Whether growers are just looking to tweak their no-till operation or planning for big changes, there will be something for nearly everyone at the 33^rd annual National No-Tillage Conference that kicks off in January.

The full program has been released for the 2025 conference, which is scheduled for Jan. 7-10 in at the Marriott Downtown in Louisville, Ky.

Expect an energetic 4 days of nonstop learning from leading no-tillers, agronomists, researchers and other experts who will be sharing ideas to help you get the most out of your no-till farming system. There will also be plenty of opportunities for hallway networking with the most innovative and forward-thinking minds in agriculture.

With the theme, “Reaching New Heights with No-Till,” the 2025 conference will include 12 impactful general sessions, nearly two-dozen in-depth breakout classrooms and 34 customized roundtable discussions to maximize no-till learning.

Some of the biggest no-till names in the industry are speaking at the event, including Jill Clapperton, Russ Hedrick, Jimmy Emmons, Loran Steinlage, Rick Clark, Dwayne Beck, Kelly Garrett, Thomas Dykstra and Ray McCormick, No-Till Farmer’s 2024 Conservation Ag Operator Fellow.

“We always aim to make this conference the re-charge event for attendees, as it’s a place where they can come together to share ideas, get the low-down on new practices and get some perspective on where modern no-till systems are headed in the future” says John Dobberstein, Senior Editor at No-Till Farmer. “We invite growers to take a look at the full program and see all the opportunities here to better their no-till operation now and in the future.”

Here are some highlights of this year’s blockbuster event: 

* Pre-Conference Workshop -- “No-Till 101: Foundations for a Successful Operation”: No-Till Farmer Conservation Ag Operator Fellow Alum Loran Steinlage and No-Till Innovators Jimmy Emmons (Oklahoma), Adam Daugherty (Tennessee) and Rick Clark (Indiana) will discuss the building blocks for a successful no-till system, no matter your soil conditions or climate. They will break out the whiteboard to address grower questions on everything from planter modifications and residue management to cover crop strategies, planting green and more. Space is limited, reserve a spot at No-TillConference.com.

Jill Clapperton, Harry Young Jr. Memorial Lecture Series — “Going Down the Wormhole of Soil Health”: The world-renowned soil biologist and rhizosphere ecologist and 2-time NNTC Presenter of the Year breaks down the characteristics of healthy soil and goes over the crucial steps to creating and sustaining productive soils in your no-till operation. Learn how to build a strong foundation for healthy, productive soils with no-till.

* Silver Anniversary Lecture, Dwayne Beck — “Learning from the Past to Move No-Till Forward”: The No-Till Innovator and Legend from Pierre, S.D., and longtime farm manager at the Dakota Lakes Research Farm will share observations from a quarter-century of research studies and help growers understand the true cost of erosion and how they can position their no-till operation for no-till success.

* Thomas Dykstra — “Exploring Electrical Conductivity in the Soil”: Armed with a specialization in bio-electromagnetics, Dykstra – back at NNTC by popular request — introduces the concept of electrical conductivity (EC) in the soil as it relates to plants and microbes. Learn how EC impacts soil health and nutrient availability and the EC conditions that some crops — and weeds — prefer to grow in.

* Russ Hedrick – “Capturing Record-Breaking Yields with No-Till and Cover Crops”: The Hickory, N.C., no-tiller shattered the dryland corn yield record with 459 bushels per acre in 2022 and the North Carolina soybean yield record with 117 bushels per acre in 2021. The 2023 NNTC Presenter of the Year returns with new data and details on the specific practices that are propelling him to record-high corn and soybean yields, which, on average, are over 3 times greater than the rest of his county.

* Michael Horsch, Champions and Challengers Lecture – “An Inside Look at Conservation Ag Trends in Europe & What’s Coming Next”: The visionary farmer and his family buck cultural norms on conservation practices to farm 55,000 acres in Germany and the Czech Republic. For the first time ever on the NNTC stage, Horsch brings his unique global perspective on conservation ag and discusses the trends shaping the future of agriculture that could soon find their way to North America.

* Jimmy Emmons, David Brandt Memorial Lecture – “Weatherproofing Your No-Till Farm”: The No-Till Innovator and former NNTC Presenter of the Year walks through how he uses no-till, cover crops and relay cropping to keep every drop of moisture where it falls — all while building soil health on his farm near Leedey, Okla., which averages just 20 inches of rainfall per year.

* Mac Kincaid, “Regenerating Your Profits”: The Jasper, Mo., no-tiller and Soil Health U Young Regenerative Producer of the Year has gone all in on regenerative soil health principles, diversifying his cash crop rotation, integrating livestock and adding cover crops to 100% of his ground. He’ll share an unfiltered look at how he “regenerated” his land, sharing data from on-farm trials to illustrate the true impact of his management decisions.

* Ray McCormick, 2024 Conservation Ag Operator Fellow — “Thinking Outside the Box with Cover Crops & Conservation”: The Vincennes, Ind., No-Till Innovator and Legend shares observations from a challenging growing season, including the impact of cover crops in an extremely wet spring. He’ll also reveal his playbook for seeding cover crops from the combine and details the envelope-pushing experiments planned for 2025.

* Kelly Garrett, "Balancing the Soil & Plant for Higher No-Till Yields": The western Iowa no-tiller's focus on soil conservation, sustainability and innovation has led to multiple first-place finishes in the NCGA High Yield Contest. Garrett is also the first farmer in the U.S. to sell carbon credits to a corporate buyer, and is a Field to Market Farmer of the Year. The 6th generation farmer will detail the money-making principles behind his 100% no-till system and explain why "balancing the soil" is the no. 1 priority on his 7,000-acre farm — and should be for you as well.

NNTC 2025 will also have numerous breakout classroom sessions covering impact topics such as: 

• On-farm experimentation results with strip-till
• Tips for raising 100-bushel soybeans and 300-bushel corn
• Using insects as indicators for plant health
• Lessons learned from 40 years of on-farm no-till research
• Optimizing no-till planters for success
• Drainage solutions for the long haul, and
• Planting green to fight weeds

Additionally, the 29^th class of No-Till Innovators will be recognized at the event: Emmons, Daugherty, Truax Co. and North Jersey Resource Conservation & Development. The award is made possible by Calmer Corn Heads.

Stay at the host hotel, the Louisville Marriott Downtown, for just $159 per night with exclusive attendee-only pricing, by calling (502) 627-5045 — and mention the January 2025 National No-Tillage Conference. Or book your room at NoTillConference.com. Hotel room cut-off is Dec. 13, 2024, or until the allocated room block is sold out.

Title sponsors for the 2025 National No-Tillage Conference are Precision Planting, Ag Leader, Montag Mfg., Martin-Till, Yetter Farm Equipment, Bio-Till Cover Crops, ForGround by Bayer, Copperhead Ag, The Andersons and Horsch.