Articles by Dan Crummett

ROI-on-full-farm-adoption-of-precision-ag-technology-700.jpg

How a Strip-Tiller Can Save $116,000 Annually with Precision Technology

Conservative assumptions show a first-year 95% ROI on full farm adoption of precision ag tools. Sticker shock may apply, but you can bank returns in year two, says Iowa farmer & dealer.

Corn and soybean farmer Adam Gittins cautions strip-tillers to control their natural reaction to “sticker shock” when shopping for precision agriculture technology, and to realize the rapid ROI such tools can provide.


Read More
Pelican-2-Spray-2.jpg

Domestic Autonomous Aerial Applicator Comes to Midwest

Regional aerial service Heinen Brothers is part of the commercialization process of Pyka, a young California startup’s global reach into unmanned aerial application platforms

Growers in the western Corn Belt and parts of the Southern Plains may notice a strange, slow, high-wing spray plane at work this summer over row-crop fields and some pastures – a sight that likely will become commonplace soon.


Read More
WEED-IT-Quadro.jpg

How New Technology, Covers Crops can Beat Back Weeds

There are a plethora of new solutions — both man-made & natural — that can help no-tillers & strip-tillers get a handle on weed issues.

While chemists have done most of the heavy lifting in agriculture’s battle with weeds since World War II, electrical and mechanical engineers are increasingly supporting the fight with innovations to make herbicides more efficient, and in some cases, bypass chemistry altogether.


Read More
Bradley-Integrated-Weed-Management.jpg

New Type of Herbicide Resistance Threatens ‘Mix the Mode’ Weed Control

Exposure to a single herbicide can trigger metabolic resistance across herbicide groups
As no-tillers, researchers and chemical companies scramble to control increasingly tough herbicide-resistant weeds, University of Missouri extension weed specialist Kevin Bradley says the current science of weed control will likely soon need to be broadened.
Read More
3D-Mapping-2.jpg

New Tech Measures Cover Crop Biomass, Weed Fighting Potential

Collaborative study of “structure from motion” has shown accurate assessments of cereal rye cover crop stands can be made using inexpensive GoPro cameras and sophisticated computer analysis
Research into accurately estimating total biomass of standing cover crops from a moving tractor may eventually spawn new ways for no-tillers to save money on planting rates and herbicide use in row crops.
Read More
SANDYLAND-GRAZING-Darrick-Rains.jpg

Grazier No-Tills Certain Pastures to Boost Cattle Profits

Winter wheat no-tilled into sandy, late-fall crabgrass pastures adds nearly $80,000 per year to the bottom line for Oklahoma producer who bypasses the grain market to sell everything “on the hoof”
Darrick Rains owns a chisel plow, disc and field cultivator to support his cow-calf operation in north-central Oklahoma, but he says his 40-foot no-till drill is what made it possible to double the number of animal units he markets each year for a handsome economic advantage.
Read More
LivingMulch-1.jpg

Cover Crops as a Tool to Fight Weeds

While cover crops are useful for suppressing weeds, research finds they don’t stand alone as a tactic in the long-term fight against herbicide resistance
While the USDA estimates only about 10% of U.S. cropland is being managed with cover crops for various soil health and weed suppression reasons, recent research across the Corn Belt shows over-wintering cereal crop covers can significantly reduce weed biomass.
Read More
Locomos-MSU.jpg

LOCOMOS Boosts Irrigation Returns with AI-Driven Monitors

Researchers are evaluating a low-cost monitoring system in Michigan that shows potential to help irrigators make better water-scheduling decisions
The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to cause consternation from those who worry about “robots taking over” to lawmakers in Congress who grapple with what, if any, regulation is needed for the technology.
Read More

Top Articles

Current Issue

NTF_May_2025_BookWithPages_Curl_art.png

No-Till Farmer

Get full access NOW to the most comprehensive, powerful and easy-to-use online resource for no-tillage practices. Just one good idea will pay for your subscription hundreds of times over.

Subscribe Now

View More

Must Read Free Eguides

Download these helpful knowledge building tools

View More
Top Directory Listings