Three innovative no-till farm operations were recognized by the Responsible Nutrient Management Foundation during the National No-Tillage Conference in Springfield, Ill.

Winners of the RNMP awards were B&B Partners (Don Blaschko and Lonnie Bohn); Dean Glenney of Dunnville, Ontario; and Roger Wenning of Greensburg, Ind. The awards recognize growers who develop and adopt farming practices that maximize crop nutrient use and minimize waste and loss into the environment.

Below is a synopsis of their cutting-edge fertility programs, which were recognized by No-Till Farmer and Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers, the program’s sponsors.

B&B PARTNERS, GIBBONS, NEB.

Thirteen years into their switch to continuous no-till, brothers-in-law Don Blaschko and Lonnie Bohn are enjoying a boost in corn and soybean yields surpassing county averages, plus improved soil structure and quality.

Some 80% of B&B Partners’ 1,600 acres of cropland in Gibbons, Neb., are under irrigation, with a crop rotation of 2 years of corn followed by 1 year of soybeans. Corn, soybeans and wheat are raised on dryland acres.

Switching to no-till has improved irrigated corn yields by about 15 bushels per acre over the Buffalo County average. Dryland corn is beating the county average by 55 bushels and soybeans are 10 bushels better.

Prescription Approach

The Gibbon, Neb., farmers spend a lot of time working on improving fertility and using data to improve efficiency.

Soil tests are conducted in 2½-acre grids every 4 years with nitrogen and nitrate tests performed annually.

Fertilizer is applied on a prescription basis through test results.

On ground…