Given the high cost of applying pesticides in your fields today, replacement of worn nozzles is the best insurance against waste. The investment in a set of new spray nozzles is dwarfed by the cost of the chemicals being applied. But when should nozzles be replaced?

Bob Myers believes in twin-row corn. By no-tilling corn in twin rows, 6 inches apart on 30-inch centers, Myers has been able to push his corn yields to more than 200 bushels per acre.

When people ask me for a quick answer to justify shifting to no-tillage, the best one I can come up with is this: Yield is not measured in bushels or tons per acre. Yield is measured in net dollars per acre. No-tilling equals more dollars in the bank.

Nitrogen costs keep rising, forcing no-tillers to examine fertilization program options and their impact on crops and the bottom line. For some no-tillers, liquid livestock manure might be an option — if they can overcome concerns about odors or the feasibility of incorporation.

When the Christensen family moved to a new farming location in southwestern Wisconsin 5 years ago, they took a hard look at the many benefits of no-tilling.

Gregg Orr was skeptical the first time he heard about using an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) for spraying. But after a friend brought an ATV to Orr's 1,200-acre farm for a demonstration, Orr has been sold on ATVs and their multiple uses for his operation.