Ben Steffen's farm embraced no-till practices nearly 4 decades ago, as he and his late father sought to reduce input costs and erosion and save soil moisture.
But Ben is finding new ways to improve the productivity of the 1,900-acre, row-crop farm and dairy near Humboldt, Neb., through the use of cover crops and more intensive nutrient management.
Steffen’s farm has been 100% no-tilled since the 1970s and he believes his fields held up “surprisingly…