Published articles
Silicon Solutions
Helping plants to help themselves.
How No-Till Improves Your Land Value
The landowner-tenant relationship will be forever fraught. 19th-Century humorist Ambrose Bierce once wrote that Ireland was fairly divided between tenants and landowners. Tenants, Bierce wrote, “have all the ire, while they (landowners) have all the land.”
Biology of Soil Compaction Leading Edge
An assessment of in-field nutrient best management practices for agricultural crop systems with subsurface drainage
Conservation practices that reduce nutrient runoff and sediment are highlighted in this journal article. Jim Hoorman was the main author on the cover crops and no-till section but was overruled on several comments by the other authors. As a government employee at the time, I did my best; however as an independent consultant, I will do better.
Integrating Cover Crops into Soybeans: Challenges for the North Central Region
This 30-page article interviews both conventional farmers and farmers using no-till and cover crops and the challenges they face making their tillage system work in the North Central Region.
Converting to No-till using Cover Crops
In the Crops and Soils article (pg 9-13) in Nov/Dec 2013, the authors discuss how cover crops make the transition to no-till occur faster due to the improvement in soil structure, soil porosity, and aggregate formation due to live roots.
A Farmer Survey of P Issues
A total of 133 farmers were surveyed at the Conservation Tillage Conference in 2013 about phosphorus issues including management, knowledge and attitudes.
Eco Farming: Improving Nutrient Efficiency
Using Ecological (ECO Farming) Systems to Suppress Agricultural Pests
Ohio Phosphorus Research and the Role of Cover Crops and No-till
ECO Farming in the 21st Century: Improving Farm Profitability and the Environment
Soil Health Educational Resources
Three Soil Demonstrations