Cover Crops

No-Tiller Plants Entire Corn Crop with Driverless Tractor

nnewman@lessitermedia.com — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0400

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Titan International, we catch up with young Kentucky no-tiller Quint Pottinger to see how he autonomously planted his entire crop in 2026.

[Video] Action-Packed Strip-Till Field: Corn, Triticale, Cover Crops, Twins Rows & Autonomy

nnewman@lessitermedia.com — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0400

2026 Strip-Till Innovator Robert Boyle gives us the rundown on one of his more complex strip-tilled fields in Coolidge, Ariz. Boyle harvested triticale, oats, peas, vetch, clovers and kale for silage in mid-February, then strip-tilled corn into it.

White, Purple, Yellow, Silver, Green: Explaining the Many Colors of Early Season Corn

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

This article highlights several of the most common color differences observed in young corn plants, explains the underlying causes behind these symptoms, and discusses their potential implications for early-season corn growth and development.

Cover Crops, Strip-Till Spark Desert Soil Revival

nnewman@lessitermedia.com — Fri, 29 May 2026 08:00:00 -0400

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Titan International, we pay a visit to Strip-Till Innovator Robert Boyle’s farm in Coolidge, Ariz., for an up-close look at how he’s transforming his soils with cover crops and diverse rotations.

Strip-Till & Cover Crops Bring Soil Back to Life in Dry Country

nnewman@lessitermedia.com — Thu, 28 May 2026 12:00:00 -0400

“For the first shovel out of the ground to find an earthworm, that’s just unheard of in Arizona,” Robert Boyle says. Managing editor Noah Newman shares more observations from his visit with the Strip-Till Innovator in Coolidge, Ariz.

NRCS Chief Talks Goals for Agency as Ag Tech Evolves

jdobberstein@lesspub.com — Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Buckley told No-Till Farmer Tuesday he will continue pushing to modernize the tools farmers have available through the NRCS and ensure the agency “gets back to basics” helping them succeed with their conservation goals.

Young Farmer Saves Soil, Crushes Weeds with Strip-Till & Rye

Tue, 19 May 2026 01:00:00 -0400

Over in Mt. Sterling, Ill., young farmer Wade Yingling and his dad, Bruce, are capturing success with strip-till and cover crops, with a little vertical tillage mixed in as well.

Farmers Slash Inputs by $170 Per Acre with No-Till & ‘Neighborly Grazing’

nnewman@lessitermedia.com — Fri, 15 May 2026 01:00:00 -0400

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Titan International, Latimer, Iowa no-tillers Landon and Anne Plagge describe the soil health practices that propelled them to the 2025 Leopold Conservation Award, including a unique cover crop grazing system.

How Do Full-Season Cover Crops Affect Insect Populations?

Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

A 2025 study in eastern Nebraska found higher insect abundance and diversity in cover crop areas compared to adjacent seed corn, including both beneficial species and potential pests.

New Program Incentivizes & Promotes Strip-Till Adoption in Michigan

nnewman@lessitermedia.com — Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The Accessing Subsidized Strip-Till Equipment Trial (ASSET) program offers farmers about $52 per acre if fully enrolled — $32.60 per acre for cover crops and $19.32 per acre for strip-till.

Forage Matters: Cover Crops, Grazing & Nitrogen Fixation

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Legumes do have the ability, when conditions are right, to fix large amounts of nitrogen, no doubt about that. To capture the most of that fixed nitrogen, the legume should be cycled back into the soil through plant decay or by grazing and cycling through the animal and back to the soil.

Farmers Share Key Takeaways from Feed in Focus Sustainability Program

nnewman@lessitermedia.com — Sat, 02 May 2026 14:09:00 -0400

The program has engaged 43 farmers in Idaho, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, covering 50,000 acres and 43,000 cows so far.

‘Most Innovative Folks You’ll Find’ Gathering at 2026 Strip-Till Conference

nnewman@lessitermedia.com — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

“The networking is one of the things I love most about the Strip-Till Conference,” says Zack Smith, who strip-tills in Lake Mills, Iowa. “The farmers attending this conference are some of the most innovative folks you’re going to find."

Choose-Your-Own Tour Brings Strip-Till, Conservation to Life

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Farmers explored a range of conservation practices, from drainage water recycling and oxbow restoration to strip-till and cover crops during a choose-your-own-adventure field tour designed to bring real-world solutions to life across western Iowa last week.

Relay Cropping, New No-Till Drill Among Early #Plant26 Highlights

nnewman@lessitermedia.com — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:00:00 -0400

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Titan International, we share some #Plant26 highlights from across the U.S., including a young strip-tiller in Nebraska, a cutting-edge no-till drill in Pennsylvania and an innovative intercropping system in Indiana.

Pay Close Attention to In-Season Nitrogen Timing in Corn Following Cereal Rye

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Cereal rye establishes and grows very well across many conditions, but this also means it produces quite a bit of carbon, and also takes up quite a bit of nitrogen from the soil without releasing it timely, even when terminated multiple weeks before planting.

