We found out this spring how important continually adding carbon into our soil is here in western Nebraska. With our somewhat low organic-matter content soil we really need to continually grow high-residue crops a high percentage of the time to keep the soil in good condition.

Stripper headers, chaff spreaders and crop rotations can help no-tillers improve residue management without resorting to iron.

I’ve been discussing 10 tips for successful no-till crop production and thus far I’ve covered choosing a good crop rotation, winter wheat as the most important crop for supplying a consistent amount of residue to make the rest of the crop rotation function, and utilizing a stripper head to manage this residue.

Recently I started off my 10 tips to successful no-till crop production with a discussion on crop rotations. I feel this is the most important consideration on your farm. Designing a crop rotation f will affect your bottom line, weed and disease cycles, and your farm’s performance well into the future. Take plenty of time each year and assess your rotation and improvements you can make in designing your rotation.

Tip#1: A mix of warm-season and cool-season crops that produce lots of residue are keys to making no-tilling work in a semi-arid environment.

A systems approach that includes a diverse crop rotation and a forage crop can no-tillers improve soil health and use irrigation water more efficiently.

Avoiding soil disturbance and keeping crop residue on the field are crucial in preserving water resources growing crops profitably.

Former entomologist with USDA-ARS in Brookings, S.D., and his team have started a research farm “where research, education and demonstration converge to support the regeneration of agriculture.”

Recently, I visited about the results of the biological tests we ran on our winter-wheat stubble, which showed very low microbial activity.