With nitrogen (N) prices on the rise, farmers are investigating alternative ways to ensure their crops get the nutrients they need. One solution is applying manure to cover crops.
When Dusty Sonnenberg’s not running his Tye no-till drill or Orthman strip-till unit, he’s pounding pavement across the Buckeye State as a broadcaster for the Ohio Ag Net.
In a unique approach to growing organic corn, Indiana farmer Jason Federer is relying on an alfalfa-clover cover crop for both weed control and nutrient management.
Organic crop production doesn’t often go hand-in-hand with reduced tillage because of the need to use field cultivation to get rid of weeds. But Wolcott, Ind., grower Jason Federer is integrating reduced tillage with organic methods to improve soil health and buffer the environmental impacts of his 4,000-acre operation.
Strip-tillers Jon Stevens of Rock Creek, Minn., Ryan Nell of Beaver Dam, Wis., and Ryan Shaw of Snover, Mich., fielded questions about their usage of cover crops during a panel discussion at the 2022 National Strip-Tillage Conference.
Although he credits his time as a crop advisor for teaching him a lot about farming, Jeff Duling learned almost everything he knows about conservation practices from his dad, Bob, a true no-till pioneer.
Strip-tillers Jon Stevens of Rock Creek, Minn., Ryan Nell of Beaver Dam, Wis., and Ryan Shaw of Snover, Mich., share their approach to the 2023 growing season during a panel discussion at the 2022 National Strip-Tillage Conference.
Cover crops reduce sediment loss and total phosphorus loss from no-till corn and soybean fields, according to a study published in the Journal of Environmental Management.
The Greens started no-tilling soybeans almost 25 years ago but continued to conventionally till corn up until 2019 when Kris fully transitioned to strip-till with corn. The conservation practices are helping to solve their two biggest challenges — soil erosion and labor shortages.
"I’m a chronic malcontent, especially when it comes to our farm. If something becomes status quo, if it becomes something that everybody else is doing and we are not questioning it anymore, I start to look at it and pick at it and change it."
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Independent on-farm researcher Marion Calmer checks in from Alpha, Ill., with a preview of his 2024 National Strip-Tillage Conference presentation, “Did Strip-Till Solve My Nutrient Stratification Problems?”
Over the last 5 years, Calmer has been examining fertility levels vertically in his soil profile. This inch-by-inch examination uncovered a serious nutrient stratification problem on his farm that was costing him up to $135,000 annually. The No-Till Legend switched back to strip-till in 2023 for the first time since 1995 in an effort to solve his nutrient stratification problems.
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.