NNTC Insights...

Spreading Residue Can Overcome Long-Term No-Till Concerns

Phil Needham finds uniform residue distribution at harvest is critical for no-till success, as it has numerous indirect effects on crop emergence and early plant growth. The owner of Needham Ag Technologies in Calhoun, Ky., says a drop off in combine speed going up a hill and dull chopper blades affect spreader performance and residue distribution.

Needham says many farmers in Europe have begun making combine-purchasing decisions based on a machine’s ability to spread residue evenly across the entire width of the header.

Cover Crops Reduce Soybean Cyst Nematode Concerns

Research from southern Illinois indicates fields seeded with rapeseed prior to soybeans reduced soybean cyst nematode (SCN) egg counts compared to fields where no cover crop was seeded. Mike Plumer, a retired University of Illinois educator, says preliminary data suggests cereal rye and annual ryegrass may also have this impact on SCN egg counts, although more research is needed.