Articles by Dan Crummett

Micronutrients part 2

No-Tillers Beware of Copper Deficiency in High Organic Soils

Positively charged copper binds easily on clay particles in soils with high organic matter & can be unavailable for proper plant growth

By Dan Crummett posted on April 18, 2024 | Posted in Nutrient Management

As a micronutrient, copper has a very important place in the plant food smorgasbord selection necessary for good crop yields, particularly for wheat and other small grains, and to a lesser extent for corn and grain sorghum. But a copper little goes a long way.

Twin-Row Cereal Rye Adds 35-Bushel Advantage in No-Tiller’s Irrigated Corn

Novel use of twin-row cereal rye boosted yields, reduced erosion & made no-tiller more profitable on fewer acres

By Dan Crummett posted on April 17, 2024 | Posted in Cover Crops, Equipment

A sharp pencil and skyrocketing rental rates convinced Greg Keller to cut the size of GK Farms near Monroe, Neb., by more than half in 2014 as the dedicated no-tiller opted to fine-tune the efficiency of his operation.

Change to FAA Regulation Allows 1 Operator to Fly 3 Sprayer Drones

FFA regulation exemption for U.S.-based drone maker allows 1 person to operate 3 drones in a swarm, a 3-fold increase in productivity

By Dan Crummett posted on March 28, 2024 | Posted in Precision Agriculture

The FAA recently granted Texas-based drone manufacturer Hylio a regulatory exemption that allows 1 operator to simultaneously pilot 3 heavy-lift drones instead of requiring an operator and observer per 1 drone over 55 pounds.

Ahead of the Curve

Lidar Sensors Show the Invisible in Crops & Indicate Plant Health

New laser-based technology monitors plant health & soil humidity night or day at ranges up to nearly 1,000 feet

By Dan Crummett posted on March 28, 2024 | Posted in Precision Agriculture

Over the past 40 years, agricultural scanning technology has developed rapidly from sprayers able to recognize brown bare soil from very green growing plant material to machines capable of guiding moving sprayers to target individual plants and visually sampling a load of grain for moisture content.

Micronutrients part 1

Adequate Boron Levels a Must for Optimum No-Till Yields

Regular soil & tissue testing can help no-tillers avoid yield losses due to boron deficiency

By Dan Crummett posted on March 27, 2024 | Posted in Nutrient Management

If you talk about plant nutrition with no-tillers who are setting yield records, it’s likely that they’ll quickly mention getting the basics right and then paying close attention to the little things.

Measure Soil Bulk Density to Understand Soil’s Health

Maintaining pore space in agricultural soils reduces compaction

By Dan Crummett posted on February 23, 2024 | Posted in Soil Health

For no-tillers interested in improving the productivity of their fields, measuring bulk density of soils at various levels can provide an indicator of overall soil health and any potential effects of compaction on soil structure.

Polyculture Study Explains Why Rotating Crops Boosts Production

Research shows diverse row crops in rotation help keep soil-borne pathogen populations under control

By Dan Crummett posted on February 21, 2024 | Posted in Soil Health

Moving away from monocrops to more diversity in the field can help fight soil-borne pathogens.

30 Years of No-Till Keeps Farm Financially Stable

Economic turmoil of the 1980s changed operation to 100% no-till, reducing labor, saving soil & enabling crop diversity

By Dan Crummett posted on February 21, 2024 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Soil Health

When Rick Jeans and his dad, Don, began experimenting with no-till in the late 1980s, they were setting in motion a management scheme that would allow Jeans to continue farming about 3,000 acres of cropland in Tonkawa, Okla.

Ahead of the Curve

AI Offers Speedier Research & Development of Ag Products

Just as the early internet was labeled dangerous, artificial intelligence (AI) is going through the same baptism of fire

By Dan Crummett posted on February 20, 2024 | Posted in Crop Protection

Over the past 30 years, farmers and their consultants have been nervously watching popular crop protection products fall like stacked dominoes to growing populations of resistant pests.

Take a Systems Approach to No-Till to Improve Soil Health

University no-till plots show significant benefits over conventional tillage, but when combined with systematic crop rotations & cover crops, the results are cumulative

By Dan Crummett posted on February 20, 2024 | Posted in Soil Health

No-Till Legend Paul Jasa has been studying conservation tillage — and no-till in particular — since 1981 for the University of Nebraska.

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