James Tuschner of Ag Tire Talk and Mehari Tekeste of Iowa State University discuss recent findings from the University’s research on tire PSI levels and how it can affect compaction in the soil.

Earlier I had a chance to stop inside the Iowa State University tent. And I talked with some of their researchers as well as ag tire expert James Tuschner. Let’s toss it over to them right now. We’re going to talk about PSI levels and compaction.

On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, we’re broadcasting from the road at the 2024 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa! We highlight some of the latest innovations at the show, including a new row cleaner from Martin-Till, autonomous filling station from Solinftec and a harvest weed seed control unit from Redekop.

Salin 247's lightweight, electric-powered planter no-tilled soybeans in Webster County, Iowa this spring.

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach publication “Organic No-Till Production” provides a “how-to” for organic no-till production in Iowa, which utilizes a rolled down cover crop to facilitate weed suppression, with the commercial crop drilled, planted or transplanted into the rolled mulch.

For over thirty years I managed farms in northwest and northcentral Iowa for absentee farm owners whom I worked closely with to make soil and water conservation an important part of our farm plans. I convinced my farm operators to stop moldboard plowing, move to chisel plows and eventually leave soybean stubble untilled in the fall.

Rotating to soybean in the following year may help reduce the tar spot inoculum in that field. Another consideration is to plant a tar spot tolerant hybrid in that field and surrounding fields.