Uncover the latest information on different species of cover crops and their benefits; tips on the equipment used to seed them; and how strip-tillers are using covers on their farm operation to improve their strip-till systems.
“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.
"I always joke that I'm in the capital city of 'it don't work here,'" says Jon Stevens, who has proven the naysayers wrong in the rocky soils of Rock Creek, Minn., with his implementation of strip-till, livestock and diverse crop rotations.
Russell Hedrick noticed that late-season fertility uptake was being limited by inadequate moisture availability in his soil. He solved that problem in 2023 by attaching a deep-banding fertilizer bar with Yetter 2996 20-inch coulters to his planter.
Andrew Focht is still trying to figure out the best fertilizer rates for his farm, but his goals are clear. He wants to slash his fertilizer bill by 25% and use only 0.8 pounds of N per bushel, which is about 0.3-0.4 pounds less than he’s used in years past.
No one can control the weather, but farmers can adjust their management practices to reduce the risks. A logical first step is to reduce the number of tillage passes, especially in fields adjacent to busy highways, to begin moving toward conservation tillage.
Here are over 40 actionable ideas, tips and observations from the most recent roundtable discussions at the National Strip-Tillage and No-Tillage Conferences.
It’s that time once again to see how your farm stacks up to others with our 12th annual Strip-Till Operational Benchmark Study. Since the industry-first survey launched in 2013, your average strip-tilled corn yields have gone up — from 184 to 205 — and so have our questions — from 30 to over 130!
Take one look at Alan Madison’s office wall — covered with high-yield contest plaques, awards and honors — and you can immediately tell he’s been on the cutting edge of conservation ag for quite some time.
The 12th Strip-Till Operational Benchmark Study analyzes yields, planting practices & in-season management strategies of hundreds of U.S. strip-tillers. This highly anticipated Strip-Till Farmer 16-page special report provides you with a benchmark to measure your own operation against and some insight about how to improve your own efficiency with some of these practices.
The 11th Strip-Till Operational Benchmark Study analyzes yields, planting practices & in-season management strategies of hundreds of U.S. strip-tillers. This highly anticipated Strip-Till Farmer 16-page special report provides you with a benchmark to measure your own operation against and some insight about how to improve your own efficiency with some of these practices.
With this 16-page, newly-released Nutrient Management report, you’ll discover how to energize your fertility plans with sugars, how in-season variable rate applications can boost your bottom line and yields, and how to adjust inputs through management zones to achieve 250-bushel average corn & 75-bushel average soybean yields. A must-read!
The editors of Cover Crop Strategies and No-Till Farmer created this 24-page special report to share ideas on getting covers established, using a roller-crimper for termination, successfully integrating livestock into a cover-crop system and using covers to transition away from an overdependence on herbicides and fertilizers. View
With this 16-page, newly-released edition of Cover Crop Strategies, you’ll discover how many graziers realize profitable returns from using cover as high- quality forage. Read how cover crop rotation paired with a grazing system completes a no-tiller’s holy grail of soil health. You’ll also hear from the late cover crop expert Dave Brandt as he discusses his best practices for getting the most out of cover crops.
Take a systems approach to weed management with this 24-page report. Discover how-to tips and information on killing five of the most infamous weeds you face today, as well as proper tank-mixing strategies and rules to follow using new herbicide formulations like dicamba.
This 3-report package offers a trifecta of top-notch reports exploring the most critical cover cropping information you need to know. You'll learn the newest cover cropping options, explained in easy-to-understand terms so you can put them into practice immediately. View
Constantly evaluating the form, rates and placement of nutrients can make the difference between profitability and not farming at all. This is a philosophy that strip-tiller Donn Branton and his son, Chad, subscribe to on their 1,500-acre operation in LeRoy, N.Y., since adopting the strip-tillage more than 12 years ago. Deep placement of fertilizer, multiple nitrogen applications and nutrient management trials have contributed to a 40-bushelper-acre boost in some corn fields. “Every decision we make on the farm is an investment,” Branton says. “We’ve stuck with strip-till, cover crops and other practices because they improve our soil, yields, the environment and our bottom line.” Branton will share results of on-farm nutrient management experimentation and detail his strategies for improving your yields and soil health with a conservation-minded fertility program.
For the last 10 years, Woodville, Ont., strip-tiller Dustin Mulock has been building and refining a combination no-till/strip-till system. Integrating different pieces of equipment, fertility methods and cover crops put him on a productive path to bio strip-till. This approach complements his twin-row, strip-till setup for corn and soybeans and has helped increase yields by 25%, while also naturally building nutrient levels in his mostly sandy loam soil. Mulock will detail the development and results of his bio strip-till system, to include fertilizer application equipment modifications and experimentation with more than a dozen different cover crop species.
Incorporating cover crops in strip-till is an increasingly popular part of a comprehensive system. But selecting the most beneficial varieties or mixes along with the most practical seeding methods can be a challenge. Clare, Ill., strip-tiller Trent Sanderson has utilized cover crops for several years on his family’s 2,000-acre operation, and recently started his own cover-crop seed dealership. He will discuss the soil and nutrient retention benefits of his experimentation with cover cropping methods in strip-till to include interseeding cereal rye with a homemade machine.
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 Yetter Farm Equipment, we’re headed inside CTIC’s Conservation in Action Tour in Sioux Falls, S.D., where a pair of conservation ag legends were inducted into the CTIC Hall of Fame.
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.
For over 90 years, Yetter Farm Equipment has designed and manufactured innovative and effective solutions for the agriculture industry. Today, we are proud to be recognized worldwide as an industry leader in designing row cleaners, strip till tools, planter attachments, precision fertilizer placement attachments, rotary hoes, toolbars, and harvest attachments.