Had Dave Nielsen simply accepted the early tales of frustration he heard, no-till might not have become the dominant practice on his dryland farm. Instead, he decided to place more trust in early no-till innovators and university experts in his area.

When left to her own devices, Mother Nature makes sure there is something living and growing in the soil at all times.

While no-tilling with cover crops requires more management than straight no-till, the extra effort may be worth it, especially in dry years, maintains Mike Plumer.