No-Till, Strip-Till and Cover Crops Research Journal - April 2026

lessitef@lesspub.com — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:00 -0400

In this edition:

Conservation Agriculture: Helping to Return to Within Planetary Boundaries
Soil Structure Changes Under Reduced Tillage and Cover Cropping Enhance Carbon Mineralization in Mediterranean Croplands
Cover Cropping Increases the Abundance of Mycorrhizal and Endophytic Fungi Structures Associated with Ecosystem Functioning
Conservation Agriculture: A Review of Plant Residue use with Zero Tillage and Crop Rotation
Unlocking Climate Resilience by Exploring the Mitigation Potential of Improved Rotation with Cover Cropping

Strip-Till Family Builds Winning Formula for 300-Bushel Yields

nnewman@lessitermedia.com — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

“We’ve been doing high-yield plots for about 6 years now,” Mark Schleisman says. “Every year, we try something new and learn what we can do across all our acres. Some things work and some don’t.”

Strip Cropping Corn with Livestock Pasture Raises Yields, Profits

mpaukner@lessitermedia.com — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Strip-tiller devises mobile grazing system that guides livestock down cover-cropped strips between corn.

[Video] Strip-Till Innovator Experiments with Cover Crops

nnewman@lessitermedia.com — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0400

This video comes to us from our good friend Chris Perkins in Otwell, Ind. When Noah Newman visited the Strip-Till Innovator a couple years ago, he wasn’t using cover crops. But Chris is an innovator because he’s always willing to try new things. Fast forward to 2026, he’s giving cover crops a try.

Strip-Till Highlights: March 24, 2026

nnewman@lessitermedia.com — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

This Week's Lineup:

Using Insects as Indicators for Strip-Till Crop Health
First Look at 2026 Strip-Till Conference Program
Lower Nitrogen Rates Show Promise for Minnesota Strip-Tillers
Dave Hula & Randy Dowdy Share Tips for Improving Profitability
Lord of the Rings Quote Represents Strip-Till Farmer Audience Well

Best of the Web This Week is brought to you by Yetter Farm Equipment.

'Most Innovative Folks You’ll Find' … What to Expect at 2026 National Strip-Tillage Conference

nnewman@lessitermedia.com — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Managing editor Noah Newman checks in from Strip-Till Farmer headquarters with a big announcement about the 2026 National Strip-Tillage Conference program.

Syngenta Pulling the Plug on Paraquat Production

jdobberstein@lesspub.com — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:34:07 -0400

Production will be phased out at Syngenta’s Huddersfield, U.K., site, the company’s only manufacturing facility for the active ingredient globally. A small scale, multi-product production unit at the site will also close.

No-Till, Strip-Till and Cover Crops Research Journal - March 2026

lessitef@lesspub.com — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0400

In this edition:

Sixty years of crop diversification with perennials improves yields more than no-tillage in Ohio grain cropping systems
Conservation Tillage Practices on GHG Emissions, Soil Health and Overall Agricultural Sustainability
Long-term continuous no-till corn-soybean systems: Examining soil carbon sequestration and nitrogen accumulation across various pools
Assessing the agricultural, environmental, and economic effects of crop diversity management: A comprehensive review on crop rotation and cover crop practices
Cover Crops Optimize Soil Fertility and Soybean Productivity in the Cerrado of MATOPIBA, Brazil
Short-term no-tillage improves soil water retention and maintains soil aeration at high moisture conditions despite reduced macroporosity
Tillage Radish as Cover Crop Improves Soil Health Indicators Depending on Pedoclimatic Conditions.

No-Till, Strip-Till and Cover Crops Research Journal - February 2026

lessitef@lesspub.com — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In this edition:

Can no-tillage and crop diversification sustain nutrient stocks in acidic and poorly-fertilized soils? Evidence from 32 years of real-world agricultural management in Paraguay.
The key role of local and global farmer networks in the development of conservation agriculture in California.
Mega-analysis of no-tillage and reduced tillage impacts on crop yields and greenhouse gas emissions.
Beyond the buzz: analyzing actors promoting regenerative agriculture in Europe.

Cover Crop Business Accelerator Opens Applications for 2026

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Now in its seventh year, the program helps new and established cover crop businesses expand to meet rising farmer demand for cover crop seed and application.

Illinois Soybean Study Compares Strip-Till, No-Till & Conventional Systems

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The study evaluated four management systems: conventional tillage, fall strip-till, no-till, and no-till with a cereal rye cover crop.

New Formats, In-Depth Focus Spearhead Energetic NNTC

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Strip-tillers, no-tillers are tackling industry challenges with a renewed focus on soil health, precision technologies & labor-saving efficiencies to enhance the bottom line

Strip-Till Switch Provides 20-Bushel Wake-Up Call

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

"I was nervous about strip-tilling at first, but corn planting went seamlessly. Harvest really clinched the deal. I saw a 20-bushel yield advantage that I credit almost entirely to the placement of the fertilizer," says Scott Huso.

10 Ways to Build a Profitable Strip-Till System Without Deep Pockets

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

First-generation farmer says a calculator is one of the most important tools to boost ROI & he has the numbers to prove it