It’s times like these when the sticker shock of rising costs combined with the opportunities presented by rising prices leads resourceful growers to take a new look at the way they run their operations. New and innovative technologies available today can help you reduce the use of materials and take fuller advantage of the assets you already have.

Given the high cost of applying pesticides in your fields today, replacement of worn nozzles is the best insurance against waste. The investment in a set of new spray nozzles is dwarfed by the cost of the chemicals being applied. But when should nozzles be replaced?

Once considered a radical cropping system, no-tilling continued its climb into the mainstream this year. News headlines noted the surging number of growers jumping into no-tilling to escape from skyrocketing fuel and fertilizer prices.

My wife and I always try to do the very best job of no-tilling that we can in our 3,100-acre operation where we’ve been no-tilling for 22 years.

No-tillers could gain income for their crop residue as the United States seeks energy independence and relief from soaring oil prices.