While U.S. Department of Agriculture officials have been bragging about funding nearly $290 million in renewable energy efforts since the start of the Bush administration, most of the investment has gone to bioenergy and biomass ventures. In fact, much of their comprehensive energy strategy to help farmers reduce high energy costs is simply being promoted without offering any new economic incentives.

Properly handling straw, chaff and stalks as they exit the combine is key to managing your residue throughout the year with no-till. It’s due to the fact that effective residue management influences erosion control, moisture conservation, seed placement, fertilizer distribution, crop emergence and weed control.

It’s easy to tell that no-tillers want exactly the right tools for the job, especially when it comes to the big-ticket items needed in the fields.This month we offer another helping of insights and opinions to chew on while spring makes its way back to us.

Thanks to the magic of computers, no-tillers and would-be no-tillers from the far corners of the Earth can conveniently get together. That’s what happened recently, when growers from Scotland, England, New Zealand and the U.S. met at Farmers Forum, No-Till Farmer’s online message board. Here’s how they found common ground.

Saskatchewan farmers recognize the value of leaving direct seeded crop stubble standing, since it traps more snow than cut or chopped stubble. It’s especially important in western Canada where as much as one-third of the annual precipitation can come from winter snows, says Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association agrologist Tim Nerbas.