Top Strip-Till Practices for Corn and Soybean

Top Strip-Till Practices for Corn and Soybean Tony J. Vyn Agronomy Department, Purdue University

RTK-guided Strip Tillage for Corn after Soybean

Berms after Soybean Harvest and Fall Strip-Till

Berm Heights in Spring after Successful Strip Tillage

Plow versus No-till in Corn-Soybean Rotation West Lafayette, IN (1975-2011) Figure 3. Corn Yields After Soybeans, ACRE, 1975-2011. 300 250 200 Bushels/acre 150 100 50 Fall plow No-till Fall plow (5 yr mov. avg.) No-till (5 yr mov. avg.) 0 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 Year

Corn Yield Response to Tillage and Planting Date after Soybean, Silty Clay Loam 240.0 Strip-Till No-Till Chisel 220.0 200.0 a a b b b a a a b b b 180.0 160.0 140.0 Early Normal Early Normal 2003-2004 2006-2008

Soil Temperature (2 ) with 3 Tillage 100 90 Systems in 2012 Maximum Soil Temperatures, Corn Following Soybean, Long- term Tillage Study, 2012 Planted on April 5 Degrees F 80 70 60 50 40 Plow - Corn/Soybeans Strip- till - Corn/Soybeans No- till - Corn/Soybeans 4/6 4/13 4/20 4/27 5/4 5/11 5/18 5/25 Date 100 90 Mean Soil Temperatures, Corn Following Soybean, Long- term Tillage Study, 2012 Planted on April 5 Degrees F 80 70 60 50 Plow - Corn/Soybeans Strip- till - Corn/Soybeans No- till - Corn/Soybeans 40 4/6 4/13 4/20 4/27 5/4 5/11 5/18 5/25 Date

RTK-guided Strip Tillage for Corn after Corn

Strip Tillage for Corn after Soybean and Corn in N. Indiana, Loam Soil (2001-08) 220 200 208 212 205 195 195 Yield (bu./ac) 180 160 140 a a a a a 184 b Fall Chisel Strip-till No-till 120 Soybean Corn Previous Crop

Winter Wheat Residue Effect on No-till Corn vs. Strip-till Corn 180 Centralia & Wyoming, Ontario (1994-96) Yield (bu/ac) 160 140 120 100 149 135 142 149 Fall Strip-till No-till (not baled) No-till (baled) No-till (bare) 80 Fall Strip-tillNo-till (not baled)no-till (baled) No-till (bare) Opoku, Vyn & Swanton (Agron. J. 89:549)

Spring Strip-till??

Spring Strip-Till in Northern Texas (2012)

200.0 190.0 180.0 170.0 160.0 a RTK Precision Benefit in Strip-till Continuous Corn (West Lafayette, IN, Mean of 2 planting dates, 2009-11) a Yield (bu/acre) ab b c Chisel Plow Strip-RTK @ 0" Strip-RTK @ 5" Strip-RTK @ 10" No-till 150.0 Chisel PlowStrip-RTK @ Strip-RTK 0" @ Strip-RTK 5" @ 10" No-till

Row Position is Critical ON the Strip Off the Strip The Strip Source: Norm Larson, Elburn Co-op, IL

RTK + Pre-plant UAN Application 2006-2008

RTK Planting after Pre-plant UAN (West Lafayette, 2006)

Treatment Description for RTK Guided Row Positions Relative to Pre-plant UAN

Treatment Description for RTK Guided Row Positions Relative to Pre-plant UAN UAN rates (0, 50, 100, 200 N per acre)

Treatment Description for RTK Guided Row Positions Relative to Pre-plant UAN UAN rates (0, 50, 100, 200 N per acre) Positions (0, 5, and 10 from UAN band)

Treatment Description for RTK Guided Row Positions Relative to Pre-plant UAN UAN rates (0, 50, 100, 200 N per acre) Positions (0, 5, and 10 from UAN band) Two locations in 2006-2008: 1. Wanatah (loam), and 2. West Lafayette (silty clay loam) Starter at Wanatah: 19-17-0 at 125 pounds/acre

RTK and Pre-plant UAN at Wanatah, IN 50 N at 0 versus 200 N at 0 100 N at 0 versus 100 N at 10

RTK and Pre-plant UAN at Wanatah, IN, 2006 200 N at 5 versus 200 N at 0 200 N at 5 (background) vs. 200 N at 0 (foreground)

RTK Row Position Effects on Plant Population Response to Pre-Plant UAN Rates Wanatah, IN, 2006-2008 40000 On-Row 5" beside 10" beside 35000 Population/acre 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 ab b a a c ab a d a a 5000 0 Zero Pre 50 Pre 100 Pre 200 Pre

