While it hasn’t yet generated much business, an unexpected source of funds for purchasing no-till drills and planters is available from the federal government. The only drawback is that these 0-percent interest loans, that can be at least partially paid back with U.S. Department of Agriculture cost-share dollars, must be obtained by a public or quasi-public agency rather than directly by farmers.

After more than a year of analysis, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently placed its recommendations regarding herbicide-drift tolerance on hold. That’s because EPA officials received more than 5,000 letters, phone calls and other feedback from farmers, ag dealers and educators who felt the spraying recommendations were unfair.

While there's extensive intrest in learning more about how no-till can help solve global warming concerns, some of the latest information on carbon sequestration may be coming from trees. That’s because a 3-year study in western Canada being conducted by a Wisconsin scientist will hopefully demonstrate the favorable impact that trees can have on global warming.

As the name suggests, a new pre-plant or pre-emergent herbicide named Keystone will help no-till corn growers do a better job of controlling grasses and broadleaf weeds next year.

Requiring fewer trips across the field and using much less horsepower, no-till may be among the easiest way for farmers to meet the new federal fine-particle air standards.

In an effort to curb pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a pollution credit trading system to curb industrial, municipal and agricultural discharges into the nation's waterways.

Because of several concerns, Monsanto is delaying the introduction of its bioengineered Roundup Ready wheat by at least a year. The company's new timetable will delay, until at least 2004 and possibly 2005, the introduction of Roundup-resistant wheat.

In a historic 6 to 2 ruling, the United States Supreme Court recently upheld the patentability of plants and seed, a ruling that will prove extremely beneficial to the biotechnology industry.

In a precedent-setting case, a panel of federal Ninth Court of Appeals judges recently ruled that certain tillage practices may fall under the jurisdiction of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers.