Ohio State Ag Engineer Randall Reeder offers commonsense suggestions for cutting costs and raising profits:

1. Fuel costs for planting crops in reduced tillage are about half that of intensive tillage.

2. Using cover crops to capture N can cut commercial N purchases by 50-100 lb./acre.

3. Corn yields will be higher when rotated with soybeans because of N supplies.

4. Controlled traffic patterns save fuel, labor, crop inputs and equipment costs.

5. Better management of heating and ventilation in farm buildings saves energy costs.

6. Switching to fluorescent bulbs is expensive but saves energy and they last longer.

7. The average tractor tire is overinflated and causes excess slippage and fuel loss.

8. Scheduled replacement of air and fuel filters saves fuel and increases power.

9. It's less efficient to keep an engine idling for warmth than it is to restart it.

10. Don't use a subsoiler any deeper than necessary to break up compacted soil.