When it comes to nutrient loss, no-till practices sometimes get the blame. But a study out of Iowa found that tillage also contributes to nutrient runoff.
This week’s edition of Dryland No-Tiller seems to illustrate that it’s never too late for no-tillers to explore new options that can improve the diversity of their farm operations and increase profitability.
Recently I spent some time driving east from Oklahoma to southeastern Missouri to visit some farmers in the Delta region for our magazine. I’ve heard of some soil erosion problems occurring in the Delta, which includes the Bootheel region of southeastern Missouri where corn, popcorn, cotton, soybeans and wheat are popular.
We all know that no-till management can never be a “one-size-fits-all” entity. No-till is just one tool in our growing toolbox to better manage our soils for crop production. It’s certainly one of the best tools, because the master of all plant production — Mother Nature — uses it!
Drought, heat, hot wind, heavy rainfall, flooding and other extreme weather cost the top 10 U.S. agriculture states more than $25 billion the last 5 years, says the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
The latest round of taxpayer funds aimed at the declining Ogallala Aquifer shows why no-tilling, cover crops, precision irrigation and prescription grazing will be extremely important tools for farmers in the years ahead.
Cover crop adoption has been a little slower in parts of the Great Plains, possibly more over fear of the unknown than actual poor outcomes seen by growers. But researchers reviewing decades of cover-crop studies say there are plenty of benefits to covers, whether you farm in the warm southern Plains or cooler prairies of western Canada.
Early termination, inclusion of legume species and a little patience might be what's needed to make green manures and cover crops work in the drier areas of the U.S. without dinging yields and profits.
It looks like the cover-crop movement continues to build steam in the U.S., as growers are seeding them to reduce erosion, fix or scavenge nutrients, improve soil biological activity and the like.
The National No-Tillage Conference returns January 7-10, 2025!Build and refine your no-till system with dozens of new ideas and connections at the 33rd Annual National No-Tillage Conference in Louisville, Ky. Jan. 7-10, 2025. Experience an energizing 4-day agenda featuring inspiring general session speakers, expert-led No-Till Classrooms and collaborative No-Till Roundtables. Plus, Certified Crop Adviser credits will be offered.
Mackane Vogel here at the Acres Eco-Ag Conference and Trade Show in Madison, Wis., and for this week’s segment we are going to toss it off to Gary Zimmer to talk a little bit about his cover crop strategies.