When Monsanto announced in late May that it was acquiring Precision Planting, an Illinois-based developer and marketer of seed meters, monitoring and precision farming technology, the news created a ripple effect in the farm world.

Profit is likely the most important factor that influences a grower’s decision to adopt conservation practices such as no-till. While numerous studies have shown higher yields and profits when moving away from extensive tillage practices, other studies have shown a reduction in yields when shifting to no-till.

Growing up on a six-generation, family-owned dairy farm in Michigan, I remember helping my dad seed clover in the fall after harvesting corn silage. The goal was to produce some cheap fertilizer, protect the ground from winter erosion and mellow the soil prior to moldboard plowing, discing and planting in the spring.

Fed up with traditional means for getting rid of weed seeds when no-tilling small grains, Ray Harrington came up with a solution to overcome the mounting concerns with herbicide-resistant weeds.

Serious conflicts among government farm program and crop-insurance rules, regarding last fall’s seeding of cover crops, could lead to serious concerns regarding qualification for this year’s payments.