No-Till Farmer

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November 2017: Conservation Tillage Guide

Volume: 46

Edition: 11

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Table of Contents
Table of Contents

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Frank Comments

Even Though They’re Among Ag’s Latest ‘Buzz Words,’ Cover Crops Offer a Soil-Building Strategy that No-Tillers Have Cashed in on for Several Decades

By Frank Lessiter posted on October 28, 2017 | Posted in Cover Crops, Crop Protection, Residue Management

While less than 2% of America’s cropland is seeded to cover crops, a remarkable 77% of no-tillers enjoy the many benefits offered by protecting the soil over the winter months.
Read More

No-Till Benefits Add Up to Dollars and ‘Sense’

The Willis family has seen double-digit yield increases, healthier soils and reduced erosion after 30-plus years of no-tilling and covers.

By John Dobberstein posted on October 28, 2017 | Posted in Cover Crops, Residue Management, Soil Health

Every farm faces at least some challenges adopting no-till practices. But when it comes to sticking with the practice, Ron Willis’ feelings on the matter are pretty clear.
Read More

Is Glyphosate Harming Your No-Tilled Soils?

Researchers say the widely used herbicide is lingering longer than previously thought and could negatively impact soil and plant health.

By John Dobberstein posted on October 28, 2017 | Posted in Crop Protection, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

Glyphosate and Roundup Ready crops have played a key role in the growth of agriculture and even helped boost adoption of no-till practices. Farmers don’t have to plow to kill weeds and can let the herbicide do the work.
Read More

What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Mistakes Create Win-Wins for No-Tiller Eager to Learn

By Brad Choquette and Martha Mintz posted on October 28, 2017 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Residue Management, Nutrient Management

Mistakes have led to more than one production practice that has paid off on our farm. Replanting hailed out crops resulted in our current twin-row planting strategy and a load of fertilizer I couldn’t send back helped us achieve soybean crops capable of winning yield contests. In fact, in three out of the last five years I’ve had the highest yields for the local Pioneer yield contest and one of those years I won the territory. No-till wasn’t an accident, but some unintended lessons helped prove it was the right fit for our farm.
Read More

Less is More: No-Tillers Weigh in on Nitrogen Management Methods

A survey of no-tillers uncovers a range of application and management practices — plus uses of precision data and cover crops — that help provide optimal crop yields and cut input costs in no-till operations.

By Mark McNeely posted on October 28, 2017 | Posted in Cover Crops, Nutrient Management

Nitrogen (N) management plans are about as variable as the timing and application options available to today’s no-till farmers. Not only is careful consideration given to the types and amounts of N applied, but the use of precision data gathering equipment also enables growers to gauge their success on the fly and take corrective actions as required.
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Mushroom Compost, No-Tilling Supercharge Soil Health Levels

By Ian Gronau posted on October 28, 2017 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Nutrient Management

For many farmers, rebuilding the level of organic matter in their soils is a process that can take many years, oftentimes only seeing small gains. But Kennett Square, Pa., no-tiller Jamie Hicks has seen the organic matter in some of his soils rocket from 1% to up to 5% in a relatively short period of time by spreading mushroom compost.
Read More

Early Maturities, Cover Crops Can Help Tough No-Till Soils Flourish

Research on two southern Illinois farms shows the potential of using early maturity crops to establish covers sooner and boost yields in poorly drained, drought-prone, underperforming fields.

By Mark McNeely posted on October 28, 2017 | Posted in Cover Crops, Soil Health

Randy McElroy sees the tough soils sometimes from behind sunglasses, because when the ground dries out completely it can be a white as a sand beach in Florida.
Read More

Right Crop for the Right Acre Helps Boost Yields, Soil Health

Keeping a diverse rotation and adding cover crops has helped Tony Wagner pull value from formerly marginal, highly variable soils.

By Martha Mintz posted on October 28, 2017 | Posted in Cover Crops, Residue Management, Soil Health

A kaleidoscope of soils blankets the several thousand acres Tony Wagner and his father, Mark, are no-tilling just north of Jamestown, N.D.
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Sulfur: the Missing Link in Better Yields?

By John Dobberstein posted on October 28, 2017 | Posted in Crop Protection, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

It might be easy for some no-tillers to dismiss the importance of sulfur in their farm’s fertility program, given all the attention paid by agronomists, researchers and marketers to the ‘big three’ of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K).
Read More

From Seeds to Strips, Variety Goes the Distance

Sharon, Wis., strip-tiller Mike Cerny isn’t afraid to shake things up and adapt new practices to take productivity, yields to a higher level.

By James DeGraff posted on October 28, 2017 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Nutrient Management, Soil Health, Strip-Till Farming

In a farming career spanning over four decades, not much fazes Mike Cerny at this point. From downturns to data and drones, the “combo-tiller” knows better than to get carried away with any given industry ‘breakthrough,’ although he is always willing to at least give one a try.
Read More

New Ag Tire Options Help No-Tillers Match Their Machinery to Field Needs

Choices abound as farmers address stubble and soil compaction issues and work to optimize tire pressures for both field and transit operations.

