A common question often asked about no-till is whether any nutrient stratification occurs due to a lack of soil mixing. Many no-tillers wonder if stratification is a problem for effective crop access to soil nutrients.

Fertilizer placement draws a lot of opinions about everything from when to apply to the depth of application. The many, sometimes conflicting opinions can be confusing about which to follow.

In a 17-year Nebraska study, researchers found that conservation tillage gave higher irrigated corn yields and profits than tilled plantings. The average yield increase was 4 bushels per acre, while the three conservation tillage treatments resulted in $8 to $16 per acre less tillage costs than the conventional disc tillage treatment. The conservation tillage treatments were ridge-till, rotary-till and slot-plant, while tilled treatments consisted of chisel, disc or lister operations for the furrow-irrigated continuous corn plantings.

Because the weather often is the determining factor in how early no-till planting can begin, Bill Hammitt holds a “wait-and-see” attitude rather than strictly adhering to a planting system previously mapped out.