Agronomist Guy Swanson’s family farm south of Spokane, Wash., has been completely no-till since 1973 and has not been plowed since 1968. Swanson believes those farmers who want to get the most from their land should use anhydrous ammonia to decrease input costs and increase yields. He also thinks other no-tillers could gain from a fuller understanding of the benefits of anhydrous.

In the Mid-1980s, we switched from moldboard plowing to a conservation farming system of chisel plowing, discing and planting. It was the recommended soil saving system of the time, but we seemed to be stuck in place.

No-till corn yields comparable to those achievable with chemical nitrogen fertilizer can be produced with liquid dairy manure as the only nitrogen source — if the manure is incorporated at application, according to studies by two Ohio State University researchers.

Nitrogen management is simple, says Bob Hoeft, a University of Illinois fertility specialist. “All you have to do is put it on at exactly the right rate, at exactly the right time and use exactly the right application technique for the material of choice.”

With the concentrated dairy industry in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, crops there are often grown on land fertilized with liquid manure that is hauled into the fields in tanker loads. While the manure is valuable for its nutrients and organic matter, the weight of the tankers concerns those who understand the dangers of soil compaction.

Just about every no-tiller I’ve ever met would agree that at some point you start to wonder if you were really smart to move away from the “safety” of conventional systems.

There was a time when manure was the chief fertilizer on farms. It helped the crops grow, but was eventually replaced by technologically advanced, high-grade fertilizers.

Progressive leaders in four no-tilling areas were honored for outstanding achievements in consulting, crop production, research and education at the early January National No-Tillage Conference in Des Moines, Iowa.