In the late 1980s and early 1990s, chemical company DuPont (now Corteva) launched what would become a groundbreaking program named No-Till Neighbors. The program consisted of seminars held by many early adopters of no-till, coming together to spread awareness of the practice across the U.S., particularly in the Corn Belt.

The seminars featured farmer slide presentations, interactive discussions and field days. It was a collaborative environment for sharing experiences and solutions.

“There was fantasy land where we all love no-till and the environment,” says Marion Calmer, a No-Till Legend and No-Till Innovator alum who was part of the No-Till Neighbors program. “Then there was the reality of what issues can arise. We prepared people for what could go wrong, so they didn't have to go through that steep learning curve.” 

Pioneers of No-Till

DuPont selected Calmer, along with Illinois no-tillers Doug Hartford and Terry Schneider, to teach several seminars. The seminars provided practical insights, addressing both the benefits and challenges of no-till.

According to Calmer, the biggest challenges to early adopters of no-till were primarily related to sidewall compaction and the re-opening of seed trenches. Calmer recounted how, despite favorable planting conditions, unexpected dryness would lead to seed germination issues due to open trenches. 

Inadequate equipment worsened the problem, but advancements in row cleaner technology, such as Yetter’s wavy blade coulter, helped mitigate sidewall compaction by minimizing soil disturbance in the center of the row, improving seed placement and germination rates. 

“A wavy blade coulter doing just a little bit of tillage in the center of the row was the difference between success and failure,” Calmer says. “I was, of course, experimenting with different attachments on my no-till planter at that time. It was eye-opening to see one row unit where the stand was poor and there were a lot of packed sidewalls, and then you'd get to the next row unit that had a wavy coulter in the center and everything looked normal.”

Seminar Successes

According to Calmer, each live event brought in 200-300 people, with larger regional conferences drawing at least 1,000 attendees. These gatherings educated farmers on no-till techniques and built a network of support and knowledge exchange. The opportunity for farmers to engage in smaller group discussions during lunch breaks proved invaluable.

“Those roundtables always spawned interesting stories,” Calmer says. “The one that I found amusing was the number of guys who tried a lot of different planter attachments, whether it be row cleaners or coulters. They'd run them 1-2 seasons and then find something better. They always talked about the big pile of planter attachments in the backside of the shed that they weren't using anymore. That was always hilarious to all of us, but in reality, we spent a lot of money.”

The success of the program was significantly boosted by the collaborative efforts of various companies like Chevron (paraquat licenses eventually acquired by Syngenta) and Elanco (now Corteva), along with soil conservation districts from all over the country. The companies spread awareness of the program and provided resources, demonstrations and expertise.

“It seemed like no matter who we asked — chemical people, fertilizer people or machinery people — everybody wanted to be part of it,” Calmer says. “It was nice to see agriculture cooperating to learn new technology that not only made us more productive, but also more environmentally friendly.”

Program Impact

The legacy of No-Till Neighbors is evident in the no-till practices of today, Calmer says. 

“I would guess that the number of no-till acres would be about half of what they are today — 55 million acres instead of 110 million — without No-Till Neighbors,” he says. “Farmer-to-farmer communication is still the best source of information, and you get the highest level of confidence when you visit with another farmer.”

The lessons learned from these early seminars continue to resonate in modern agricultural practices, he says.

“It is easy to make mistakes and jump ship and say it doesn't work,” Calmer says. “But that's not the attitude we need for making it part of everyday life. The soil reproduces itself at the thickness of 1 sheet of paper per year, and these large rain events that we've been getting can get pretty tough on field that's been tilled and doesn't have residue cover. It's worth the trial of making it work. Don't just give up.”