More than 300 growers and industry professionals from across the globe gathered in Omaha, Neb., in early August for the 8th annual National Strip-Tillage Conference (NSTC). At the event, growers dove into topics related to strip-till management, soil health, cover crops and increasing profits from their operations.

If you couldn’t make it to the NSTC, don’t worry — we’ve summarized the top takeaways here:

1. Doing the Little Things

David Hula, a no-till and strip-till corn yield contest champion from Charles City, Va., shared with attendees that focusing on things as simple as seed orientation or placing fertilizer directly in the strip, rather than broadcasting, can boost your yields. 

2. More Weight = More Corn

Hula noted that growers can achieve higher corn yields through more kernels per ear, increased ear weight and planting in narrower rows. According to Hula, moisture is the single most important thing corn needs to produce more uniform kernels.

3. Soil is the Most Complex System

In the conference’s Premier Lecture Series sponsored by TruAg, Ontario ag engineer…