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Cover Crops Key to Storing More Soil Organic Carbon

No-till practices alone may not sequester as much organic carbon in soil profiles as previously thought, but seeding cover crops could help rebuild it, says University of Illinois researcher Ken Olson.
By John Dobberstein posted on November 18, 2014 | Posted in Soil Health
Ken Olson doesn't dispute that no-till can sequester organic carbon in the soil, or provide numerous other benefits to farmers.
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What I've Learned From No-Tilling: Donning No-Till Armor To Save Soils

Lucas Criswell is pushing his 30-year no-till system another step higher by seeding row crops into taller cover crops and using precision technology to safeguard nutrients and the environment.
By Martha Mintz posted on November 1, 2014 | Posted in Soil Health
I wish I could rewind and start over no-tilling with what I know now. The longer we no-till, the more we learn about what was really happening in our fields as we made the transition, and what we could have done then to take our soils farther, faster.
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What I've Learned From No-Tilling: Bucking The Tillage Trend In An Alpine Desert

No-till practices are saving Colorado grower Billy Burns’ soils, and even helping his fields recover from a tragic herbicide mistake.
By Billy Burns and Martha Mintz posted on September 1, 2014 | Posted in Soil Health
As no-tillers we are definitely an oddity here in the highly productive San Luis Valley of Colorado. While we strive to keep our acres covered and undisturbed, the farmers surrounding us move masses of earth with every crop.
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Dedication To Conservation Changes Soils, Pushes Yields

In the 11 years Mike Werling has been ‘never-tilling’ and using cover crops, organic matter levels climb, yellow clay soils turn blacker and yields steadily increase.
By Laura Barrera posted on August 1, 2014 | Posted in Soil Health
One of the best compliments Mike Werling ever received was a couple of springs ago, when a scientist for the federal government examined a soil pit on one of Werling’s fields.
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‘Spray and Wait’ Is Critical to Tackling Green Bridge Pathogens

While green bridge is a major disease worry in the Pacific Northwest, it’s a problem Midwestern no-tillers should be leery of with certain crop rotations and cover crops.
By Frank Lessiter posted on August 1, 2014 | Posted in Soil Health
Some plant pathologists maintain green bridge is not likely to be a disease concern with the traditional Midwestern corn-and-soybean rotation. But with the expanding growth of cover crops and adoption of other crop rotations, it’s a possible disease worry for Corn Belt no-tillers.
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What I've Learned from No-Tilling: Breaking Through the Plow Pan, Taking No-Till to New Heights

Ralph Upton Jr. didn’t know how his early gamble on no-till and cover crops would pay off, but he’s reaping the rewards for his sustainable investment.
By Ralph Upton and Martha Mintz posted on June 1, 2014 | Posted in Soil Health
If we’re talking cover crops, I could keep a person up all night. Cover crops are truly amazing in what they can accomplish, and the number of different hats they can wear on the farm.
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The National No-Tillage Conference returns January 7-10, 2025! Build and refine your no-till system with dozens of new ideas and connections at the 33rd Annual National No-Tillage Conference in Louisville, Ky. Jan. 7-10, 2025. Experience an energizing 4-day agenda featuring inspiring general session speakers, expert-led No-Till Classrooms and collaborative No-Till Roundtables. Plus, Certified Crop Adviser credits will be offered.

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Ray McCormick’s Conservation Buffer

Ray McCormick’s Conservation Buffer

Earlier this week we paid another visit to this year’s Conservation Ag Operator Fellow, Ray McCormick in Vincennes, Ind., and one thing about Ray is that even when it’s the “off season,” he’s still thinking ahead for next season.
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