The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has rolled out proposed guidance for new no-till pesticide labeling to reduce off-target spray and dust drift.

A majority of agribusiness leaders polled last week reported they are optimistic about their company's outlook in 2010 compared to 2009, with some asserting that they were "very optimistic" about the no-till near future.

So, what's a better no-till cover crop for this area, rye or triticale? What's an optimum planting date, late August or late September? Could a mixture work best on my farm? These are some of the questions pondered by a small group of people that came to a cover crop field day Tuesday at the Penn State Southeast Ag Research and Extension Center just outside of Manheim.

There has been a lot of activity related to the Chesapeake Bay recently that could have a very significant impact on no-till agriculture in Pennsylvania.

Farmers can protect their soil from erosion with conservation tillage -- drilling seeds through the previous crop's stubble rather than turning up the dirt.

Today, precision no-till farming took a step forward when industry leaders Ag Leader Technology, Inc., Ames, Iowa, and AutoFarm, Fremont, Calif., joined forces. The collaboration be¬tween the two companies brings together the highly popular and successful precision ag products of Ag Leader with the latest embedded and integrated steering solutions from AutoFarm.

Elizabeth Runema still does not have oxen of her own for plowing, but she no longer needs them. Her secret: conservation farming. "These days I use zero-tillage, and I am getting much more yield than I ever used to get when I used to rely on other people’s draught power."

The next Green Revolution must be guided by small-holder no-till farmers, adapted to local circumstances and sustainable for the economy and the environment, said Microsoft founder and chairman Bill Gates to a crowded hall at last week's World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines.

A report that says the Clean Water Act has failed to reduce pollution in the nation's rivers and streams is being questioned by some no-tillers who say water quality is much better than it was 20 to 40 years ago.

Diplodia and Gibberella ear rot of corn have been observed in many no-till fields in Indiana this year.