Argyle, Iowa, grower Brian Klemme began twin-row strip-tilling corn in the spring of 2009 because he wanted to increase plant populations and spacing within rows and, hopefully, increase yields.

Klemme farms with his stepfather and an uncle, growing 1,100 acres of corn and 700 acres of soybeans. On 200 to 300 acres, Klemme has used 7½-inch row spacing on 30-inch centers, for corn on corn and corn after soybeans.

On irrigated, sandy ground he pushes the corn population to 35,000 per acre. On dryland acres he plants 25,000 seeds per acre.

“We want to place fertilizer in a zone in the spring because of the loss of fall-applied nitrogen due to large amounts of rain,” he says. “We don’t apply anhydrous ammonia anymore in the fall.”

Klemme’s strip-till rig consists of an Elk Creek caddy for a 6-ton Montag dry fertilizer skid, Yetter Maverick row units on a Moore-Built toolbar and Raven Precision equipment that controls the anhydrous ammonia.

He uses RTK for the 12-row toolbar and for the 16-row, twin-row planter with 7½-inch row spacing.

Klemme advises spring strip-tillers wait at least 10 days after applying anhydrous ammonia to plant corn.

“In 2009, we followed too closely with planting and the anhydrous burned off corn roots,” he says. “This year, we waited at least 10 days to plant.

“The twin-row, strip-tilled corn looks really pretty good as of mid-June,” he adds. “On low spots on our fields and in our area, the corn is yellow. But on the high…