A: A SoilWarrior is all that is needed. Trash is left to protect. I don’t use anything to chop or degrade. When planting, add row cleaners if needed.

    — Roger Engstrom, Ames, Iowa

A: A properly set row unit, whether it’s the planter with attachments for no-till or strip-till, will make its way through the residue. Soil scientists say using commercial nitrogen (N) and some of these other products to break down residue are actually bad for the soil.

    — Jon Stevens, Rush City, Minn.

A: I have seen research from a university that shows no difference in residue degradation with the application of N!

    — Paul Groneberg, Hoffman, Minn. 

A: I think chemical fertilizers kill much of the soil life that uses residue for food, perhaps reducing degradation and producing nutrients needed by the plants. Anhydrous ammonia was produced to kill soil life so it could be compacted for aircraft runways.

    — Roger Engstrom, Ames, Iowa

A: Corn on corn is a challenge. It depends on your strip-till machine type. I know my mole knife machine would never go through standing cornstalk without a shredder pass. A multiple disc type machine would do…