Destructive trails left by a shank and knife anhydrous applicator are fodder for no-tiller nightmares. But new low-disturbance applicators mean no-tillers can slip the cost-effective nitrogen source into the ground and leave barely a mark.

Three outstanding individuals and an exceptional group earned 2004 No-Till Innovator Awards for their contributions toward advancing no-till farming. The ninth annual awards, sponsored by Syngenta Crop Protection and No-Till Farmer, were presented in four categories: consulting, crop production, research and education, and organization.

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.