Junior Angus Breeders Parade 95 LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Judge Matt Claeys, Raleigh, N.C., selected champions from the 95 heifers exhibited at the 1995 North American International Livestock Exposition Junior Angus Heifer Show. Top honors went to Jenna Gil bert, Greenville, Ohio, on Champ ion Hill Aerial 918. Her grand champion is a May 1994 daughter of Century Touchstone 131. She was first named the intermediate champion. Sonya Smith. Lebanon, Tenn., walked away with the reserve grand champion heifer award. HSAF Miss Pride 1138 was the name of her winning entry that was also the reserve intermediate champion. HSAF Prompter ET sired the May 1994 heifer. Senior champion heifer honors went to Kristopher Lynn, Spring field, Ky., on DKL Garnet Gal 3165, while reserve; senior champ ion was awarded to Champion Hill Jcstres Athena, shown by Robert Woodward, Gallipolis, Ohio. In the junior division, Christy Bell, Monroe, Ga., exhibited the champion. Her entry was Har mony Hill Jestress 435. Patton National Survey: No-Till Tops 40 Million Planted Acres WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. U.S. fanners relied on an environ mentally beneficial crop growing system more than ever this year, according to a national survey re leased by the Conservation Tech nology Information Center (CTIC). The annual survey shows farm ers used the system, called no-till, on a record 40.9 million acres of cropland in 1995. No-till saves la bor, fuel, and equipment costs for fanners while providing soil, wa ter quality, and wildlife benefits. Total cropland acres planted this year were down 5.4 million nationwide, prompting a decline in every crop growing system ex cept no-till. Farmers planting soy beans led the no-till increase by using the system to plant and man age an additional 2.2 million soy bean acres this year, compared to 1994. “The fact that no-till is the one system that increased in use this year is significant,” said John Hebblethwaite, executive director, CTIC. “An overall total of 1.9 mil lion additional cropland acres were planted using no-till, making it obvious fanners are gaining confidence in the economic and environmental advantages of this system.” The three conservation tillage systems are no-till, ridge-dll and mulch-till. Following harvest, conservation tillage farmers avoid disturbing (plowing or tilling) the soil in their fields any more than necessary. Instead, they leave the plant materials from the recently harvested crop in the field. The old stem, stalls, and leaves, called crop residues, are left on the soil surface to provide a protective blanket. The goal with conserva tion tillage systems is to keep 30 percent or more of the soil surface covered with crop residues, even after a new crop is planted. Farmers planted an additional 22 million acres of no-till soy beans this year, compared to 1994. No-till soybean acres now account for 30 percent of all soybean acres platted in the U.S. Farmers, ap parently hoping to take advantage of higher cotton prices, planted an Grand champion femala honors were awarded to Jenna Gilbert, Greenville, Ohio, at the 1995 North American Inter national Livestock Exposition Junior Angus Hrlfer Show In Louisville, Ky. Champion Hill Aerial 918 Is the name of the May 1994 daughter of Century Touchstone 131. She was first named the intermediate champion. Lady Agnes 1054 CAF took the reserve junior champion heifer award for Beth Patton, Crawfords villc, Ind Kristopher Lynn led Sedgwicks Pride 9974 to the senior heifer calf champion title. Reserve honors in the senior heifer calf division went »n Hutch Porter. Jefferson, Ga., on additional 2.3 million acres of cot ton this year, compared to last. No-dll cotton increased by almost 116,000 acres or 20 percent this year. Farmers planted 6.1 million fewer acres of com in 1995, com pared to last year. No-till com planting declined by 1.2 million acres but remains at 18 percent of total com acres planted in thell.S. (same as last year). Total cropland acres planted in 1995: 278.6 mil lion, compared to 283.9 million in 1994, for a decline of 5.4 million planted cropland acres in 1995. • No-dll added an additional 1.9 million planted acres for a total erf 40.9 million acres. • Mulch-till declined by 2.2 million acres for a total of 54.5 million acres. • Ridge-till declined by almost 165,000 acres for a told of 3.4 million acres. ■ Reduced-till declined by 3 million acres for a total of 70.1 million acres. • Conventional-till declined by 1.9 million acres for a total of 109.6 million acres. Over the last five years, no-till has continued to post solid gains, led by substantial increases in no till soybeans. The no-till gains have come despite the Great Flood of *93 and a very wet planting sea son in many parts of the country this year!; which delayed or pre vented com planting. Ridge-till traded several consecutive years of slight increases for a slight de cline this year, which apparently represents a shift to the no-till category. Mulch-till’s numbers have stayed rather flat to down for the last five years but it remains the largest category among con servation tillage systems. Reduc ed-till was the category which lost the moslj acreage this year and could account for some of the shifts to higher crop residue cate gories. Conventional-till systems, which tend to involve the most in tensive tilling or plowing of the soil surface, posted a sizable loss in acres platted this year. The top five no-till states, based on platted acres, are Illinois (5.9 million acres), Indiana (4;4 mil lion), lowa (4.3 million acres). Meldons Bess 8574. The junior heifer calf champion was NPF Blackbird Forever SPO4. She was exhibited by Cindi Parr, Mason City, 111. Suzanne Uhey, Perrysville, Ind., won