Does timing matter in strip till? Will corn planted into fall-made strips out-yield spring strips?
That’s just one of many questions corn growers are asking as strip tillage gains popularity as a reduced tillage option that delivers the benefits of conventional tillage, says Ben Rosser, corn lead for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School, Rosser joins Bernard Tobin to discuss early results from a three-year research project he is conducting to develop best management recommendations for corn strip tillers. In the video, Rosser notes that many of the common questions growers have revolve around fertility management, specifically placement and timing of phosphorous and potassium. (Story continues after the video.)
There’s still lots of work to do, but key insights are already emerging from the first year of Rosser’s research trials. These include:
- Yields of spring strip till with P and K placed in the strip were significantly higher than fall strip till and P and K — 7.5 bu/ac greater on average. Responses were variable – two trials had large responses, while remaining trials were no different.
- Yields of spring strip till and P and K were significantly higher than where P and K was broadcast and incorporated with full-width tillage — 10.3 bu/ac greater on average.
- On average, moving a portion of P and K from fall strip till applications to starter fertilizer on the planter the following spring did not result in a significant yield response compared to where all P and K was only applied through fall strip. However, there was one location where a significant response to starter was observed.
Check out Field Crop News for Rosser’s full report.
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