Frost Seeding Clover

Over a year on the farm, the planting, growing, and harvest seasons are usually the stars of the show and command most of the attention of any casual observer. Less flashy but equally important, though, is the planning and maintenance season — the winter period between harvest and planting. It’s often the decisions and prep work that happens over winter that makes the road to spring that much smoother and a successful crop season more likely.

From the use of poultry litter in corn production to controlling soil-borne diseases like red crown rot in soybeans, the 33rd Milan No-Till Crop Production Field Day on Thursday, July 25, covered a wide spectrum of agronomic topics and delivered on the high expectations of this time-honored event for providing cutting-edge and useful farming content.

From the ancient Mesopotamians three millennia ago to the 19th century German scientist, Justus von Leibig, to the introduction of the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service in 1914, the science and technology of soil sampling has continued to evolve. The ancients recognized the role of fertile ground in successful harvests, Leibig developed the groundwork for modern soil science, and the Extension Service made the process available to any U.S. farmer.