Stopping soil erosion was the driving force behind the Sylling family’s decision to switch to no-till more than two decades ago. At the time, brothers Myron and Mikal farmed in partnership with their father, Karl, on a corn-and-soybean farm in the hilly country of southeastern Minnesota, near Spring Grove.
Farmers usually plant cover crops after harvesting their main crop. This prevents erosion of the soil and nutrient leaching. The roots of these crops also stabilize the structure of the soil. It had been assumed that a mixture of different cover crops would result in particularly intensive rooting.
Initial findings across over 2,400 acres in Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska demonstrate positive trends for the implementation of cover crops at field scale as compared to conventional management practices.
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.
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.