Never satisfied with the status quo, many no-tillers seem to always be looking for new solutions that will make them more efficient, improve profits and reduce the environmental impacts of their practices on the land. If there were a no-till motto, it might be “There’s got to be a better way.”
Neil White says switching to strip-till practices and covers has boosted soil conditions and attracted earthworms, but heavy rainfall still challenges his Scotland operation.
Water quality regulations in the 1990s led to a surprise increase of herbicides in waterways, despite decreased use of the target chemical. Turns out drainage tile — so useful in no-till fields — is speeding the compounds from field to stream.
Three years of data from South Dakota State University clearly suggest a positive impact of crop residue and cover crops on soil hydrological properties and overall soil health.
Markets are emerging to pay farmers to store more carbon in the soil by using improved agricultural practices. But flows of greenhouse gases into and out of soil are complex, and some scientists are questioning whether these efforts will actually help slow global warming, according to the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.
Nathan Brown has benefitted from decreased soil erosion, less weed pressure and cost savings by incorporating regenerative practices on his 1,050 acre operation.
ONE DAY IN December 2010, Nathan Brown was driving by his neighbor’s farm in southeastern Ohio. Brown saw that his neighbor was out drilling a crop in the field — an unusual sight for that time of year.
PLANTING GREEN — defined as planting into a living cover crop that is terminated either immediately before or sometime after planting — is becoming increasingly popular as a tool for letting cover crops benefit soils as long as possible.
No-till practices, covers and better fertilizer management have been the right combination to return Linus Rothermich’s rain-soaked clay soils to productivity.
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On this edition of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by CultivAce, Gregg Sanford, Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial manager, reveals how no-till is stacking up to other major systems in year 34 of the trial.
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