John Hart, Associate Editor

January 5, 2015

9 Slides

Rick Morgan, the 2015 High Cotton Winner for the Southeast, is a big advocate for no-till farming. He started 100 percent no-till 10 years ago when he got out of peanuts.

Morgan says no-till provides benefits from both a yield perspective and a conservation perspective. No-till improves soil quality, decreases erosion and reduces moisture loss. It allows Morgan  to burn less fuel, use less equipment and smaller tractors and get his fields planted in less time.

But for Morgan, the bottom line benefit of 100 percent no till is water conversation.

“When you keep your water from running off your field, you also keep your nutrients from running off and you keep your nitrogen where it’s supposed to be. No-till helps us do that so it’s a win-win for everybody.”

Morgan says no-till is a real plus for his non-irrigated land in Corapeake, N.C., just south of the Virginia border.

 

 

About the Author(s)

John Hart

Associate Editor, Southeast Farm Press

John Hart is associate editor of Southeast Farm Press, responsible for coverage in the Carolinas and Virginia. He is based in Raleigh, N.C.

Prior to joining Southeast Farm Press, John was director of news services for the American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington, D.C. He also has experience as an energy journalist. For nine years, John was the owner, editor and publisher of The Rice World, a monthly publication serving the U.S. rice industry.  John also worked in public relations for the USA Rice Council in Houston, Texas and the Cotton Board in Memphis, Tenn. He also has experience as a farm and general assignments reporter for the Monroe, La. News-Star.

John is a native of Lake Charles, La. and is a  graduate of the LSU School of Journalism in Baton Rouge.  At LSU, he served on the staff of The Daily Reveille.

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like