The “Billion Dollar Bug” meanwhile is at it again across much of the Corn Belt. The corn rootworm risk level is high, according to the latest Pest Report from InsectForecast.com

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by the 2024 National Strip-Tillage Conference, Eagle, Wis., no-tiller Tyler Troiola uses John Deere See & Spray Premium for the first time, which he says delivered significant herbicide savings on corn but not quite as much on soybeans.

Time now for our Video of the Week. This one comes to us from Carlisle County, Ky. Brad Reddick reflects on his switch to no-till, and his son Joel explains why they’re playing small ball with cover crops.

Jim Stute has been tracking weather data for 30 years on his farm in East Troy, Wis. He says he’s seen the 2 wettest years, the 2 driest years and 3 consecutive years of early and midseason drought, all within the past 6 years!

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, managing editor Michaela Paukner takes us inside the CTIC Conservation in Action Tour in northeast Arkansas, where she quickly learns that conservation ag means more than just no-till in the region. Local farmer Ryan Sullivan explains why he’s struggled to make no-till a profitable practice in his operation. We also hear from northeast Wisconsin no-tiller Andy Benson who shares his biggest takeaways from the tour.

Let’s go ahead of the curve now, and ask the question — “How practical is a smart sprayer in a no-till system?” Tyler Troiola is about to find out on in Eagle, Wis. He installed a John Deere See & Spray Premium kit on his sprayer to target-spray weeds, and he’s going to use it for the first time on his second sprayer pass around V4.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, no-tillers from across the world weigh in on the million-dollar question, “How do you control slugs?”