Without a doubt, one of the biggest concerns among no-tillers is seed placement. With the many attachments and tools available to move residue, drop seed in the row or close the seed slot, all are designed to put seed in the best possible position to emerge with the potential to be a high-yielding machine.
Farmers who cut back on high-cost fertilizer inputs in 2009, and then had record yields, are wondering how much fertilizer is actually needed. For 2010, let fall soil tests be your guide. Adequate levels of such nutrients as phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) can go a long way in boosting yield potential, especially if next season brings more "normal" weather conditions.
Cover crops, tissue samples, prescription applications, manure runoff control and many other practices used by several no-tillers to maximize soil fertility.
Besides the payback for getting the most bang for their nutrient buck, several no-till farmers were recognized for their efficient and environmentally sound fertility practices through the Responsible Nutrient Management Practitioner’s Program.
Mike Starkey doesn't have a problem investing dollars in fertilizer to push up yields. But the trained accountant and veteran no-tiller from Brownsburg, Ind., certainly expects a favorable return on his nutrient investment.
As more producers move toward no-till systems for conservation compliance and to reduce costs, some have chosen strip-till. Research shows strip-till corn yields have been slightly higher and more consistent than no-till in some areas.
While corn and soybeans received the lion’s share of the press this year as prices moved sharply higher, wheat producers have also been enjoying healthy prices. It’s also spurring more interest in no-till winter wheat, which many soil experts say makes the ideal rotational crop with corn and soybeans.
When you have a spring season like 2008, you can understand why some growers make an effort to apply at least some of their nitrogen in the fall. But just because you get your nitrogen applied before winter flies, that doesn’t mean it will all be there next spring and summer when your corn needs it.
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On this edition of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by CultivAce, longtime no-tiller Jim Leverich explains why 20-inch corn rows are paying off big time on his Sparta, Wis., farm.
Needham Ag understands the role of technology in making better use of limited resources within a specific environment by drawing on a wealth of global experience to overcome the challenges facing today's farmers, manufacturers and dealers.
The Andersons grows enduring relationships through extraordinary service, a deep knowledge of the market, and a knack for finding new ways to add value as we have done for nearly 70 years.