The formula to success never stays the same. “I’m still learning every year, I’ll be learning forever,” Gene Holt says, but the utilization of cover crops is a key part of it. The Holts began planting covers almost a decade ago, mainly for two reasons: grazing and wildlife.
In January 2020, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released data documenting the nation’s agricultural outputs, inputs and total farm factor productivity. The research shows a steady increase in total agricultural output from 1948 to 2017, with no increase in farm inputs over the same period.
Through improvements to his implement guidance and air seeder setup, Chapin, Ill., farmer John Werries finds the cure for cover crop overgrowth and accuracy missteps.
John Werries, his son Dean, and one employee are no strangers to making adjustments year-to-year to combat the unpredictable conditions of their Chapin, Ill., operation of no-tilled beans and strip-tilled corn.
Strip-till counteracts prolonged drought conditions on a 17,000-acre operation, reduces fuel and labor costs by $80 per acre while producing 275 bushel corn yields.
During California's devastating 2012-15 drought, many Central Valley growers depending on surface water to irrigate crops were forced to cut planted acres — and potential income — by up to 50%.
Every farmer has certain aspects of the business that they just click with. Some producers are really into agronomy; some enjoy going deep on the financial side of the business; while for others, it's all about equipment.
Since beginning as a 160-acre Grade A dairy in 1926, there’s been a lot of change and adaptation made at Moench Farms near Agua Dulce in the Texas Coastal Plain west of Corpus Christi.
From implementing shredding corn heads to running an extra vertical tillage pass, strip-tillers employ a number of different techniques to deal with heavy residue on continuous corn.
The Isley family has improved water retention by planting annual ryegrass into standing corn and seeding annual ryegrass and rapeseed prior to strip-tilling.
In 2012, the Isley family took a firm dislike to using the word “dirt.” They had gone through a substantial drought and were working ground, watching it turn to powder.
Jeff Duling's creativity is on full display in this video, as the longtime strip-tiller explains how he uses an old feed grinder to blend cover crop seeds.
Some cover crop species, such as oilseed radish or fall-planted oats, are likely to be killed by freezing over the winter. But, many cover crops will need to be terminated by mechanical or chemical methods in the spring.
Strip-Till Farmer delivers a mix of features on strip-till farmers, strip-till management topics and trending practices in strip-till. This FREE quarterly print newsletter is available to qualified subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.
On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Montag Manufacturing, growers from across the U.S. share their predictions for the upcoming planting season, including one no-tiller who’s “bullish” about a great spring.
Montag products have proven results with patented precision metering application for significant savings of nutrients and cover crop seed, and for achieving best conservation practices.
Environmental Tillage Systems is a leading manufacturer of strip-till and nutrient-management equipment which enhances soil productivity and farm profitability.
Kuhn Krause's focus, above all, is to continue to produce quality products to serve producers better; to strive to respond to their needs with new tools and new technology to meet their growing challenges. Agronomic practices are constantly changing, and at a faster pace now than ever.