Having no-tilled since 1972, Paul Schaffert has learned a few things while growing corn, wheat, soybeans, sunflowers, milo and grain sorghum on a 2,000-acre irrigated and dryland farm in Indianola, Neb. The lessons have come even harder recently, because the area, which normally receives 10 to 17 inches of rain each year, has been suffering through a drought for the past several years and irrigation is now restricted to 13 inches per year.

Having invested in the latest sprayer technologies, cereal grain growers are gearing up to do a better job of applying pesticides — starting this fall with winter wheat.

Several successful organic vegetable growers in southeastern states are combining the benefits of cover crops, reduced tillage and smart marketing. Here’s a brief look at two family operations that have been guided by the work of pioneering researchers such as Virginia Tech’s Ron Morse (see accompanying story). Both families are active participants in the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Work Group (SSAWG), a 12-state, non-profit organization.

Asian soybean rust finally appeared in the U.S. last season but had little impact after years of warnings about its potential catastrophic effects on soybean yields. That doesn’t mean the researchers were wrong and no-tillers can ignore the threat.

Instead of worrying about whether Asian rust is going to hit your no-tilled soybean fields this summer, you should consider spraying fungicides, Wayne Pedersen says. The University of Illinois plant pathologist says it’s likely to pay dividends through control of several late-maturing soybean diseases.

Soil scientist Richard Mulvaney and several colleagues at the University of Illinois believe they have developed a reliable way to determine the optimum nitrogen fertilizer application rate for crops.