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NO-TILL ON THE PLAINS WHIRLWIND EXPO NOVEMBER 3 IN MARIONCOUNTY

No-till on the Plains, Inc. will host a no-till field day for producers to gain a better understanding of the importance of soil health by utilizing continuous no‐till  cropping

Systems and cover crops. Members of the media and the general public are also invited. This event is being sponsored by the Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams, the Marion

Reservoir WRAPS project and the Marion county Farm Bureau Association. No-till on the Plains is pleased to offer this high‐quality educational event to all interested producers.

The Whirlwind No‐till Expo will take place on Monday November 3, beginning promptly at 8:30 a.m. at the MarionCommunity Center, 203 N. 3td St..  The day will begin with a Rainfall Simulator demonstration followed by a tour of local fields utilizing various cover crops. The highlight of the morning features a soil pit where participants can examine soil characteristics in both long‐term no‐till and conventional till environments. Lunch will be provided at the MarionCommunity Center, followed by a full afternoon of knowledgeable speakers. A $20 registration fee is required for attendance.

Featured speakers are University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Extension Engineer Paul Jasa who is a great source of information in the Midwest on no‐till planting equipment and system management. Greg Scott, professional soil scientist and soils expert from Tryon, Oklahoma. Star Seed agronomist and cover crop expert Dale Strickler. Continuous no-till producers Ryan Speer from Halstead, Kansas and Josh Lloyd from Oak Hill, Kansas will present information about their operations, cropping rotations, including how they use cover crops for soil health and weed control.

No‐till farming systems offer several advantages to producers willing to implement the system. Fewer trips across fields without tillage passes will reduce fuel costs. Increasing crops in rotations will break weed and insect pest cycles. Increased crop residue and root systems will increase soil organic matter and microbiological activity, thereby increasing the productiveness and fertility of the soil. Implemented in a site‐specific systems approach, no‐till will, over time, outperform conventional tillage.

Each year No‐till on the Plains hosts field days, bus tours and the annual Winter Conference for producers to gain valuable no‐till information. “We’re striving to meet our mission to be a primary resource for no-till information and a support network for producers”, says Ryan Speer, No-till on the Plains President.

For more information on the Whirlwind No‐till Expo or to pre‐register by October 31, contact No‐till on the Plains, Inc. at 785‐210‐4525 or register online at www.notill.org