With a desire to pump up small grain yields, no-tillers are searching for better ways to combat a growing number of costly pests. As a result, attendees at last winter’s 15th National No-Tillage Conference were keenly interested in learning to do a more effective job of controlling yield-grabbing pests.

A proposed international trade agreement could lead to a huge increase in ethanol imports, which in turn could prevent no-tillers from capitalizing on the growing use of corn-based ethanol for fuel, according to a group critical of the trade proposal.

No-tillers can choose from a number of corn herbicides and fungicides that have become available since the last growing season. The new products for this year, listed by manufacturer, include:<

Low-interest loans — perhaps even interest free with the possibility of partial payment of the principal by the federal government might be obtainable through a program sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency.

A broad spectrum herbicide that effectively controls grasses such as foxtails, johnsongrass and shattercane in no-tilled corn was introduced just in time for the 2003 growing season by Bayer CropScience. Featuring recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval, the herbicide will control broadleaf weeds such as cocklebur, lambsquarters, morningglory, ragweed, sunflower and velvetleaf.