IN RECENT YEARS, we’re produced a number of No-Till Farmer articles on the benefits of utilizing gypsum to improve plant nutrition and soil structure. Now, new research from Ohio State University indicates gypsum may play a key role in controlling the harmful algal blooms that are a growing concern in Lake Erie, the Chesapeake Bay, the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.

From 1991 until 1996, our publishing company produced a newsletter called Ridge-Till Hotline that was similar to what we were doing with No-Till Farmer. While the response to this paid newsletter was favorable, by the mid 1990s we didn't feel the ridge-till acres were going to continue to grow. So we halted publication, much to the regret of many die-hard ridge-tillers.

Like many no-tillers, Ben Fehl has seen the value of tiling both rented and owned ground. Major benefits from tiling include increased yield, less soil compaction, improved soil and water quality, reduced soil erosion and greater economic return.

Like many no-tillers in North America, Australian no-tillers are concerned with the impact of changing climate and drought conditions. However, no-till and several other innovative ideas have helped the country’s wheat growers deal with reduced water supplies while boosting yields over the past 3 decades.

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.

No-tillers definitely understand the value of leaving residue in their corn fields. They recognize that corn stalks, leaves, husks and cobs help reduce soil losses, provide cheap nutrients, trim greenhouse emission levels, boost moisture levels, help organic matter, improve soil quality, reduce compaction and increase crop productivity.

Many farmers recognize that no-tilled ground is probably worth more than land farmed with more intensive tillage. Yet there’s little evidence that indicates no-tilled ground brings a premium price when a farm goes on the sale block.

Growing concerns about weed resistance were on the minds of many no-tillers, speakers and sponsors during the recent 21st annual National No-Tillage Conference in Indianapolis, Ind. The consensus is that weed resistance is becoming a more alarming issue each year and that these concerns can no longer be ignored.

In the 40 years I’ve been tracking no-till, soil biology has never received as much attention as it does today. As no-tillers refine their systems, more are recognizing the importance of doing a better job of managing the millions of critters living under the soil surface.

When it comes to ranking the most important developments in American agriculture over the past 75 years, a panel of conservationists recently placed no-till right at the top of the list.