Onfarm research, equipment setups and deep placement of fertilizer are among the tools that helped three no-tillers improve their nutrient management and profitability on their farms, and also win admiration from their peers.

Despite having a nominated “Natural Wonder” and busy village of 1,000 people in his backyard, no-tiller Brian Newcombe still finds a way to make manure a valuable part of his farming operation.

The Hula family no-tills 5,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, barley and oats in four counties surrounding Charles City, Va. The 100% no-till operation is located along the banks of the James River, which flows into Chesapeake Bay where nitrogen runoff is becoming a major concern.

Junk in, junk out. Variable-rate fertilizer and nutrient recommendations are only as good as the data used to calculate them.