Re-evaluating fundamentals can result in significant returns on investment year after year. 

“You can add a lot of profitability to your bottom line by doing the basics better,” says Jim Schwartz, director of research, agronomy and Practical Farm Research (PFR) at Beck’s Hybrids. 

Schwartz and Jason Gahimer, Beck’s PFR manager, have analyzed years of data from the more than 800 acres that Beck’s uses for research. These corn and soybean fields are located in central and southern Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky and Ohio, with additional sites managed by research companies in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. 

The total farms are about 75% conventional tillage and 25% no-till, but the data is aggregated. Results are reported based on the averages of all the studied acres, and trials must show the same conclusions for a minimum of 3 years in order to become recommended practices.

While not all of the trials are no-till, Gahimer and Schwartz say their top nine tips for increasing your ROI by $100 per acre remain the same regardless of tillage type. Here they share those recommendations tailored to no-tillers. 

General Tips

1. Invest in Aftermarket Closing Wheels.

All aftermarket closing…