July 2018

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Table of Contents
Table of Contents

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Frank Comments

Covers Keep Weeds in Check

By Frank Lessiter posted on June 9, 2018 | Posted in Cover Crops, Crop Protection, Soil Health

When growers talk about the benefits of cover crops, the talk normally centers around erosion control, keeping nutrients in the field, improving soil quality and trimming fertilizer purchases. More effective weed control is another benefit, and some no-tillers have found cover crops allow them to omit at least one costly herbicide trip across their fields per year.
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Swapping ‘Jugs’ for Cover Crops Leads to Greener No-Till Future

Matt Griggs says embracing biomass in his fields has improved soil tilth and health, stabilized yields, enhanced weed control and produced a better-looking balance sheet.

By John Dobberstein posted on June 9, 2018 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Water Management

When Matt Griggs decided to embark on no-till practices more than a decade ago he was already dealing with a degraded soil resource. More than 100 years of conventional tillage and a monoculture of cotton on his family’s rolling farm ground had caused erosion and stripped soils of organic matter.
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What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Negotiating Challenges and Opportunities When Combining No-Till and Dairy

Cover crops and strategic nutrient-cycling rotations help manage manure, while twin-row cropping tackles late-germinating weeds.

By Kent Stuckey and Martha Mintz posted on June 9, 2018 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops

In the last 10 years I’ve seen no-till declining in my area. I simply don’t understand it, maybe it’s the draw of recreational tillage as we like to call it, but to me it’s just not sustainable in the long run.
Read More

Shop Talk

First Dicamba ‘Ecological Disaster’ Case Appears Headed for Jury Trial

June 9, 2018 | Posted in Equipment

The Federal Judge overseeing the multidistrict litigation for Monsanto’s dicamba-based XtendiMax herbicide with VaporGrip technology and its genetically modified, herbicide-resistant Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybean varieties said a lawsuit by a Missouri farm that alleges Monsanto conspired to create an “ecological disaster” should go to a jury.
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No-Till and Precision ‘Scripting’ Improves Yields from Sandy Soils

Family’s collective inputs help improve soil health through cover crops, nutrient management and yield mapping in Wisconsin’s “Frac Sands” region.

By Mark McNeely posted on June 9, 2018 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Precision Agriculture, Soil Health

In an area of northwestern Wisconsin known for its teeming fracture sand mining industry, no-tiller Jeff Lake, his wife Kelly and son Jake are carving out a successful no-till operation on 1,500 acres of irregularly-shaped, contoured fields.
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Proper Plant Analysis Timing Helps Improve Fertility Plans

Soil tests, tissue samples and in-field nutrient sensors can provide valuable information for a no-tiller’s fertility program, but only if the results and recommendations are accurate.

By Laura Barrera posted on June 9, 2018 | Posted in Nutrient Management

When relying on nutrient recommendations from your soil and plant test results to plan your fertility program, do you know how accurate those recommendations are?
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Making No-Till, Cover Crops Work in the ‘Dust Bowl’

Nick Vos is pushing to overcome moisture challenges on his farm in southwestern Kansas by no-tilling and using covers to recycle available nutrients and keep his sandy soils protected.

By John Dobberstein posted on June 9, 2018 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops, Water Management

When Nick Vos came from South Africa to the U.S. to farm, the transition wasn’t an easy one.
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Holistic Management Can Help Keep U.S. from ‘Desertification’

No-tillers can heal grasslands, improve their soils and farm more profitably by increasing livestock numbers and re-examining their management context, says Allan Savory.

By John Dobberstein posted on June 9, 2018 | Posted in Soil Health

When it comes to threats facing the Earth’s arable lands, a perfect storm is brewing and technology alone won’t be enough to solve it, Allan Savory says.
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New Autonomous Machines to Help No-Tillers Seed, Spray

DOT Technology’s driverless platform enables multiple implement use from a single machine, thereby increasing efficiencies on farms large or small.

By Mark McNeely posted on June 9, 2018 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Equipment, Precision Agriculture

Acceptance of autonomous farm equipment is growing, given its promise of greater efficiencies for both large and small farms.
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Featured Articles

Featured Articles

What I've Learned from No-Tilling

Negotiating Challenges and Opportunities When Combining No-Till and Dairy

Cover crops and strategic nutrient-cycling rotations help manage manure, while twin-row cropping tackles late-germinating weeds.

By Kent Stuckey and Martha Mintz posted on June 9, 2018 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Cover Crops

In the last 10 years I’ve seen no-till declining in my area. I simply don’t understand it, maybe it’s the draw of recreational tillage as we like to call it, but to me it’s just not sustainable in the long run.
Read More

Shop Talk

First Dicamba ‘Ecological Disaster’ Case Appears Headed for Jury Trial

June 9, 2018 | Posted in Equipment

The Federal Judge overseeing the multidistrict litigation for Monsanto’s dicamba-based XtendiMax herbicide with VaporGrip technology and its genetically modified, herbicide-resistant Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybean varieties said a lawsuit by a Missouri farm that alleges Monsanto conspired to create an “ecological disaster” should go to a jury.
Read More

Frank Comments

Covers Keep Weeds in Check

By Frank Lessiter posted on June 9, 2018 | Posted in Cover Crops, Crop Protection, Soil Health

When growers talk about the benefits of cover crops, the talk normally centers around erosion control, keeping nutrients in the field, improving soil quality and trimming fertilizer purchases. More effective weed control is another benefit, and some no-tillers have found cover crops allow them to omit at least one costly herbicide trip across their fields per year.
Read More
Digital Edition

Digital Edition

For Digital Subscribers: Access Your Digital Flipbook of the July 2018 Issue

June 9, 2018

Now view magazine-like digital flipbooks on your desktop and tablet. Starting with 2015 issues, included for FREE with your Digital or Premium subscription, view the magazine on your laptop, tablet, and mobile device.
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Online Extras
Online Extras
Online Extras: July 2018 Issue

June 5, 2018

Web-exclusive content for this issue includes:

Swapping 'Jugs' for Cover Crops Leads to Greener No-Till Future

Proper Plant Analysis Timing Helps Improve Fertility Plans
No-Till Farmer Multimedia
No-Till Farmer’s Best of the Web

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