One of the more fascinating ideas coming out of a recent University of Kentucky study is the impact that no-tilled wheat apparently has on future crop yields. In fact, Kentucky agronomist Lloyd Murdock has found corn and soybeans yield more where they follow no-tilled wheat.

The type of seed genetics to plant next spring is on the mind of many no-tillers these days. With growing concerns about marketing genetically modified organism (GMO) seed, many people are getting frustrated.

Ask Terry Schneider about the problems holding back the growth of no-till corn and he’ll tell you it’s been a lack of favorable weather conditions during most of the 90s.

In a 17-year Nebraska study, researchers found that conservation tillage gave higher irrigated corn yields and profits than tilled plantings. The average yield increase was 4 bushels per acre, while the three conservation tillage treatments resulted in $8 to $16 per acre less tillage costs than the conventional disc tillage treatment. The conservation tillage treatments were ridge-till, rotary-till and slot-plant, while tilled treatments consisted of chisel, disc or lister operations for the furrow-irrigated continuous corn plantings.