David Hula, who holds with the record corn yield of 476 bushels per acre in the no-till category of the National Corn Growers Association's Corn Yield Contest, will be one of the keynote speakersat the 2016 Manitoba North Dakota Zero Tillage Farmers Association Workshop and Trade Show in Minot, N.D., this week.

The event is Jan. 6-7 at the Grand Hotel.

Hula has no-tilled corn and soybeans continuously since the early His keynote address, titled "A Farmers Hand to Success," is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan 6, and will highlight how it's possible to no-till farm several different crops intensively and achieve high yields while reducing expenses.

Soybeans are seeded directly into untilled soil in North Dakota.

"It is exciting to be part of an industry that is critical to everyone, agriculture, while managing a resource that is equally important to all, our environment," says Hula. "The exchange of ideas with other growers on ways to improve productivity, maintain profitability and preserve the environment is just plain gratifying."

Ray Archuleta, a soil health specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, will be the keynote speaker on Jan. 7. Archuleta has more than 25 years of experience with the NRCS. He has worked in New Mexico, Missouri, Oregon and North Carolina and held positions as a soil conservationist, nutrient and irrigation specialist, water quality project manager and area agronomist. His talk about ways to improve soil health through conservation practices, including use of cover crops and no-till.

"If the soil is the engine of your farm's productivity, it is important to look at what is fueling your soil," says Archuleta.

The theme of the 2016 ManDak Workshop and Trade Show is "Better Yields through Better Soil." Topics of other sessions include no-till basics, crop diversity, nutrient management, climate change and soil health. Question and answer sessions, as well as panel discussions with workshop speakers, industry professionals and producers are also scheduled throughout the two day event.

Registration at the door is $220 person. See mandakzerotill.org for more information

Source: Man-Dak Zero Tillage Farmers Association