Inside the Varied Technologies tent we go at the Farm Progress Show. And inside we came across the Redekop Harvest Weed Seed Control Unit, which could be a game-changing tool for your weed-fighting arsenal.

Earlier I had a chance to stop inside the Iowa State University tent. And I talked with some of their researchers as well as ag tire expert James Tuschner. Let’s toss it over to them right now. We’re going to talk about PSI levels and compaction.

Now let’s see what’s popping inside the Pioneer tent. Alex Harrell is in the house and he’s a popular guy, fresh off his record-breaking 218-bushel soybean yield. We caught up with the Leesburg, Ga., strip-tiller for more of his top takeaways from a record-breaking summer.

I’m standing in front of these soybeans here. It’s a good reminder when you’re planting soybeans or any crop for that matter, it’s important for no-tillers to have a good row cleaner. Right now, we’re going to toss it over to Steve Martin with Martin-Till to talk about their walking tandem frame mounted row cleaner. 

We’re kicking things off with breaking news. Strip-tiller Alex Harrell broke his own world record with a 218-bushel soybean yield in Smithville, Ga., this week. The irrigated soybeans were 12 bushels better than his 206-bushel yield last year. He strip-tilled through a terminated wheat cover crop on red clay soil with a Schlagel Rapid-Till, while banding a homogenized mix of N, P, K, sulfur, zinc, iron and copper.

Our entire staff was on hand as the No-Till Farmer editor opened the first box of his brand-new book, “Frankly Speaking: A Non-Whitewashed ‘First-Hand’ Account of No-Till Farming’s Rise Over 50-Plus Years.” It features 683 of Frank’s personal columns and opinions — as they occurred in real-time dating back to 1972. The only editor of No-Till Farmer since its first edition, Frank’s front-row seat spans more than half a century, during which he witnessed no-till acres grow from 3.3 million acres to 110 million acres today.

One of the highlights of the conference was the Strip-Till Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which featured Northfield, Minn., strip-tiller David Legvold, Univ. of Minnesota Extension educator Jodi DeJong-Hughes and AGuru Machinery founder Bill Preller. During his acceptance speech, Preller reflected on his no-till origin story and the man who helped him get here.

Fun fact — did you know mustard can be used to measure soil health? I didn’t, until I saw this video. This is from the Soil Health Alliance for Research & Education (SHARE) field day at the Arlington Research Farm in Madison, Wis., Aug. 7. Research assistant Logan Barr is using a mustard liquid mix to draw out earthworms.

The editors and film production team of No-Till Farmer, with support of Saddle Butte Ag Bio Till Cover Crops, has announced a first-ever broadcast and podcast program on conservation ag practices.