This year’s National No-Tillage Conference raised interesting questions on whether or not no-tilled corn will be profitable in 2001. Four panelists joined forces to bring no-tillers 22 different tips on how to make no-tilling corn profitable.

The panel included:

• Jim Arnaud, a no-tiller from Monetta, Mo., who crops 800 acres of corn, soybeans, grain sorghum and doublecropped soybeans with wheat and barley.
• Mike Wolpert, who crops 5,000 acres near Buffalo, W.V.
• Brad Mathson, of Whitehall, Wis., a consultant with Whitehall Agricultural Services and custom no-tiller of 4,500 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa.
• Ed Winkle, a no-tiller, 30-year vocational agriculture teacher and crop consultant from Blanchester, Ohio.

1. Use Poultry Manure

“My number one cost saving idea is using poultry manure,” says Arnaud. It’s something we started using years ago. It not only gives us cheap fertilizer, but builds our soils up, especially phosphorous levels, to where we’re having to cut back on purchases. But as far as cost savings and being able to push the crop through the rest of the season without having to go to the expensive application of sidedressing, the poultry litter breaks down all season long and continues to feed the crop.”

2. Watch Details

“Pay close attention to detail in every aspect of your no-till operations,” says Wolpert. “This applies to planting, input selection, planter and drill preparation and in-the-field no-till equipment adjustment.

“In these areas you can really make extra money paying attention to detail. When I assess what’s gone right over the…