To no-tillers, atrazine, nitrogen and phosphate are indispensable for maximizing yields of corn, soybeans, wheat and other crops.

With nearly 7,200 acres, including 3,500 acres of corn, along the Missouri-Iowa border, Gary Porter has taken many opportunities to test and incorporate different practices into his cropping operation.

If conditions permit, there’s likely to be a lot of sidedressed nitrogen going on fields the rest of the month. Guy Swanson, developer of the Exactrix anhydrous delivery system, says that putting down nutrients at this time of the year can be your most cost-effective application, but there’s also a lot of risk involved if you don’t get them applied in time or properly.

One of my first jobs out of college after I received a degree in business from the University of North Dakota was a fortunate choice. During the several years I worked for a professional consulting agronomist, I had the opportunity to see a lot of different crop-production systems throughout eastern Nebraska, western Iowa and northeastern Kansas.

Strip-tilling and applying manure simultaneously may make as much sense as other dynamic duos in agriculture, like corn and soybeans, ham and eggs and “rain makes grain.”