With much of the country suffering from a lack of moisture, it’s a good time to think about the many benefits no-till offers in capturing valuable moisture from snow cover. This is also linked to the height of standing stubble left in your no-tilled fields after harvest and the impact it can have on capturing winter moisture.

Too much water can keep planters and combines out of the field, leech away nutrients and drown crops, yet farmers still need it to grow crops. The trick, strip-tiller Scott Davidson says, is to manage moisture where you can and avoid planting when conditions aren’t right.

Corn residue has its good and bad points. It’s not so good if it interferes with no-till seed placement or crop emergence, but it’s a great source of food for soil biological activity and contains valuable nutrients for the next year’s crop.