Whether his 12-row, no-till planter needs it or not, Maury McLean usually spends part of the winter trying to figure out ways to make the machine more efficient. “I always get enthused about the new growing season by early March and make some last-minute changes and upgrades to the planter,” says the veteran Lancaster, Wis., no-tiller.

If ever there was an article to pass on to neighbors who have talked about switching to no-tilling but haven’t because of the horror stories they’ve heard about the transition period, this is the one.