Managing corn residue without it leaving your no-till fields is becoming a challenging task from the time of fall harvest to next year’s crop canopy. Because managing corn residue starts at harvest, in this presentation Marion Calmer discusses the mechanical impact that chopping corn heads, different styles of stalk rolls, stubble stompers and vertical tillage have on planting down pressure, clean seed trenches and how residue flows through planters. The western Illinois no-tiller also reviews the pros and cons of sizing corn residue, along with the economic impact it has on soil temperatures, soil moisture, earthworm populations, nutrient release, nitrogen tie-up and, ultimately, yield response.

When considering the ways of improving his chances of raising profitable no-tilled corn and soybeans, Marion Calmer, a veteran no-tiller from western Illinois, relies heavily on his 31 years of independent on-farm research. As the president of Calmer’s Agronomic Research Center, he’s learned that the highest yield isn’t always the most profitable, so he makes decisions regarding inputs based on facts and financial sense. In this presentation, Calmer talks about his target of a minimum 35% return on investment for his farm when calculating input costs, and also discusses the yield impact and economic implications that accompany increasing populations, fertilizer inputs, row spacing and the lack of tillage.

Marion Calmer takes corn harvest seriously. The no-tiller from Alpha, Ill., knows a properly adjusted combine will allow him to harvest every kernel possible, but he needs to process residue so he can no-till next year’s crop with limited interference from last year’s trash.

For 30 years, Marion Calmer has studied the impact on yields of no-tilling corn in ultra-narrow rows. The Alpha, Ill., no-tiller became so convinced at the benefits that he designed his own corn head to harvest 15-inch rows.