Hosted by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), the tour included a visit to Ryan and Christina Larson’s 1,000-acre strip-till and no-till operation in Garretson, S.D., near the southwestern Minnesota border.

Ray Flickner’s use of cutting-edge technologies and management practices to conserve water and boost soil health — and willingness to put everything under a microscope for all to see — makes him more than worthy of the 2025 Strip-Till Innovator Award.

I received an email from a farmer on the East Coast whose switch from no-till to strip-till hit a snag. He’s not failing, but he’s not seeing the immediate return on investment (ROI) he was hoping for.

Third-generation farmer solves erosion problems with strip-till & cover crops

While continuous corn with cereal rye offers benefits to a livestock producer in terms of feed supplementation, it does not fully replace the advantages of a longer, diversified crop rotation, Michigan State University Extension explains.

Technology Editor Noah Newman checks in from Iowa City with a preview of the 2025 National Strip-Tillage Conference, including exclusive insights from speakers on the program, a tour of the hotel and surrounding area, and a 1-on-1 interview with Iowa State’s Rebecca Vittetoe for a look at the pre-conference Strip-Till Field Day.

“When you approach the rootworm as just a problem that has to be solved, you’re not taking into account the animal’s biology,” Ann Marie Journey says. “You’re hitting it just at certain points or with certain methods or controls, and you’re not allowing yourself in effect to have a conversation to gain insight back from the rootworms about what it is that makes them successful in any given place."

Alyssa Essman, assistant professor in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at Ohio State University, has been researching integrated weed management strategies and how cover crops can be used to supplement conventional herbicide programs.

Daniel H. Smith, nutrient and pest management program manager for the Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, checks in from the Lancaster Agricultural Research station with details from a 6-year study.