By Mark McNeely posted on October 28, 2017 | Posted in Equipment

No-tillers often perform a balancing act when it comes to ag machinery and implement tire selection.
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ROUNDTABLE

What are you currently doing, or have you done, to help break down residue more effectively ahead of no-tilling spring crops?

October 28, 2017 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Equipment, Residue Management, Soil Health

“In 20-inch rows I added narrow-profile Yetter SharkTooth row cleaners this year and next year I plan to add Precision Planting’s CleanSweep technology to the row cleaners to adjust them on the go and not move as much soil and more of just the residue.
Read More
Featured Articles

Featured Articles

What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Mistakes Create Win-Wins for No-Tiller Eager to Learn

By Brad Choquette and Martha Mintz posted on October 28, 2017 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Residue Management, Nutrient Management

Mistakes have led to more than one production practice that has paid off on our farm. Replanting hailed out crops resulted in our current twin-row planting strategy and a load of fertilizer I couldn’t send back helped us achieve soybean crops capable of winning yield contests. In fact, in three out of the last five years I’ve had the highest yields for the local Pioneer yield contest and one of those years I won the territory. No-till wasn’t an accident, but some unintended lessons helped prove it was the right fit for our farm.
Read More

Frank Comments

Even Though They’re Among Ag’s Latest ‘Buzz Words,’ Cover Crops Offer a Soil-Building Strategy that No-Tillers Have Cashed in on for Several Decades

By Frank Lessiter posted on October 28, 2017 | Posted in Cover Crops, Crop Protection, Residue Management

While less than 2% of America’s cropland is seeded to cover crops, a remarkable 77% of no-tillers enjoy the many benefits offered by protecting the soil over the winter months.
Read More

Is Glyphosate Harming Your No-Tilled Soils?

Researchers say the widely used herbicide is lingering longer than previously thought and could negatively impact soil and plant health.

By John Dobberstein posted on October 28, 2017 | Posted in Crop Protection, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

Glyphosate and Roundup Ready crops have played a key role in the growth of agriculture and even helped boost adoption of no-till practices. Farmers don’t have to plow to kill weeds and can let the herbicide do the work.
Read More
Digital Edition

Digital Edition

For Digital Subscribers: Access Your Digital Flipbook of the November 2017 Issue

October 28, 2017

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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Online Extras
Online Extras
Online Extras: November 2017 Issue

October 28, 2017

Web-exclusive content for this issue includes:

No-Till Benefits Add Up to Dollars and 'Sense

No-Till Roundtable
No-Till Farmer Multimedia
No-Till Farmer’s Best of the Web

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This month's digital sponsors:

Current Issue

No-Till Farmer

Get full access NOW to the most comprehensive, powerful and easy-to-use online resource for no-tillage practices. Just one good idea will pay for your subscription hundreds of times over.

Subscribe Now

5 Takeaways After 35 Years of No-Tilling

How Weeds Handle the Drought

5 Ways No-Till, Covers Hold Soil Moisture

Must Read Free Eguides

Download these helpful knowledge building tools

Sustainable Agriculture Summit Shines Light on No-Till, Strip Till & Cover Crops

During the Sustainable Agriculture Summit in Minneapolis, Minn., Carrie Vollmer-Sanders, the president of Field to Market who also farms in Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio, shared why it is important for no-tillers and strip-tillers to share their knowledge with other farmers.

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No-Till Farmer

View Archived Issues

November 2017: Conservation Tillage Guide

Table of Contents

Even Though They’re Among Ag’s Latest ‘Buzz Words,’ Cover Crops Offer a Soil-Building Strategy that No-Tillers Have Cashed in on for Several Decades

No-Till Benefits Add Up to Dollars and ‘Sense’

Is Glyphosate Harming Your No-Tilled Soils?

Mistakes Create Win-Wins for No-Tiller Eager to Learn

Less is More: No-Tillers Weigh in on Nitrogen Management Methods

Mushroom Compost, No-Tilling Supercharge Soil Health Levels

Early Maturities, Cover Crops Can Help Tough No-Till Soils Flourish

Right Crop for the Right Acre Helps Boost Yields, Soil Health

Sulfur: the Missing Link in Better Yields?

From Seeds to Strips, Variety Goes the Distance

New Ag Tire Options Help No-Tillers Match Their Machinery to Field Needs

What are you currently doing, or have you done, to help break down residue more effectively ahead of no-tilling spring crops?

Featured Articles

Mistakes Create Win-Wins for No-Tiller Eager to Learn

Even Though They’re Among Ag’s Latest ‘Buzz Words,’ Cover Crops Offer a Soil-Building Strategy that No-Tillers Have Cashed in on for Several Decades

Is Glyphosate Harming Your No-Tilled Soils?

Digital Edition

For Digital Subscribers: Access Your Digital Flipbook of the November 2017 Issue

Online Extras

Online Extras: November 2017 Issue

This month's digital sponsors:

Top Articles

Current Issue

No-Till Farmer

5 Takeaways After 35 Years of No-Tilling

How Weeds Handle the Drought

5 Ways No-Till, Covers Hold Soil Moisture

Must Read Free Eguides

Videos

Sustainable Agriculture Summit Shines Light on No-Till, Strip Till & Cover Crops

Needham Ag Technologies, LLC

Titan International, Inc

The Andersons PureGrade