Progressive leaders in no-till agriculture were honored at the National No-Tillage Conference on Jan. 14, 2005, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Ninth Annual No-Till Innovator Awards, which are sponsored by Syngenta Crop Protection and No-Till Farmer magazine, were presented in four categories: Consulting, Crop Production, Organization and Research and Education.

This year’s winners were chosen for their dedication to the adoption and promotion of no-till and conservation tillage practices. They were selected based on their contributions to no-till farming, regardless of the type of crop grown, brand of equipment or crop protection products used.

The 2004 No-Till Innovators are:

Guy Swanson - Consulting

Spokane, Wash., businessman Guy Swanson found his passion for the conservation industry in 1973. He believes that no-till is a more natural, more productive method of farming that is essential to a bright future. His inventions, design work and technology guidance help growers reap the benefits of no-till. He also has served as an engineer and marketer of important innovations, including the first no-till deep-banding fertilizer placement drills.

The bulk of Swanson’s current consulting work focuses on his Exactrix NH₃ metering system, which allows no-till growers to apply anhydrous ammonia more accurately, with a less than 1 percent variance. This increases yield, reduces NH₃ use up to 40 percent over other pressure-reducing systems, eliminates wasted NH₃ and improves water quality. As a product design consultant, Swanson helped develop several industry-impacting innovations, such as a specialized, high-speed, belted track which led to a movement of non-wheeled machinery that cause less soil compaction.

In addition to consulting, Swanson is a respected entrepreneur, speaker and author. He is a member of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, the American Society of Agronomists and the American Society of Metals.

Randy Schwartz - Crop Production

Great Bend, Kan., farmer Randy Schwartz started no-tilling in 1990 and never looked back. Since then, he has switched to 100 percent no-till for his 3,000 acres of wheat, corn, soybeans, milo, alfalfa and sunflowers, making him a trend-setter in the Barton County area and across the state.

Schwartz combines advanced crop rotation with no-till, making him more productive even with the limited amount of precipitation in his area. He has helped influence a soil conservation movement in Barton County and its surrounding areas. Over the last 15 years, the amount of no-till acres  in the county rose from about 600 to nearly 100,000, and no-till growers now make up about 20 percent of all farmers in his area.

Schwartz also promotes the practice among other growers and helps them succeed. He serves as a board member and has been a past officer for the Golden Belt Residue Management Alliance, the Barton County Conservation District and No-Till on the Plains, of which he also is an executive board member. Through these groups, Schwartz speaks about no-tillage, organizes conferences and hosts field days on local, national and international levels.

The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District - Organization

The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resource District (LENRD), headquartered in Norfolk, Neb., serves all or part of 15 counties in Northeast and Central Nebraska. Its progressive No-Till Incentive Program (NTIP), which offers qualified farmers $10 an acre for up to 160 acres to use no-tillage practices, caught the attention of many local growers, as well as similar agencies in other states.

Over the past five years, the number of program participants grew from 57 to more than 200, with nearly 29,000 acres enrolled. While program officials admit that incentives may have drawn growers in, a recent survey found that the money was the least important reason they continue to use no-till practices. Time, labor and fuel savings ranked No. 1, followed closely by soil erosion and moisture conservation. Not only does the program increase no-till acres, but it also teaches growers the many benefits of conservation tillage.

Representatives of the LENRD also provide two educational meetings for participants each year, and they worked to develop a network for members to share information, resources and advice. Program Coordinator Dan Gillespie and his colleagues speak at various events that promote the practice of no-till farming.

Dan Towery - Research and Education

As the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service natural resources specialist assigned to  the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), located in West Lafayette, Ind., Dan Towery is responsible for the National Crop Residue Management Survey and serves as a trusted resource for growers, media, government officials and others who need information about soil quality and conservation.

Towery attended his first no-till field day 30 years ago, sparking a passion for the production and environmental sides of conservation tillage. Today, he stresses that no-tillage is about crop production systems that improve the bottom line while also protecting the environment.

Towery headed up several key CTIC projects, including a research project looking at the differences in soil quality in continuous no-till systems versus rotational tillage and conventional tillage. In addition, he is helping bring cover crops to the Midwest through an project with the Oregon Ryegrass Commission. He makes time to speak to interested groups, like Wall Street firms, and at special interest, multi-state conferences, including the World Food Summit, the World Bank and Commodity Classic. He also is an active member of several groups, such as the Nature Conservancy.

The 2004 No-Till Innovators were selected by a committee of leaders that represent different aspects of the no-till conservation system. The committee included Frank Lessiter, editor/publisher of No-Till Farmer magazine; Ross Larson, market development manager with Syngenta Crop Protection; Barry Fisher, Putnum County Soil and Water Conservation District, Greencastle, Ind.; Jeff Martin, 2003 award winner, Bluestone Farms, Mt. Pulaski, Ill.; and Bob and Anita Wildermuth of Clinton, Wis.

Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2003 were approximately $6.6 billion. Syngenta employs some 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT).