Over the years since my dad started no-tilling in 1978, we’ve had a lot to learn — and not much of a growing season to learn it in. On our extreme northern farm that is less than 30 miles south of the Canadian border, we’re lucky to get 90 to 110 frost-free days, creating a situation not unlike Siberia (our average January temperature is minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit). This year we even had snow on May 11.

In a move to further expand its seed trait business, Monsanto has announced the development and commercialization of linolenic soybeans. This new technology, announced in early September, will help overcome the serious trans-fat health problems that are facing the food industry.

The Reed family members are some of no-till’s biggest advocates. But the Washington, Iowa, farmers don’t say no-tilling is the perfect, cookie-cutter method. Instead, they say, while no-till is the best way to be a good steward of the land and a profitable farmer, it does take some know-how.

Dwayne Beck is known for a lot of things, perhaps crop rotations most of all. This Pierre, S.D., no-tiller manages the Dakota Lakes Research Farm at Pierre, S.D., and dedicates a lot of his time to studying the improvement of no-till operations with the help of crop rotations.

Never mind the critics, there is plenty of evidence that no-tillers raising genetically modified (GM) crops are ahead of the learning curve, while the rest of the country and world is catching on.

When it comes to the future of the planet, Rattan Lal doesn’t beat around the bush. “Increase no-till farming practices across the planet or face serious climate, soil quality and food production problems in the next 20 to 50 years,” says the soil scientist at Ohio State University.

After witnessing high-yield wheat fields in England, Miles Farm Supply officials recruited four English agronomists to boost wheat production in the western Kentucky, southern Indiana and Tennessee areas served by the company’s Opti-Crop crop management division.

Everyone's heard seed salesman say that almost every corn hybrid will perform well with any type of tillage. While more seed companies are finally admitting that cold vigor, residue level, germination rate and a few other items should be evaluated when selecting corn hybrids for no-till, Kevin Newgard maintains a number of other key agronomic factors need to be considered.