Articles by John Dobberstein

No-Till Grows Beyond The Borders

Controlled traffic, cover crops and continuous no-till are boosting yields and profitability in South America, Australia and elsewhere as worldwide no-till acres near 300 million.

By John Dobberstein posted on November 1, 2011 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Equipment, Crop Protection

To gauge the world’s supply of arable farming acres, an agricultural expert once compared Earth to the size of an apple, cut into 32 slices. The number of acres suitable for food production represents only one slice, and the apple’s skin represents the world’s supply of topsoil.

No-Till Plots Yield Answers

50 years of cutting-edge research at Ohio State University’s experimental fields have fueled the acceptance and growth of no-till.

By John Dobberstein posted on November 1, 2011 | Posted in Crop Protection, Nutrient Management, Soil Health

Had two young researchers listened to the ridicule and scorn they faced 5 decades ago, no-till farming might not have grown as much as it has.

50 Years Of No-Till Milestones

Technology, research and sheer determination transformed no-till into a profitable practice that now spans 90 million U.S. acres.

By John Dobberstein posted on November 1, 2011 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Equipment

As no-till farming celebrates its 50th year in the U.S., it’s important to remember how its acceptance and growth came about.

No-Till Proves Its Worth

By John Dobberstein posted on November 1, 2011 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Equipment

When Allan Brooks and his father, Gil, started no-tilling vegetable crops in northern Wisconsin more than 40 years ago, they paid their penance.

Spelling Out Gypsum Benefits

Research on best practices continues, but ag experts say gypsum can be a versatile tool for improving difficult no-till soils.

By John Dobberstein posted on October 1, 2011 | Posted in Nutrient Management

Citing more than two decades of studies, researchers, agronomists and crop consultants said during a soil-improvement symposium that gypsum is helping no-tillers remediate imbalanced soils, improve water filtration and even step up plant fertility.

Use A ‘Systems Approach’ To Boost No-Till Yields

Spreading residue, staying ahead of weeds and striving for uniform growth can help no-tillers get more out of every acre

By John Dobberstein posted on October 1, 2011 | Posted in Residue Management

One tip often shared by yield-contest winners is keeping no-till field conditions uniform, with even plant growth and competition for moisture and nutrients, says University of Nebraska Extension engineer Paul Jasa.

No-Till Tools, Innovations On Display

The annual InfoExpo, held during the 2011 Ag Media Summit in New Orleans, yielded lots of news and developments about equipment, crop protection and precision-ag products.

By Darrell Bruggink and John Dobberstein posted on September 1, 2011

Equipment manufractures and makers of crop-protection and fertilizer products shared their latest news with No-Till Farmer during the recent 2011 InfoExpo, held during the Ag Media Summit in New Orleans.

Putting The Fertility Puzzle Together

Yearly soil and tissue tests, cover crops and timely fertilization to avoid ‘hidden hunger’ in plants can boost yields, says no-tiller and crop consultant Ed Winkle.

By John Dobberstein posted on September 1, 2011 | Posted in Nutrient Management

It’s not likely you’ll find Martinsville, Ohio, no-tiller Ed Winkle running on automatic. When harvest is over, the work is just beginning as he explores how to make the soils on his farm work better.

Picking A Strategy For Unplanted Fields

Experts say cover crops are the best option for no-tillers to suppress weeds, and boost nutrient levels and soil microbial activity ahead of next year’s planting.

By John Dobberstein posted on September 1, 2011 | Posted in Cover Crops

No-tillers face some important decisions this fall on what to do with fields that went unplanted because of spring storms that inundated the Midwest.

The Final Act: Closing The Seed Slot

Field variability, tougher trash and growers’ early-planting ambitions drive improvements to planter closing wheels used in no-till fields.

By John Dobberstein posted on August 1, 2011 | Posted in Equipment, Water Management

When planting is done and crops begin to emerge, no-tillers have a chance to evaluate how well their planter has performed — including whether the unit’s closing wheels are doing the job closing the seed slot.

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