Managing corn residue without it leaving your no-till fields is becoming a challenging task from the time of fall harvest to next year’s crop canopy. Because managing corn residue starts at harvest, in this presentation Marion Calmer discusses the mechanical impact that chopping corn heads, different styles of stalk rolls, stubble stompers and vertical tillage have on planting down pressure, clean seed trenches and how residue flows through planters. The western Illinois no-tiller also reviews the pros and cons of sizing corn residue, along with the economic impact it has on soil temperatures, soil moisture, earthworm populations, nutrient release, nitrogen tie-up and, ultimately, yield response.

Marion Calmer takes corn harvest seriously. The no-tiller from Alpha, Ill., knows a properly adjusted combine will allow him to harvest every kernel possible, but he needs to process residue so he can no-till next year’s crop with limited interference from last year’s trash.

Undecayed corn stalks and other plant residue can lead to disease and insect infestations, soils slow to warm in the spring, volunteer corn and challenges for planting equipment and seedling emergence. And while residue provides protection to soils, it’s a source of valuable nutrients to the following crop when released properly.