With a desire to pump up small grain yields, no-tillers are searching for better ways to combat a growing number of costly pests. As a result, attendees at last winter’s 15th National No-Tillage Conference were keenly interested in learning to do a more effective job of controlling yield-grabbing pests.

Having invested in the latest sprayer technologies, cereal grain growers are gearing up to do a better job of applying pesticides — starting this fall with winter wheat.

If you're waiting for Asian soybean rust to appear in your fields before you spray, Marty Wiglesworth suggests you reconsider.

About 6 years ago, Loran and Bryce Naber shifted to no-tilling to capture major fuel, equipment and labor savings. The Albion, Neb., corn and soybean producers are also in their fourth season of reaping additional efficiencies with variable-rate dual banding of directly injected liquid anhydrous ammonia and liquid fertilizer.

Instead of worrying about whether Asian rust is going to hit your no-tilled soybean fields this summer, you should consider spraying fungicides, Wayne Pedersen says. The University of Illinois plant pathologist says it’s likely to pay dividends through control of several late-maturing soybean diseases.

Although it has been available for several years, an often-overlooked, environ- mentally friendly slug-control product is gaining popularity in the United States and could provide an alternative to metaldehyde- based products for no-tillers.