By Amy Hadachek
Every No-Till seminar or field day seems to bring an opportunity to learn something new, and a field day in Marysville this summer was no exception.
The day started off with something that Kansas farmers would come to long for as the summer progressed – rain. Marysville area residents are among the narrow sliver of northern Kansas that has continued to see good rainfall and harvest good fall crops. The rest of the state has been in dry weather conditions ranging from abnormally dry to exceptional drought.
The slideshow here will let you share some of what the 100 or more farmers attending the event saw and learned.
MORNING RAINBOW
When the sun broke through between showers, a rainbow lit the western sky.
GETTING READY
Kristine Nichols, soil microbiologist with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service Northern Great Plains Lab in Mandan, N.D. prepares for her presentation to the No-Till on the Plains seminar.
THE SOIL PIT
Persistent rain the morning of the event almost cancelled the visit to the soil pit at the Marysville farm of Merle and Kim Holle. But afternoon sunshine dried up the ground sufficiently for the trip. The pit, reflecting 17 years of continuous no-till on the Holle farm, shows better soil structure and less erosion. The Holles say they have also seen increased average yields and reduced labor. Photo by Jana Lindley, No-Till on the Plains.
Kristine Nichols makes her presentation to the group. Nichols makes several presentations a year, helping teach agricultural producers about the agronomic and economic benefits of no-till practices.
SHARING IDEAS
Two young Kansas take time to share ideas on the lunch line. Marcus Baumgartner of Bern, said he plants wheat in rotation. Adam Dressman of Frankfort, farms about 1200 acres of corn and beans and said he came to the seminar to learn more about cover crops. He said he had never tried cover crops but was interested in radishes.
RAPT ATTENTION
Paying close attention to the presentations are John Durst, Morroville, left, John Stigge of Washington and Luke Bott, Washington.
COVER CROP
A cover crop is growing on heavy residue on the Holle Farm in Marysville. Photo by Jana Lindley, No-Till on the Plains.
HANDS-ON
Paul Jasas, a University of Nebraska Extension Engineer, shows a video that details how hands-on experimentation can prove the value of no-till in stopping erosion.