Syngenta Crop Protection and No-Till Farmer magazine honored the cream of the crop in no-till agriculture Jan. 12 at the 15th Annual National No-Tillage Conference in Des Moines. The annual No-Till Innovator Awards recognized achievements in: Consulting, Crop Production, Organization and Research and Education.

Winners were chosen for their dedication to the adoption and promotion of conservation tillage practices, regardless of the type of crop grown, brand of equipment or products used. The 2006 No-Till Innovators are:

Karl Kroeck – Consulting

Karl Kroeck of Knoxville, Penn., discovered his passion for no-till farming in 1965. Today, he works as a seeds sales representative for Pioneer Seeds and helps manage 50,000 acres, while continuing to farm his own 1,500 acres of no-till corn, soybeans, wheat and oats.

Because of his broad experience, Kroeck is called upon regularly to serve as an advisor by other growers in the area. He hosts an annual field day featuring guest speakers, demonstrations and plot tours for several local crop input and equipment dealers. He also helps organize an annual planting and tillage seminar, which recently saw a sharp increase in interest and attendance as the focus became more centered on no-till.

In addition, Kroeck is the president of the Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance. He also donates his time to several groups and organizations, serving as bank director, township supervisor, and with the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program, Tioga County Farm Bureau and Tioga County Development Corporation.

Joe Breker – Crop Production

Havana, N.D., grower Joe Breker began no-tilling with his family in the late 1970s and has come to be a respected leader in no-till farming. As a student at North Dakota State University, he explored zero tillage and brought these new farming techniques home. Today, Breker farms 2,700 acres of no-till wheat, corn, soybeans, flax and field peas.

In 2000, Breker and several colleagues were awarded a five-year, $70,000-per-year grant to fund a special no-till crop production farm, known as the Conservation Cropping Systems Project. The real world research farm and outdoor classroom employs conservation tillage practices, produces field data and serves as a forum through annual field days and other various events. In addition to continuing grant money, Breker and his colleagues have raised more than $60,000 per year in private donations for the project.

Breker also co-founded the Manitoba – North Dakota Zero Tillage Farmer’s Association, which, since 1982, has grown to include hundreds of farmer and industry members. He promotes no-till practices through many other associations, and he actively assists other growers in adopting no-till.

Innovative Cropping Systems Team – Organization

Organized in 1995, the Innovative Cropping Systems team (ICS) is a partnership between local farmers, New Kent-Charles City Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service / Agricultural Research Service and the Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). Through a Virginia Department of Conservation and USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service grant program, ICS provides incentives to area producers to adopt conservation tillage techniques, while assisting them in maintaining or increasing production.

ICS provides financial and educational incentives for growers who sign a five-year contract to adopt and practice a systems approach to no-till farming. The group emphasizes the importance of complete agronomic system and focuses on several key components: continuous no-till, cropping rotations, nutrient management and integrated pest management. It also offers outreach and research support.

In addition to the contract program, ICS hosts numerous field days, collaborates with the Colonial SWCD to arrange conservation tours and conducts professional training for government agency groups. Members of ICS also speak at various local, state and national events, and their message has reached thousands of people. Currently ICS partners are funded to evaluate market-based incentives that could expand implementation and advance system adaptations.

Jim Leverich – Research and Education

Jim Leverich of Sparta, Wis., has devoted his personal and professional life to no-till implementation. Following 20 years of teaching and researching with the University of Wisconsin Extension Service, Leverich accepted his current role as the UW-Extension On-Farm Research Coordinator. Today, he develops and integrates experiment station research and on-farm research with the University of Wisconsin.

His research on ultra-narrow row corn and soybean no-till production demonstrated to producers how to implement conservation tillage techniques while adopting the latest developments in crop management. He coordinated research with several Midwestern universities, companies and producers. He hosted a regional conference on ultra-narrow row corn in 2000, and has shared valuable information at various events, including the National No-Tillage Conference.

Throughout his career, Leverich also has focused on nutrient use and loss, weed control and proper equipment selection. In addition, Leverich manages his own 450-acre farm, where he continuously tries out new equipment and experiments with no-till techniques.

The 11th Annual No-Till Innovators were selected by a committee of leaders who represent different aspects of the no-till industry, including Frank Lessiter, editor/publisher, No-Till Farmer magazine; Scott DeSotel, market development manager, Syngenta Crop Protection; Brad Mathson, Whitehall Agricultural Services, Whitehall, Wis.; Keith Wendte, Wendte Farms and CNH, Willowbrook, Ill.; and Dan Towery, Ag Conservation Solutions, 2004 No-Till Innovator in Research and Education, West Lafayette, Ind.

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 2005 were approximately $8.1 billion. Syngenta employs more than 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT). Further information is available at www.syngenta.com.