Most farmers like to experiment — whether it’s with seed varieties, equipment setups, nutrient management or other variables — but few no-tillers can say that all of their acres are in some form of an experiment during any one growing season.

Although farm equipment manufacturers have engineers specifically charged to design and build no-till planters that efficiently place seed in the ground at the optimum depth, in a variety of field conditions, it’s difficult to find a no-tiller running a truly “bone stock” OEM planter.

One field we harvested this year reminded me of the importance in no-till of clearing residue away from the row to get the best stands.

Wet fall, wet spring, wet fall, wet spring. It seems no-tillers need to get used to making things work in a more aquatic-type system, our recent survey of No-Till Farmer readers found. In fact, how our readers’ no-till planter setups worked in wet conditions was a common thread in the replies we received.