the reserve junior heifer calf champion award with Highland Katy S. Ohio (3.9 million acres), and Mis souri (2.8 million acres). The top five no-till states, based on percentage of total cropland acres planted to no-dll, are Ken tucky (47 percent), Maryland (43 percent). Tennessee (42 percent), Delaware (39 percent), and Ohio (38 percent). The top five mulch-dll states, based on planted acres, are lowa (6.7 million acres). North Dakota (4.7 million acres). Texas (4.6 million acres), Nebraska (4.S mil lion acres), and Kansas (4.4 mil lion acres). The top five ridge-till states, based on planted acres, are Ne braska (I.S million acres), Minne sota (361,000 acres), Kansas (330,000 acres). lowa (225,000 acres), and South Dakota (119,000 acres). Illinois leads no-till season (sin gle crop) soybean states (3.2 mil lion acres planted), followed by Indiana (2.4 million acres), lowa (2.3 million acres), Ohio (2.1 mil lion acres), and Missouri (1.3 mil lion acres). In 1995, Indiana be came the first major soybean pro ducing stale to plant more than 50 percent (51 percent) of all its soy beans no-dU. States which regis tered a 29 percent or greater in crease in no-till soybean acres this year include South Dakota, Kan sas, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Illinois. Ohio, lowa, Missouri and Nebraska showed the greatest growth in no-dll sea son soybean acres, each adding 200,000 or more acres in 1995. lowa is the leading no-till com state (1.9 million acres planted), followed by Illinois (1.8 million acres). Nebraska (1.6 million acres), Indiana (1.4 million acres), and Ohio (1 million acres). No-dll com acres declined in lowa, Illi nois. Missouri, Ohio, and Indiana this year while increasing in Kan sas, Nebraska, North Carolina, Kentucky and Alabama. No-dU small grains, led by wheat, posted an 800,000-acre in crease this year. North Dakota, Kansas, Montana, Ohio, and Illi nois each gained more than 50,000 acres of no-dU wheat and small grains in 1995. Wynn Dalton, Altavista, Va., was presented the 1995 National Junior Angus Association's outstanding leader ship award at the American Angus Association’s annual banquet held during the 1905 North American international Livestock Exposition (NAILE) In Louisville, Ky. Dalton, who attends Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan., current ly serves on the National Junior Angus Board. Pictured from left are Fred Smalstig, Naples, Fla., and Dalton. North Carolina and Georgia helped lead the way in the south ern and mid-south states where no-dll cotton increased by almost 116.000 acres this year. North Carolina and Georgia each grew an additional 44,000 acres of no dll cotton in 1995 and Louisiana added more than 15,000 no-till cotton acres. Virginia, Florida, South Carolina. Arkansas and Ok lahoma also contributed to the up swing. Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama posted slight declines but Tennessee remains the leader in no-till cotton with more than 200.000 acres planted in 1995. These highlights are from the National Crop Residue Manage ment Survey which is compiled and published annually by the Conservation Technology Infor mation Center (CTIC) in coopera tion with the USDA Natural Re sources Conservation Service American Cyanamid, Deere Share Safety WAYNE, N.J.—Two of the nation’s leading agricultural com panies, American Cyanamid Company and Deere & Company, announced that the patented valve technology utilized in the innova tive Lock ’n Load closed handling system is now more widely avail able to the agrichemical industry. The two companies jointly developed the Lock ’n Load closed handling system and this unique valve interface which allows virtually exposure-free fill ing of insecticide hopper boxfes. Howard L. Minigh, president of Cyanamid’s Agricultural Products Division, said, “When we launched the Lock ’n Load closed handling system, we were hopeful that it would become the industry standard—and we are very close to achieving our goal. The availa bility of this proprietary valve technology will allow agrichemi cal companies to offer a standard interface for planters whether they (NRCS). CTIC is a nonprofit in forms tion/data transfer center that promotes environmentally and economically beneficial natural resource systems. The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) is of fering its new ’95-’96 catalog free. The eight-page catalog is ideal for anyone interested in crop residue management, watershed manage ment, water quality, wetlands, nu trient management, and pest man agement It’s packed with publica tions, videos, fact sheets, kits, booklets, brochures, manuals, and data sheets! CTIC will mail the catalog to you flee in single or multi ple copies. Just give us a call at (317) 494-9555, fax us your re quest at (317) 494-5969, or write CTIC Catalog, 1220 Potter Dr., Room 170, West Lafayette, IN 47906-1383. Technology choose to use the established Lock ’n Load closed handling system or alternative containers or delivery systems. We are pleased to take this additional step towards indus try standardization and encourage all companies to approach Cyana mid or Deere & Company for licensing details.” Industry-wide adoption of this valving system, as a part of the Lock ’n Load closed handling sys tem or as a part of delivery sys tems that are under development by other manufacturers, will insure that all granular insecti cides can be delivered through one standard interface. Insecticide product manufacturers benefit through access to a commercially available valve with proven mark' etplace performance. Standardiza tion of this state-of-the-art valve will allow farmers the flexibility to alternate between insecticide brands without Changing plan® lid receiving valves.