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.

With concerns continuing to develop over glyphosate weed resistance in no-tilled crops, weed scientists keep suggesting that growers start using LibertyLink and Clearfield traits that offer alter- native herbicide modes of action.

Despite the fact that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials estimate that growing corn without atrazine could cost no-tillers as much as $28 an acre due to reduced yields and the need for more expensive herbicides, you might be in danger of losing this long-term weed control chemical product.

Results of a long-term evaluation of five weed control systems in northern Illinois indicate that yield is the major difference rather than the actual amount of effective weed control.

You,ve got a lot to think about. Which herbicide to use? Which equipment modifications should you try next year? And you still need to determine if your return on investment is worth your efforts.

While there's been considerable talk among no-tillers about weed resistance to glyphosate products, Bryan Young says early signs point to the development of serious problems.

When you look at our operation today, it’s difficult to believe that my dad, Eugene Berry, was a big fan of moldboard plowing. In fact, I even bought a new tractor and plow myself as recently as 1985. We were still plowing corn stalks, chiseling and field cultivating soybean ground until 1990.

No-tillers have another tool to consider using with their soybean crops. Nitragin Inc., a manufacturer of legume innoculants, has introduced Optimize, a soybean growth promoter. According to Nitragin, soybeans treated with Optimize delivered an average yield increase of 3.5 bushels per acre over 3 years of testing.