Articles by Dan Crummett

More than Round and Rubber: The Tires of Tomorrow

By Dan Crummett posted on October 30, 2020 | Posted in Equipment

Today’s agricultural tires resemble their predecessors in that they are still round and mainly made of rubber. Maintaining a tread and staying inflated may have been enough for years, but modern tire design parameters accounting for soil compaction, improved traction, tread wear, sidewall strength at super-low inflation rates and, increasingly, environmental concerns have permanently changed the way farm equipment engages the soil.

Tracking & Tapping Into Natural Nitrogen Cycle Cuts Inputs

Iowa no-tiller Mitchell Hora uses weekly soil samples and the Haney test throughout the season to monitor naturally-available nutrients in corn and soybeans. The extra effort has cut his nitrogen rate in half.

By Dan Crummett posted on October 19, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

Mitchell Hora spent the summer of 2014 scouting corn and soybean fields for E4 Crop Intelligence, and knew then he wanted to own his own consulting business.

Boosting Soil Biology by Farming Green on Green on Green

Young Illinois no-tiller overhauls conventional corn and soybean farm by planting and combining green while reducing nutrient applications and cutting pesticides for significant bottom-line payouts.

By Dan Crummett posted on July 24, 2020 | Posted in Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Seeding & Planting, Soil Health

During long hours in the cab planting soybeans primarily in tall cereal rye, Andrew Reuschel began taking a mental inventory of the active cover crops he was no-tilling into with his Kinze 2600 planter this year.

Managing Around Plant Disease Hotspots for 2020

Soilborne pathogens and fungal diseases are likely concerns for corn and soybean no-tillers this season, but pathologists say pay particular attention to soybean cyst nematodes, sudden death syndrome, tar spot and target spot.

By Dan Crummett posted on February 20, 2020 | Posted in Crop Protection

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and sudden death syndrome (SDS) are expected to plague U.S. no-till soybean producers again this year, especially if the local planting season is accompanied by cooler and wetter than average conditions.

Water-Jet Technology Shows Promise for No-Till Planting

By Dan Crummett posted on December 31, 2019 | Posted in Seeding & Planting

More than a decade after water-jet technology emerged as a planting solution in Australia, increasing interest in cover-crop farming across North America has a Canadian firm busy testing ultra-high-pressure technology as a way to enable planters to cut through substantial amounts of residue without disturbing the soil.

Crop Protection Roundup 2020

New Crop Protection Tools For 2020 Growing Season

Unique chemistries to target resistant weeds and products to fight sucking insects and soil-born pests highlight new choices for no-till and conventional growers alike in new registrations for the coming year.

By Dan Crummett posted on December 25, 2019 | Posted in Crop Protection

The 2020 growing season will include a number of new crop protection products and systems aimed at battling weeds, insects and soil-borne pathogens.

Waterhemp Continues Foiling Chemical Control

The discovery of waterhemp that is tolerant to a seventh class of herbicide action means growers have to double down on weed management by including cultural and mechanical controls to fight resistance.

By Dan Crummett posted on December 25, 2019 | Posted in Crop Protection

As farmers across the Corn Belt were wrapping up the 2019 harvest, the buzz among corn and soybean producers centered on reports from Illinois that the tough-to-control weed, waterhemp, had shown resistance to yet another class of chemical weed control — those in Group 15.

Liquid Calcium Study Shows Little pH Effect

First-year results from a new Oklahoma study on the use of liquid calcium on bermudagrass pasture yielded no statistical differences in pH levels when compared with traditional liming agents.

By Dan Crummett posted on November 26, 2019 | Posted in Nutrient Management, Soil Health

Several years ago, No-Till Farmer posted on its web site a university article titled “Beware of Alternative Ag Lime Product Claims” and received a number of reader comments complaining the science behind the article was wrong.

Decoding C:N Ratios to Unlock Fertilizer Savings

The use of the right cover crops over an extended period can provide optimum soil C:N ratios for a thriving biological population and can significantly lower nutrient inputs over time.

By Dan Crummett posted on October 31, 2019 | Posted in Cover Crops, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

Long-time cover-crop consultant Steve Groff says many growers are missing management opportunities in their lack of understanding the relationship of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in the soil and in field residue.

Cotton, Sesame and Livestock Add Diversity to No-Till Operation

Southwestern Oklahoma farmers Matt and Bill Braun have watched their operation evolve from a conventional continuous wheat farm to an operation featuring cotton, sesame, livestock and cover crops.

By Dan Crummett posted on October 8, 2019 | Posted in Cover Crops, Seeding & Planting, Soil Health

When Matt Braun was in high school, his father switched the family’s southwestern Oklahoma farm from a conventional-till wheat/cattle/milo operation to no-till, mainly to reduce labor and equipment costs.

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