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Neighbors best source for no-till informationNebraska The best time to start switching to a no-till system is now, said a University of Nebraska-Lincoln engineer. Now is the time for producers to gather information so they're ready to distribute crop residues during fall harvest, said Extension engineer Paul Jasa. Neighbors who have already made the switch can tell them about the pitfalls they encountered and how to overcome them, he said. The first step in switching to a no-till operation is to spread crop residues during harvest, Jasa said. Evenly distributed residue makes spring planting much easier. If the combine doesn't have a spreader, adding one may be a cost of switching. Planting depth can be affected by crop residues, Jasa said. The depth gauge can ride on the residue so the seed appears to be going in deeper than it really is. If there's a half-inch of residue on the field, be sure to adjust accordingly. Sometimes the planter will not readily penetrate the residue, Jasa cautioned. In that event, producers may add weight to their planters. By adding some down pressure springs, producers can assure that the planter cuts through the layer of residue. By far the greatest concern in no-till is staying ahead of weeds, Jasa said. "If your neighbor is out cultivating, you should be spraying herbicide," he said. He advised scouting the fields often and making sure weeds don't get out of control. "There is no herbicide label that says to use more if you have residue on your fields," Jasa said, "so the cost of weed control is about the same for no-till as it is for conventional tillage." For more information about no-till, producers can consult their local Extension office. For online help, go to http://www.ianr.unl.edu and search for no-till. 10/13/08 Date: 10/3/08
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