Forty years ago this month, I made my first visit to USDA’s North Appalachian Experimental Watershed in Coshocton, Ohio. Established in 1935, this 1,047-acre facility had been built with depression-era labor from several government assistance programs.
Measuring how yields change with inputs and management decisions is a better way to gauge profitability than measuring yields alone, says an Iowa State University researcher
Growing double-crop sunflowers with multiple species has reduced inputs and enhanced primary crop health for Kansas no-tillers Robin and Kelly Griffeth.
Protective residue, proper soil management and a better understanding of how plants use water could help no-tillers and strip-tillers survive today’s extreme weather patterns.
Whether pulled by truck, tractor or ATV, small sprayers are carving out a valuable niche among no-tillers and strip-tillers for performing timely and sensitive fieldwork quickly and efficiently.
Huge self-propelled sprayers can cover lots of ground in a hurry, but many no-tillers are finding a useful and productive niche on their farms for smaller sprayers.
Well-designed roller-crimpers, and a good management plan, can help no-tillers and strip-tillers smother weeds, improve soil protection and get the most from high-biomass cover crops.
Rolling and crimping tall cover crops can help no-tillers and strip-tillers plant into heavy residue, preserve moisture and, in some cases, reduce herbicide use.
After jumping into no-till practices more than 2 decades ago, Iowa no-tiller Randy Caviness has been rewarded with more fertile soils, earlier planting and a stronger balance sheet to compete with neighbors.
Even as no-till was growing during the 1980s, Randy Caviness wasn’t completely convinced about the practice. He worried about weed control, and he hadn’t seen many examples of no-tilled crops working very well in his area.
Technology that keeps field implements in line is gaining momentum as no-tillers and strip-tillers see increased yields, and lower input costs, through improved accuracy with field operations.
When Jim Irwin began strip-tilling in 1996, one of his biggest frustrations was being unable to precisely place seed in the strips he formed in the fall.
When a farmer switches to no-till, they will probably find they can apply 60 to 80 fewer pounds of nitrogen in their cornfields, but still get the same yields.
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On this edition of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by CultivAce, longtime no-tiller Jim Leverich explains why 20-inch corn rows are paying off big time on his Sparta, Wis., farm.
Needham Ag understands the role of technology in making better use of limited resources within a specific environment by drawing on a wealth of global experience to overcome the challenges facing today's farmers, manufacturers and dealers.
The Andersons grows enduring relationships through extraordinary service, a deep knowledge of the market, and a knack for finding new ways to add value as we have done for nearly 70 years.