BROOKFIELD, Wis. — Oct. 13, 2015 — Behind the theme of “Pushing No-Till Beyond Barriers,” the 2016 National No-Tillage Conference (NNTC) from Jan. 6-9 returns to the “Crossroads of America” in Indianapolis for the seventh time in the conference’s 24-year history.

2016 NNTC logo

The just-completed conference program, now available at www.NoTillConference.com, provides a glimpse into the more than 45 presentations offering the most innovative, leading-edge information farmers will absorb over the conference’s four days. Sharing the best no-till management practices and ideas to improve no-tillers’ bottom line, speakers include seasoned no-tillers, agronomists, consultants and university experts from North America and Australia, covering everything from soil health to cover cropping to fertility strategies and much more.

The 24th annual event includes 16 general session presentations, 29 classrooms and 80 roundtables. Following is a sample of topics and speakers lined up to present nearly 100 hours of in-depth no-till learning at the Marriott Indianapolis Downtown Hotel.

  • Keynote speaker speaker and no-tiller Dan DeSutter of Attica, Ind., will discuss the relationship between regenerative agriculture and building a profitable business in his presentation, “Building a Competitive Advantage with No-Till.”
  • “Beating Weeds, Diseases and Insects with Diverse No-Till Rotations” — Director of the Dakota Lakes Research Farm near Pierre, S.D., Dwayne Beck will share why crop rotations that are consistent in sequence or interval provide opportunities for weeds and insects.
  • Wednesday’s evening general sessions will take an in-depth look at using technology in no-till, with Australian no-tiller Steve Lanyon covering “Maintaining Soil Moisture and Avoiding Compaction with Controlled Traffic Farming,” Aaron Sheller of Precision Drones on “Keys to Integrating Drone Technology Into Your Operation,” and Ohio State ag engineer John Fulton will answer the question, “How Can I Place My ‘N’ and ‘P’ Better in a No-Till System?”
  • Ray Ward, founder and president of Ward Laboratories in Kearney, Neb., will discuss the essential nutrients plants need and the optimal soil test value of each nutrient in his presentation, “Soil Testing to Achieve Adequate No-Till Nutrient Levels.”
  • “How Aboveground Rotations Effect Belowground Processes in No-Till” — Lisa Tiemann of Michigan State University will present a combination of analytical and experimental data to help reveal the effects of rotational diversity on belowground processes and soil biology.
  • Thursday’s afternoon general sessions will focus on water-quality issues, with Nester Ag owner and independent crop consultant Joe Nester discussing “Why Phosphorus is Leaving the Farm and What to Do About it,” and USDA ag engineer Kevin King on “Measuring Nutrient Loss in Edge-of-Field Surface and Tile Discharge.”
  • Numerous no-tillers will share years of field-proven best practices and ideas, including Steve Berger, Wellman, Iowa; Darin Williams, Waverly, Kan.; Mike Wolpert, Charleston, W.V.; Jim Howard, Mooresville, N.C.; John Kemmerman, Bainbridge, N.Y.; Jim Hershey, Elizabethtown, Pa.; Mike Starkey, Brownsburg, Ind.; Ross Bishop, Jackson, Wis.; Mike Werling, Decatur, Ind.; Michael Crowell, Turlock, Calif.; Rodney Rulon, Arcadia, Ind.; and Eddie Hoff, Boonville, Mo.
  • Marion Calmer will wrap up the conference on Saturday with the Alpha, Ill., no-tiller’s presentation on “How to Manage Corn Residue While Keeping it From Leaving Your Fields.”

Darrell Bruggink, executive editor and publisher of No-Till Farmer and the organizer of the National No-Tillage Conference, says both experienced no-tillers and farmers considering adopting no-tillage practices will get dozens of practical tips to use in their operations and be challenged to improve their farming system.

“With 125 educational sessions to choose from between general assemblies, classrooms and roundtables, we’re really trying to leave no stone unturned by offering farmers the broadest educational experience possible,” Bruggink says. “Our goal is to help no-tillers identify actionable tactics to use on their farm to improve their practices and profitability and become energized for a new cropping year.”

The final 12-page program can be viewed and downloaded at www.NoTillConference.com. Registration is just $309 per person, with a special $282 rate for additional farm or family members.

The event is co-sponsored by No-Till Farmer and 14 industry-leading companies, including Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers, Agrotain, Ag Leader Technology, Case IH, Dawn Equipment, Equipment Technologies (Apache sprayers), KB Seed Solutions, Kinze, Needham Ag Technologies, Nufarm, Syngenta, Titan International, Verdesian Life Sciences and Yetter Farm Equipment.