Three outstanding individuals and an exceptional group earned 2004 No-Till Innovator Awards for their contributions toward advancing no-till farming. The ninth annual awards, sponsored by Syngenta Crop Protection and No-Till Farmer, were presented in four categories: consulting, crop production, research and education, and organization.

The winners, who were honored during the mid-January National No-Tillage Conference in Cincinnati, were chosen for their contributions to no-till farming. This year’s winners are:

Guy Swanson
Consulting

Businessman Guy Swanson of Spokane, Wash., believes that no-till is a more natural, more productive method of farming that is essential to a bright future. His inventions, design work and technology guidance help growers reap the benefits of no-till. He also has served as a designer and marketer of important innovations, including the first no-till deep-banding fertilizer placement drills with his father, Mort Swanson

Most of Swanson’s current consulting work focuses on his Exactrix NH3 metering system, which allows no-till growers to apply anhydrous ammonia more accurately, with less than 1 percent variance. This increases yield, reduces fertilizer use up to 40 percent over other pressure-reducing systems, eliminates wasted nutrients and improves water quality.

As a product design consultant, Swanson helped develop several industry-impacting innovations, such as a specialized, high-speed, belted track that led to production of non-wheeled machinery that causes less soil compaction.

In addition to consulting, Swanson, who began working in the conservation tillage industry in 1973, is a respected entrepreneur, speaker and author. He is a member of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, the…