Organic-matter readings from soil tests pretty much sum up the success Steve Hoffman has seen converting his farm in the Texas Panhandle to no-till practices.

Zachary Cordel already appreciated no-tilling from his days on the farm with his father in Cocker City, Kan., north of Salina. During the 5 years Zachary spent at college, and a subsequent 2 years of missionary work, his father went from tilling fields on their farm to becoming excited about conservation and stewarding the land, and he's now no-tilled for 12 years.

Jeremy Brown’s decision to adopt no-till practices stems from an important lesson from his backyard garden. Brown transplanted this idea it onto the landscape near Lamesa on the Southern High Plains of Texas, where he’s no-tilling 2,600 acres, most of it dryland farming.

Oat and wheat harvest is in progress in Nebraska and some growers are getting a better view of weed infestations in their fields, including marestail.

Ronnie Hopper and his son, R.N., see a trend toward less tillage on the Southern High Plains.