No-till corn yields comparable to those achievable with chemical nitrogen fertilizer can be produced with liquid dairy manure as the only nitrogen source — if the manure is incorporated at application, according to studies by two Ohio State University researchers.

Nitrogen management is simple, says Bob Hoeft, a University of Illinois fertility specialist. “All you have to do is put it on at exactly the right rate, at exactly the right time and use exactly the right application technique for the material of choice.”

The potential for nitrogen loss in no-till presents you with both a problem and an opportunity, maintains Sam Ferguson, a customer agronomist with Dow AgroSciences in Omaha, Neb.

“As we deal with tougher economic times, we’re faced with managing nitrogen better than ever before,” maintains Allen Sutton of Agrotain International in Corydon, Ky.

Even though we’ve been hearing sporadic reports that a few farmers are parking their no-till equipment and going back to the disc, chisel plow and field cultivator, rest assured that you’re making the right decision.