Sometimes the best plan in strip-till is to plan for the unexpected. This is a philosophy Jerry Baysinger knows well after almost 20 years of strip-tilling.

There has been a great deal of interest in recent months in the idea of using nitrogen fertilizer during the growing season to increase soybean yields.

Because of the dramatic swings in air temperature that we've experienced already this spring, we've received a few questions about the effect of air temperatures on our spring burndown applications. Specifically, most people are asking, "When is it too cold to apply a burndown herbicide?" and "What are the conditions that lead to poor weed control following a burndown herbicide application?"

Pop-up fertilizers are commonly used in some corn growing areas in the country.

Crop residue serves an important role in physically protecting soil by preventing soil erosion during rain events or high winds.

Manure is a valuable asset to livestock farmers who grow crops. It provides nutrients - nitrogen, phosphorus and potash - and helps maintain or increase soil health.

Manure is a valuable asset to livestock farmers who grow crops. It provides nutrients - nitrogen, phosphorus and potash - and helps maintain or increase soil health.

Many producers could benefit by using starter fertilizer when planting corn. Starter fertilizer is simply the placement of some fertilizer, usually nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), near the seed - which "jump starts" growth in the spring.

The keys to maximizing the economic returns from phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizer applications are a comprehensive soil testing program and maintaining P and K soil test levels above their respective critical levels.

Streator, Ill., strip-tiller Larry Tombaugh has enjoyed his share of rewards that come with the risk of experimenting with fertilizer application.