While growers were moving toward no-tilled soybeans in a big way during the 1990s, no-tilled corn acres remained somewhat flat. Many farmers feared problems when they tried to no-till corn into cold, wet ground covered with residue. As a result, strip-till soon emerged as a compromise.

While the use of autonomous machinery is still in its infancy, it will ultimately have a major impact on the structure of the agriculture industry, according to Scott Shearer, chair of the department of food, agricultural and biological engineering at Ohio State University.

In-crop applications of manure make the best use of the manure’s nitrogen content for crop uptake, but preplant applications of manure can work almost as well as in-crop manure application. Ohio State University offers some tips for spring manure application.