Dan Gillespie was also known as "Dan The Tree Man" in Battle Creek, after 30 years of classroom planting demonstrations with fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students in local schools.
Continuous no-till can go a long way toward keeping soil where it’s supposed to be, but a monster rainstorm falling on soybean residue can still result in ephemeral gullies.
No-tillers should be cautious about planting corn 2 inches deep or more, says Barry Fisher, Indiana state agronomist with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service
Most no-tillers can recall a time (or incident) when the “light went on” — when no-till became an obvious option. For me, that happened in 1986 during a dry spring.
With nearly 650 leading-edge farmers, researchers and suppliers on hand for the 13th annual National No-Tillage Conference, the event again revealed what’s coming on strong in the no-tilling industry.
While it hasn’t yet generated much business, an unexpected source of funds for purchasing no-till drills and planters is available from the federal government. The only drawback is that these 0-percent interest loans, that can be at least partially paid back with U.S. Department of Agriculture cost-share dollars, must be obtained by a public or quasi-public agency rather than directly by farmers.
Since most no-tillers probably already qualify for payments, the new 2002 farm bill offers plenty of opportunities and should lead to further expansion of no-tilled acres. But if you're just no-tilling corn and soybeans, don' expect that rotation to automatically meet the necessary government criteria in all states.
I'd make a really poor conventional farmer. I'd get bored out of my gourd. I never liked cultivators and I've always said they should rename them "corn killers."
The hall was buzzing at the recent eighth annual National No-Tillage Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. It was here that 715 no-tillers gathered to exchange ideas and learn new ways to boost their yields and add bushels of income per acre. This year's crowd certainly wasn't let down as they absorbed new ideas that can be put to immediate use. Here are some of the best.
Get full access NOW to the most comprehensive, powerful and easy-to-use online resource for no-tillage practices. Just one good idea will pay for your subscription hundreds of times over.
On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, Brian and Darren Hefty, fourth-generation farmers and hosts of Ag PhD, share tips for treating tar spot in corn.
Needham Ag understands the role of technology in making better use of limited resources within a specific environment by drawing on a wealth of global experience to overcome the challenges facing today's farmers, manufacturers and dealers.
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