Researchers from 13 USDA Agricultural Research Service locations, state universities and the U.S. Department of Energy are finishing the second season of field studies in a 5-year project to determine where, when and how much stover can be harvested for ethanol use without harming the soil.

Asian soybean rust finally appeared in the U.S. last season but had little impact after years of warnings about its potential catastrophic effects on soybean yields. That doesn’t mean the researchers were wrong and no-tillers can ignore the threat.

Most U.S no-tillers miss out on the full benefits of no-tilling because they incorrectly believe they must occasionally till for a variety of reasons, says Rolph Derpsch, an internationally respected no-till researcher and advocate from Paraguay.