Looking to Cut Back on Costs?

No-Till Farmer says that No-Till may be an excellent way to cut production costs.  If you tried No-Till in the past, but were not satisfied with the results, keep in ind that we now have more tolls than ever to make it work.  My caution would be that if you have never tried No-till, or if it has been a long time, you may want to go slow until you get it all figured out. Start planning to NO-Til next year now.

I am an advocate of frequent soil testing.  If you have not had soils tested in the past year, spring is an excellent time to sample, right after planting. It is important to get calcium, magnesium, and pH levels where they need to be for top yields.

I the past, compaction has been an issue for   No-Tillers.  Figure out if you need to do anything about compaction.  Deep vertical tillage might be helpful.  Cover crops might be helpful.  You need to apply the skills and techniques necessary to make it work on your farm.