Adam Chappell remembers when he decided to remove two elements from his farm’s periodic table. Until 2015, the fourth-generation Arkansas no-tiller and 2022 Responsible Nutrient Management Practitioners Award recipient had been purchasing the usual rates of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) on his family land outside of Cotton Plant, Ark., where he farms with his brother, Seth.

Like most growers, Davie Stephens wants to get the most out of his farm. The Clinton, Ky., corn and soybean no-tiller moved to 20-inch rows in the mid 1990s to ramp up planting populations, and is working with different companies to test prescription services to determine what planting rate fits each farm best.

Getting the soil back into shape wasn't the impetus for Jay Franklin’s no-till conversion more than 2 decades ago. As a young farmer facing tough times, he simply had his back against the wall.

I’m the third generation of the Hoff family to operate our farm near Boonville, Mo. Following an early example set by my dad, John Hoff, who first no-tilled in the early 1970s, I’ve spent the past several years fine-tuning our no-till program.