No-tillers who keep livestock might soon be able to plant a non-transgenically modified soybean variety that removes large amounts of soil-applied nitrogen. If the germplasm is further developed into a new cultivar, it could be used by animal producers to manage waste generated by their operations.

An extensive historical analysis of no-till corn yields vs. the yields from conventionally tilled fields indicates that no-tilling holds its own and even out-performs conventional tillage methods in many areas of the country.

Only recently have large numbers of no-tillers discovered the value of cover crops to aid their soil and cash crops. Many no-tillers are still learning how and when to burn down the cover crops to prevent competition with their corn, soybeans, etc.

To gain needed management experience and research data, University of Nebraska researchers established a long-term tillage study in 1981. The 2006 cropping year marked the 26th year of the study at the Rogers Memorial Farm that is 10 miles east of Lincoln.

Having no-tilled since 1972, Paul Schaffert has learned a few things while growing corn, wheat, soybeans, sunflowers, milo and grain sorghum on a 2,000-acre irrigated and dryland farm in Indianola, Neb. The lessons have come even harder recently, because the area, which normally receives 10 to 17 inches of rain each year, has been suffering through a drought for the past several years and irrigation is now restricted to 13 inches per year.