The results from the National Corn Growers Assn.’s annual Corn Yield Contest were just released this week, and once again dismiss the myth that no-till yields can’t compete with tillage.

Preliminary results from a Penn State study confirm just how effective cover crops, especially cereal rye, can be on tough no-till weeds.

A study commissioned by Monsanto shows the impact no-till and cover crops have on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and other practices growers can adopt to help reverse climate change.

One of the challenges I sometimes run into when researching story ideas and topics for No-Till Farmer is finding studies that are conducted under true no-till conditions. As you probably know by now, what works in conventional tillage or even strip-till may not work well in no-till, and vise versa.

Once again, growers who seed cover crops have higher yields — and profits — than those who don’t, say the results of Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) and Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC)’s fourth annual Cover Crop Survey.

Some no-tillers have had to replant soybeans two or three times thanks to slug damage, but there are management practices no-tillers can try to keep their crops safe while continuing to no-till.

With Nasdaq reporting a jump in soybean futures last week, I took a look at the last three No-Till Operational Benchmark Studies to see what trends may exist among the highest-yielding no-till soybean growers.

Effective burndown applications, paired with hand-pulling weeds and letting cover crops achieve a high amount of biomass, may be the key to beating herbicide-resistant waterhemp.

While you may be itching to get into the fields, remember that planting sets the stage for the rest of the season, so make sure you’re planting in optimal conditions.