Watch Planting Depth of No-Till Corn

No-tillers should be cautious about planting corn 2 inches deep or more, says Barry Fisher, Indiana state agronomist with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Planting that deep will likely pull up moist soil, says Fisher, adding that coulters — especially ones with notched blades — are notorious for throwing out moist soil that sticks to gauge wheels.

Dave Nanda, an Indiana corn breeder with more than 40 years experience, says many no-tillers commonly plant at 1 to 1.5 inches deep, but may plant as deep as 2 inches.

Survey Identifies The Worst Weeds

Common lambsquarters, marestail, ragweed species and waterhemp were the top weed concerns in an agriculture industry survey commissioned by BASF.

In the survey of more than 800 growers, retailers, distributors and university experts, 45% said common lambsquarters and marestail were the biggest problem, followed by common or giant ragweed (43%), waterhemp (41%), morningglory species (30%) and Palmer amaranth (26%).

Waterhemp ranked as the worst weed among Midwestern respondents at 60%, followed by lambsquarters (57%) and ragweed (56%). Glyphosate resistance was a major concern of 52% of respondents.

Corn Stalks Save Snow, Aid Yields

Standing corn stalks in 160 acres that fill to 12 inches with snow could provide 0.8 to 1 inch of additional soil moisture and increase corn yields 8 to 12 bushels per acre, says Dan Gillespie, a Battle Creek, Neb., no-tiller who also works for the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Residue and its height directly affect moisture conservation…