No-tillers considering moving into a corn-after-corn cropping system can look to Kelly Cheesewright and Randy Hathaway for encouragement and advice. Cheesewright and Hathaway have made corn on corn work for them in western Indiana and offer tips based on their experience.

If possible, Hathaway, of Veedersburg, says, “You want to be thinking about this a year or so in advance. Two or 3 years ago, after harvest, I ran my Zone-Builder in the middle of my corn rows then I came back and split those middles the next year. So I ran the Zone-Builder for 2 years on 15-inch centers, then I no-tilled my corn and never touched the soil again unless there were any high-traffic areas that need breaking up.”

And, he notes, “Unless you fix your drainage problems, you’re probably not going to be very happy no matter what kind of system you’re using. Get that taken care of, along with any compaction problems you might have.”

Preparing Residue.

Hathaway and Cheesewright agree on the need for residue management before no-tilling the first corn into corn stubble.

“Start with a well-drained field,” says Cheesewright, of Dana. “Get that residue broken down before spring so you can no-till into it. Put some nitrogen on the stalks early in the fall to get the microbes feeding on the residue. I use 30 to 50 pounds per acre, on top. If you’re using 28 percent liquid nitrogen, try to get it on before the rain so you can cut your losses…