s using virtual fencing on his farm.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There will be more than two-dozen speakers at the conference who will hit on the major themes of interest, including soil health, cover crops, residue management, fertility, biologicals, precision technology, livestock integration and much more.
Learn more at NoTillConference.com. Also, tell them I sent you! Use the promo code NOAH to get a whopping 25% off your registration fee. Maybe I’ll buy you a cup of coffee too. Hope to see you next month in St. Louis!
