While some growers and educators figured the U.S. no-till acreage might have decreased during the past 2 years, it instead turned in an astounding increase of 7.1 million acres. Much of the increase occurred in the Great Plains states where no-till is helping growers make more productive use of limited water.
No-till is now at the point where it not only can improve soil structure and stop erosion, but could also have far-reaching effects on consumer preferences and human health.
One of the first things I like to do when I talk to no-till farmers is to explain why my long title – rhizosphere ecologist – fits right in with what they’re trying to achieve with direct seeding or no-tilling. (The terms are generally interchangeable).
In a move to further expand its seed trait business, Monsanto has announced the development and commercialization of linolenic soybeans. This new technology, announced in early September, will help overcome the serious trans-fat health problems that are facing the food industry.
When the Christensen family moved to a new farming location in southwestern Wisconsin 5 years ago, they took a hard look at the many benefits of no-tilling.
Field tests indicate that compound boosts crop development by preventing chemical fixation, allowing nutrient uptake. Product could hit full market in 2005.
Imgaine gaining 20 more bushels of corn per acre or similarly significant jumps in soybean, wheat and other crop yields. It could be possible next year just just by treating the phosphorus applied to your no-till fields with a new compound designed to improve uptake of the nutrient.
The harvesting of corn residue, referred to as stover, as ethanol fodder will focus on “flat soils with high yields in wet areas. That’s where to start,” according to Jim Hettenhaus, a chemical engineer who works on ethanol-related issues with the U.S. Department of Energy and private companies.
For as little as 20 cents per acre, no-tillers can significantly increase the effectiveness of their post-emergent herbicide applications. The addition of inexpensive ammonium sulfate (AMS) to the tank mix can boost no-till weed control by as much as 41 percent in some cases, according to Bryan Young, a weed scientist at Southern Illinois University.
Contrary to what you may think, most contestants don’t go overboard with inputs in their contest fields and find that competing helps them find new ways to push up no-till yields across the entire farm.
When it comes to learning what it takes to turn out profitable corn yields, many no-tillers find they learn a great deal from having contest plots on their farms.
When it comes to calculating seeding rates for no-tilled Roundup Ready soybeans, recent University of Maryland research indicates that you may not need as high a plant population as you might have thought to get top 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.
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