Regardless of the final form that the 2002 Farm Bill takes, its legislation could have a noticeably green environmental tone. If Congress shows more interest in developing environmental-based farm supports as “green payments,” it will be a definite plus for no-tilling.

On June 16, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered Gauntlet, a new pre-emergence soybean herbicide from the FMC Agricultural Products Group. This herbicide combines sulfentrazone, the active ingredient in Authority, with cloransulam-methyl, the active ingredient in FirstRate, a herbicide which is manufactured and marketed by Dow AgroSciences.

Soil erosion is the longest-running environmental concern of farmers. However, for the greater urban population, environmental priorities are often diverted elsewhere. To recognize farmers such as yourself who work to “save the soil” and protect our environment, No-Till Farmer is sponsoring “National No-Tillage Week” from Aug. 9 to 15, 1998.

A veteran no-tiller who’s definitely been successful with both no-tilled corn and soybeans is Dean Holst of Le Claire, Iowa. He’s been so successful that he expected to no-till 5,000 acres of corn and soybeans this spring.

If you ever had doubts about long-term no-till, you needed to listen to four farmers speak at last winter’s Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Till Workshop in Minot, N.D.