Plovers seem to be coexisting well with intensive row-crop farming methods. No-till farming methods seem to benefit the birds most because they leave organic matter on the surface. And no-till benefits farmers, as well, by reducing erosion and protecting the soil.

Strip-till lost the bragging rights about yields to mulch-till in a 4-year, onfarm study conducted in Illinois. But profits from strip-till topped thos of mulch-till and no-till in the study.

As early as 1980, the Melvilles — Kevin’s dad Tim, and he and his brother — were exploring a sustainable farming practice called direct seeding, which is a method of planting and fertilizing done with no prior tilling to prepare the soil.

The publishers of No-Till Farmer and Conservation Tillage Guide announce that the full lineup of 12 company sponsors has been secured for the 19th annual National No-Tillage Conference Jan. 12-15, 2011, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Valent is partnering with two other companies to launch Fierce herbicide for corn and soybeans in 2011.

Government Panel Raises Cancer Concern About Fertilizers

The USDA announced today that farmers and ranchers wanting to enroll in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) have until June 11 to file applications at their local USDA office.

These are the published standards for no-till or strip-till qualifications.

Some recent sales of corn to China, along with a widening gap between the price of oil and ethanol, is helping fuel more demand for corn, University of Illinois economist Darrel Good says.

No-tillers are benefiting from lower and more stable fertilizer prices this spring, according to a Purdue University expert.