Dan Crummett

Conquering Compaction: Why 4 Weeks Without Living Roots is Too Long

Maintaining & fostering soil aggregation is vital to farming soils capable of protecting themselves from management-induced compaction

By Dan Crummett posted on April 8, 2025 | Posted in Cover Crops, Equipment, Soil Health

Brian Dougherty says growers combatting compaction in their fields should realize they have bigger problems than merely compressed soil, and compaction is a symptom of poor soil function.

New Tech Measures Cover Crop Biomass, Weed Fighting Potential

Collaborative study of ‘structure-from-motion’ has shown accurate assessments of cereal rye stands can be made using inexpensive GoPro cameras & sophisticated computer analysis

By Dan Crummett posted on April 7, 2025 | Posted in Cover Crops, Crop Protection, Precision Agriculture

Research into accurately estimating total biomass of standing cover crops from a moving tractor may eventually spawn new ways for strip-tillers to save money on planting rates and herbicide use in row crops.

New Ag Chemical Label Illuminates EPA ‘Mission Creep’ Beyond Environment

The new labeling system looks familiar but may require a second look after roll-out of fledgling federal crop protection registration language

By Dan Crummett posted on February 20, 2025 | Posted in Crop Protection

Until recently, once the EPA issued a registration for various crop protection products, growers and product manufacturers seemed to be on solid ground when they read and followed application rules and regulations published on the official label.

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How a Strip-Tiller Can Save $116,000 Annually with Precision Technology

Conservative assumptions show a first-year 95% ROI on full farm adoption of precision ag tools. Sticker shock may apply, but you can bank returns in year two, says Iowa farmer & dealer.

By Dan Crummett posted on February 10, 2025 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Equipment, Precision Agriculture

Corn and soybean farmer Adam Gittins cautions strip-tillers to control their natural reaction to “sticker shock” when shopping for precision agriculture technology, and to realize the rapid ROI such tools can provide.

Fact Checking Strip-Till Assumptions with Research Data

Years of on-farm trials show even in colder climates, strip-till offers early-season corn planting flexibility, comparable yields & overall reduced operating costs

By Dan Crummett posted on February 4, 2025 | Posted in Strip-Till Farming 101, Equipment, Soil Health

As with any new practice, many growers considering a switch to strip-till for corn and soybeans may question what the eventual payoff will be.

Cover Crops as a Tool to Fight Weeds

While cover crops are useful for suppressing weeds, research finds they don’t stand alone as a tactic in the long-term fight against herbicide resistance

By Dan Crummett posted on January 23, 2025 | Posted in Cover Crops, Crop Protection

While the USDA estimates only about 10% of U.S. cropland is being managed with cover crops for various soil health and weed suppression reasons, recent research across the Corn Belt shows over-wintering cereal crop covers can significantly reduce weed biomass.

Syngenta Provides Third Rail for Corn Rootworm Control

By Dan Crummett posted on January 20, 2025 | Posted in Crop Protection

New tool to boost the efficiency of inserting desirable traits into corn hybrids is key to field successes seen with a proprietary 3 Bt-trait stack in heavy CRW fields.

Tillage On Display Supports Researcher’s Soil Erosion Estimates

By Dan Crummett posted on November 8, 2024 | Posted in Soil Health

Geologist says the effects of tillage should be incorporated into the USDA’s erosion estimates, so the agency's numbers might better align with the 57.6 billion metrictons of soil that the researchers estimate has been lost across the Midwest in the last 160 years.

Long-Term Studies Indicate ‘The More the Merrier’ in Crop Rotations

Studies spanning 60-years of data show farms are more resilient to the vagaries of markets, policy meddling and weather with more diverse crop rotations.

By Dan Crummett posted on October 27, 2024 | Posted in Soil Health

A recent report from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service has some interesting insights on the benefits of crop rotations, but researchers caution the “long view” is needed to fully capitalize on such improvements.

Ripping & Stripping Adds Yield Consistency to Farming in Clay

Longtime no-tillers switch to strip-till & systematic in-line ripping to improve crop performance in their corn, double-crop soybeans & wheat rotation on compacted soils.

By Dan Crummett posted on July 3, 2024 | Posted in Seeding & Planting, Equipment, Nutrient Management

Farming in tight, clay soils in northern Oklahoma where rains can be as fickle as a politician’s promise has made the Schnaithman family confirmed strip-tillers for their corn and soybeans. They’ll be the first to tell you that the Southern Plains are NOT the Corn Belt.

Articles by Dan Crummett

Conquering Compaction: Why 4 Weeks Without Living Roots is Too Long

New Tech Measures Cover Crop Biomass, Weed Fighting Potential

New Ag Chemical Label Illuminates EPA ‘Mission Creep’ Beyond Environment

How a Strip-Tiller Can Save $116,000 Annually with Precision Technology

Fact Checking Strip-Till Assumptions with Research Data

Cover Crops as a Tool to Fight Weeds

Syngenta Provides Third Rail for Corn Rootworm Control

Tillage On Display Supports Researcher’s Soil Erosion Estimates

Long-Term Studies Indicate ‘The More the Merrier’ in Crop Rotations

Ripping & Stripping Adds Yield Consistency to Farming in Clay

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