No-tillers drop seeds into hostile territory like paratroopers parachuting into battle. Once in the soil, they have to fight through disease, insects, nematodes and often cold stress before emerging victorious as a strong, vigorous seedling.
No-tillers should be keeping an eye on their soybeans for water-borne diseases that may have cropped up during the recent heavy rains, says Ann Dorrance, an Ohio State University Extension plant pathologist says.
As plantings of genetically modified (GM) crops continue to climb by millions of acres per year, one crop stands out for its absence from the list. Wheat growers, including no-tillers, are still waiting for the benefits of biotechnology, and the wait is likely to be a long one.
While no-tilling with cover crops requires more management than straight no-till, the extra effort may be worth it, especially in dry years, maintains Mike Plumer.
Some no-tillers say to forget about no-tilling corn after wheat. Others have good ideas on making it work while others suggest moving to longer no-till rotations and growing other crops.
Selecting a proper crop rotation is critical for no-till success. When choosing a crop sequence, you must consider toxicity, climate, weed control, soil moisture, nutrient cycling concerns and many other critical factors.
Corn yields have increased 15 percent to 20 percent for no-tiller Doug Smith when planted in six-row strips. But 15-foot-wide soybean strips planted next to the corn have seen yields decrease as much as 5 percent to 10 percent from conventional no-till soybean yields.
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On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, Westville, Ind., no-tiller Jeff Herrold provides an update on how planting is going so far, and why a potential problem with slugs is causing some early-season anxiety. Herrold also explains why he prefers to plant soybeans before corn.
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