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John E. Franz of Monsanto

John E. Franz & the Glyphosate Discovery

With no prior cropping knowledge, John Franz was an unlikely candidate to permanently change agriculture’s fortunes in 1970 – when all other Monsanto chemists wanted no part of a dying research project.
By Mike Lessiter posted on April 27, 2022 | Posted in Crop Protection
With virtually no prior cropping knowledge, John Franz was an unlikely candidate to permanently change agriculture’s fortunes in 1970 -- when all other Monsanto chemists wanted no part of a dying research project. The No-Till History series is made possible by Montag Manufacturing.
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Herbicide History, Part II: No-Till Rallies on Roundup

No-till’s greatest growth came with the discovery of glyphosate as a weedkiller, and growers started to ‘park the plow.’
By Mike Lessiter posted on April 26, 2022 | Posted in Crop Protection
Glyphosate (or Roundup) brought to market by Monsanto in the mid 1970s and now owned by Bayer) is a virtually ideal herbicide, says international weed authority Dr. Stephen Powles and a “once in 100-years breakthrough.” The No-Till History series is made possible by Montag Manufacturing.
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Memories from Western Canada – The Schmeiser Family Farm

Son of the late Percy Schmeiser – who famously battled Monsanto – recounts no-till’s memories in Saskatchewan.
By John Schmeiser posted on April 8, 2022 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101
Central Saskatchewan suffers from winds and historical practices of cultivation or "summer fallow" came to an end in the early 1990s when seeder manufacturers came out with zero-till seeders. The No-Till History series is made possible by Montag Manufacturing.
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No-Till’s Herbicide History, Part I

No-till was a ‘no-go’ until modern weed-control chemicals arrived on the scene.
By Mike Lessiter posted on March 30, 2022 | Posted in Crop Protection
When No-Till Farmer (NTF) got its start in 1972, its pages were filled with tips on how to make herbicides like paraquat, atrazine, 2,4-D, Princep and Banvel (an early dicamba formulation) work in no-till systems. In Part 1 of this series, we’ll look at the most important early herbicides for no-tillers. The No-Till History series is made possible by Montag Manufacturing.
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North Carolina Shares in No-Till History, Too

Kentucky isn’t the only state to mark a no-till first. North Carolina claims one of its own farmers also put their no-till crop in during 1962.
By Mike Lessiter posted on March 22, 2022 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101, Seeding & Planting

The no-till history research this year -- celebrating 60 years of the commercial practice -- turned up several new discoveries. Last fall, we came across what some believe to be the first no-till planter. We were aware of the unit, but its name had escaped us in other coverage, a reference was found on an industry message board that led to a No-Till Farmer report on the McCormick Till Planter. The No-Till History series is made possible by Montag Manufacturing.



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Timeline of Herbicide Developments

As weed-control products came of age in the decades after World War II, no-tillage was given a chance to become a viable practice.
By Mike Lessiter posted on March 15, 2022 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101, Crop Protection

Numerous no-till attempts were made in the late 1940s but unsuitable equipment and weed control products, still in their relative infancy, thwarted its adoption. The brief history of weed control advancements is a complement piece to “No-Till’s Herbicide History” appearing in the May 2022 No-Till Farmer. The No-Till History series is made possible by Montag Manufacturing.


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From The Archives: No-Till Gets More Attention Among Soil Conservationists

(August 1982 No-Till Farmer)
February 25, 2022 | Posted in No-Till Farming 101

Washington’s interest in no-till increased dramatically in the 1980s and 1990s as several veteran no-tillers took over the role of Chief of the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), which is now known as the Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) in Washington. The No-Till History series is made possible by Montag Manufacturing.


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