High corn and soybean yields don’t happen by chance on Condon and Mark Schnepel’s farm in Carson, Iowa. The brothers use a four-step process of planning, on-farm researching, implementing and reviewing to manage their 1,000-acre no-till operation.

Their philosophy is to give new ideas a try “because you don’t know what works until you’ve done it,” says Condon. “It’s pretty easy to follow the same program every year, but if you always do the same thing you’re almost guaranteeing yourself the same results.”

Although they disagree on certain ideas, such as whether to apply anhydrous in the fall or spring, the Schnepels can answer each others’ questions through on-farm research plots.

Do On-Farm Trials

“That was really stressed at the National No-Tillage Con­ference,” says Condon, who was an attendee at the 1997 event in Des Moines.

“You have to use your farm as a test plot because that’s the only way you’re going to know if something works for you. You can’t rely on other people’s information and expect it to work for you.”

Some examples of test-plot studies the Schnepels have conducted include yield differences between Bt and non-Bt corn, row-width studies, fertility studies, how various down pressure levels affect plant populations and using different types of closing wheels.

However, the Schnepels have had difficulties determining if significant yield differences existed. The brothers hope to eliminate this problem with the addition of a yield monitor to their John Deere 9400 combine. They also considered equipping the combine with a…