If you haven't already read it, there was a fascinating article of special interest to no-tillers found in the October issue of Soybean Digest. Entitled “Discing Profits Down,” the article features on-farm test data from Indiana indicating that the more a farmer discs the ground in the fall, the more profit he or she will end up losing.

Just back from an exciting 4-day tour of Manitoba agriculture, here are a few observations on farming and no-tilling north of our border.

Concerned about the future of no-tilled corn, Illinois Department of Agriculture officials are launching a program aimed at expanding conservation tilled acres. The program will include research on the benefits of fall strip-tilling to overcome the cool, wet soil problems often found with no-till.

Plenty of highly practical ideas for combining burndown herbicides with liquid nitrogen for more effective early-season weed control came out of a survey conducted last winter.

Despite concerns about global warming, no-tillers have already helped American agriculture turn the corner. It’s good news not only for farmers, but environmentalists as well.