Frank Lessiter

Frank Lessiter

Frank Lessiter has served as editor of No-Till Farmer since the publication was launched in November of 1972. Raised on a six-generation Michigan Centennial Farm, he has spent his entire career in agricultural journalism. Lessiter is a dairy science graduate from Michigan State University.

ARTICLES

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The Need For 'True' No-Till

John Baker believes many no-tillers are too complacent about what they think they’re achieving. The proponent of minimal soil disturbance when seeding maintains some no-tillers think they’re doing a good job of sequestering carbon.
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‘Spray And Wait’ Is Critical To Tackling Green Bridge Pathogens

While green bridge is a major disease worry in the Pacific Northwest, it’s a problem Midwestern no-tillers should be leery of with certain crop rotations and cover crops.
Some plant pathologists maintain green bridge is not likely to be a disease concern with the traditional Midwestern corn-and-soybean rotation. But with the expanding growth of cover crops and adoption of other crop rotations, it’s a possible disease worry for Corn Belt no-tillers.
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Carbon Value Questioned

Much of the research data over the past 20 years has suggested that switching from conventional tillage to no-till can sequester more soil-organic carbon. Yet there’s a growing concern among scientists that no-tilling corn and soybeans without cover crops, small grains and forages in the rotation may not be increasing soil organic-carbon stocks to earlier predicted levels.


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No-Till Works Under Tough Conditions

No-till offers more options than other tillage systems with John Aeschliman’s steep slopes, limited moisture and extremely hot summer weather.
No-tilling slopes as steep as 60% that receive as little as 12 inches of annual moisture and summer-time temperatures that frequently run over 100 degrees F., John Aeschliman has been successfully no-tilling in the Palouse area of eastern Washington for more than 40 years.
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