When considering the ways of improving his chances of raising profitable no-tilled corn and soybeans, Marion Calmer, a veteran no-tiller from western Illinois, relies heavily on his 31 years of independent on-farm research. As the president of Calmer’s Agronomic Research Center, he’s learned that the highest yield isn’t always the most profitable, so he makes decisions regarding inputs based on facts and financial sense. In this presentation, Calmer talks about his target of a minimum 35% return on investment for his farm when calculating input costs, and also discusses the yield impact and economic implications that accompany increasing populations, fertilizer inputs, row spacing and the lack of tillage.