I’ve been putting together a crop production puzzle for the last 20 years. Each piece has been carefully whittled into the perfect shape to fit my specific circumstances in Laurel, Del. If I’m correct, the new planter that was delivered late this summer will allow me to precisely place seed and will be the final piece in the big picture. 

No-till was the first piece of the puzzle. My grandfather got us started by no-tilling soybeans behind wheat in the 1980s. My father took the next step to no-till corn behind soybeans. Today the farm is 100% no-till growing corn, soybeans, wheat, lima beans, green peas and edamame beans. 

No-till makes everything so much simpler when done correctly. It cuts down on work, and there’s no erosion. However, in my mind, doing it correctly means looking beyond simply not tilling. No-till was just the first piece of the production puzzle. I’ve since added and refined management of cover crops, soil health, nutrient cycling, nitrogen (N) sources and inputs — both biological themselves and those that support soil biology. 

The next piece is achieving a perfect uniform stand, which is why I purchased a new planter this year. Once I’m able to do that, I think I’ll…