While it might seem hard to believe, the no-tiller who grew the highest yields in the nation last year calls corn just a rotational crop. That’s because David Hula has a thriving soybean and small grains seed production business.

Is there a benefit to moldboard plowing a no-till field once every 10 years? A recent article, “Changing Tillage, Changing Nutrient Management,” in the Spring 2008 issue of Plant Nutrition Today suggested that continuous no-till can lead to accumulation of phosphorus (P) at the soil surface, causing higher P concentrations in runoff.

Remember the days when it seemed a new herbicide mode of action or active ingredient for controlling weeds was being discovered and made available to no-tillers each year? Well, we’re beginning to enter a similar golden era with herbicide-tolerant crops.

Those number on your glyphosate bill are going to look a lot larger. In fact, glyphosate prices have doubled from a year ago, and could perhaps triple in some cases.