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More No-Till, Less Farm Stress

By Frank Lessiter posted on November 30, 2020

I’VE ALWAYS FELT no-tillers tend to be more optimistic and happier than the general farm population. Like everyone else in farming, you don’t like low commodity prices, dealing with numerous government regulations and ever-increasing input costs. At the same time, no-tillers don’t seem to get as concerned or complain as much about things they can’t control.

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Extending the Life of Applied Nutrients with a Better Biological Habitat

With a self-described “living laboratory,” Streator, Ill., no-tiller and strip-tiller Larry Tombaugh experiments with biological combinations to help stimulate soil health and add bushels each year.

By Larry Tombaugh posted on November 30, 2020 | Posted in Nutrient Management, Soil Health

I ACTUALLY TRIED no-till when I came home from the University of Illinois in 1973. I rented an Allis Chalmers “no-till planter” from the conservation department and it gave my neighbors a good laugh because we were way ahead of the curve.
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What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Keeping on an Even, Reliable Keel with Decades of No-Till

A long running commitment to no-till, cover crops and constant learning make for smooth sailing on this Virginia farm.

By Martha Mintz posted on December 1, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Water Management

We quite buying crop insurance 30 years ago. We kept paying premiums and paying premiums and never had yields low enough to qualify for payment. In fact, I haven’t had a crop failure since I started no-tilling more than 50 years ago.
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Using ‘Many Little Hammers’ to Beat Back Resistant Waterhemp

New research from Iowa State University suggests cover crops, narrow rows and a smart herbicide program can help suppress herbicide-resistant weeds in soybeans by as much as 87%.

By Prashant Jha posted on December 1, 2020 | Posted in Crop Protection

CONTROLLING WATERHEMP is an increasing challenge for soybean growers due to the evolution of multiple herbicide-resistant populations. With dwindling herbicide resources, there’s a need to integrate non-chemical strategies — such as cover crops and alternative row spacings — into current weed management programs.
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Developing a Resilient No-Till System with Regenerative Ag

North Dakota grower Paul Overby utilizes no-till, crop diversity, livestock grazing and satellite imagery to withstand soil erosion and improve topsoil now and in the future.

By Sarah Hill posted on December 2, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops, Soil Health

WHEN PAUL OVERBY returned home to the family farm in Wolford, N.D., in 1993 after a 12-year career in politics and non-profit fundraising, he was immediately presented with a riddle. The year before, Overby’s father had had his best crop ever, achieving 80-bushel barley and 45-bushel wheat, on average, in a wheat/barley/flax rotation.
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Raising the Bar: Going Beyond No-Till with Cover Crops

Conservation ag consultants Hans Kok and Dan Towery share cover crop strategies that will help no-tillers sequester more nutrients and build even more soil organic matter.

By Julia Gerlach posted on December 3, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops, Equipment, Soil Health

IT’S BEEN SAID that change is the only constant in life, and at the 2020 National No-Tillage Conference, Indiana-based conservation ag consultants Hans Kok and Dan Towery told attendees that philosophy pertains to farming practices, too.
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From ‘Trash Farming’ to No-Till Success

Cover crop grazing and rotational diversity has made farming more successful and profitable for Tonkawa, Okla., grower and conservation advocate Rick Jeans.

By John Dobberstein posted on December 3, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops, Equipment, Residue Management

DECADES AGO, no-tilling was considered to be “trash farming” in north-central Oklahoma and wasn’t a very popular practice.
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Back to Basics with No-Till Planting

Leveling Your No-Till Planter for Better Results

A simple review of the planter bar’s setup can help no-tillers prevent many problems with seed placement and furrow closing and provide you with better planting results.

By John Dobberstein posted on December 4, 2020 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101, Equipment, Precision Agriculture

This is part one of a four-article series covering the essentials of no-till planting and seeding to help growers get better results
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Featured Articles

Featured Articles

More No-Till, Less Farm Stress

By Frank Lessiter posted on November 30, 2020

I’VE ALWAYS FELT no-tillers tend to be more optimistic and happier than the general farm population. Like everyone else in farming, you don’t like low commodity prices, dealing with numerous government regulations and ever-increasing input costs. At the same time, no-tillers don’t seem to get as concerned or complain as much about things they can’t control.

Read More

Extending the Life of Applied Nutrients with a Better Biological Habitat

With a self-described “living laboratory,” Streator, Ill., no-tiller and strip-tiller Larry Tombaugh experiments with biological combinations to help stimulate soil health and add bushels each year.

By Larry Tombaugh posted on November 30, 2020 | Posted in Nutrient Management, Soil Health

I ACTUALLY TRIED no-till when I came home from the University of Illinois in 1973. I rented an Allis Chalmers “no-till planter” from the conservation department and it gave my neighbors a good laugh because we were way ahead of the curve.
Read More

What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Keeping on an Even, Reliable Keel with Decades of No-Till

A long running commitment to no-till, cover crops and constant learning make for smooth sailing on this Virginia farm.

By Martha Mintz posted on December 1, 2020 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Water Management

We quite buying crop insurance 30 years ago. We kept paying premiums and paying premiums and never had yields low enough to qualify for payment. In fact, I haven’t had a crop failure since I started no-tilling more than 50 years ago.
Read More
Digital Edition

Digital Edition

For Digital Subscribers: Access Your Digital Flipbook of the January 2021 Issue

December 4, 2020

Now view magazine-like digital flipbooks on your desktop and tablet. Starting with 2015 issues, included for FREE with your Digital or Premium subscription, view the magazine on your laptop, tablet, and mobile device.
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