Corn Yield (bu/acre) 240.0 220.0 200.0 180.0 160.0 140.0 120.0 100.0 80.0 60.0 40.0 20.0 0 RTK Row Position Effects on Corn Yield Response to Pre-Plant UAN Rates ab Wanatah, IN, 2006-2008 On-Row 5" beside 10" beside ab a ab Zero Pre 50 Pre 100 Pre 200 Pre c ab ab d b ab

USDA data complied by Bob Nielsen (August, 2012)

Rainfall Timing is Critical to Tillage or Rotation Impacts 10 Figure 1. Monthly precipitation for March through October, 2012 compared to normal, ACRE. Precipitation (inches) 8 6 4 2 2012 Normal 0 Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct

Height Reduction in No-till (2012)

No-till vs. Strip-till in Continuous Corn

No-till vs. Chisel Plow in Continuous Corn Possible Contributing Factors: 1. Hybrid Root Strength Score = 4/9 2. Hybrid Drought Tolerance Score = 7/9

Corn Growth Responses to Tillage for Corn-Soy and Continuous Corn in 2012 (West Lafayette, IN) Corn-Soy Tillage Treatments Plant Heights on May 2 (in) Plant Heights on June 6 (in) Corn Yield (bu/ acre) Fall Plow 8.6 ab 43 a 171 ab Fall Chisel 9.3 a 43 a 178 a Strip-till 7.6 b 37 b 176 a No-till 7.9 b 32 c 159 b Tillage Treatments Plant Heights on May 2 (in) Plant Heights on June 6 (in) Corn Yield (bu/acre) Fall Plow 8.8 a 41 a 153 ab Fall Chisel 8.3 b 38 ab 153 ab Strip-till 8.3 ab 32 c 159 a No-till 7.7 b 31 c 140 b

Corn Growth Responses to Tillage for Corn-Soy and Continuous Corn in 2012 (West Lafayette, IN) Corn-Soy Tillage Treatments Plant Heights on May 2 (in) Plant Heights on June 6 (in) Corn Yield (bu/ acre) Cont. Corn Fall Plow 8.6 ab 43 a 171 ab Fall Chisel 9.3 a 43 a 178 a Strip-till 7.6 b 37 b 176 a No-till 7.9 b 32 c 159 b Tillage Treatments Plant Heights on May 2 (in) Plant Heights on June 6 (in) Corn Yield (bu/acre) Fall Plow 8.8 a 41 a 153 ab Fall Chisel 8.3 b 38 ab 153 ab Strip-till 8.3 ab 32 c 159 a No-till 7.7 b 31 c 140 b

Average Strip-Till Corn Yield Performance (West Lafayette, IN, 2010-2012) Fall Chisel Strip-till No-Till 240.0 217.5 ab a b a a b 195.0 172.5 150.0 Continuous Corn Corn-Soy

Soybean Growth Responses to Tillage for Corn- Soy Rotation in 2012 (West Lafayette, IN)

Soybean Growth Responses to Tillage for Corn- Soy Rotation in 2012 (West Lafayette, IN) Tillage Treatments Plant Heights on May 30 (in) Plant Heights on June 19 (in) Soybean Yield (bu/acre) Fall Plow 6.3 a 23 a 63 a Fall Chisel 5.7 b 21 b 61 a Strip-till 5.5 bc 18 c 61 a No-till 5.1 c 17 d 61 a

No-till Corn Yields in Drought Years versus Recent 10-year Period for Corn after Soybean Chisel Plow No-till 3% Yield (bu/acre) 220.0 200.0 180.0 160.0 140.0 120.0 100.0 80.0 60.0 40.0 20.0 0 4% 11% 3% 1983 1988 2012 2002-11

One Tillage Factor in Root Access to Soil Water is Resistance to Root Growth Kovacs and Vyn, 2012. April 26, 2012 in West Lafayette, IN for corn after soybean

Soil Penetration Resistance vs. Soil Moisture % 40.0 Chisel plow No-till 30.0 20.0 10.0 0 0 to 4" 0 to 8" 0 to 4" 0 April 27 May 15 Kovacs and Vyn, 2012. April 26, 2012 in West Lafayette, IN for corn after soybean

Tillage Influence on Soil-test P (ppm) Fall Plow Fall Chisel Strip-till 0 to 4" 4 to 8" No-till 0 25 50 75 100

Tillage Influence on Soil-test K (ppm) Fall Plow Fall Chisel Strip-till 0 to 4" 4 to 8" No-till 0 100 200 300 400

P-K Banding vs. Broadcast Questions Should farmers band 100% of requirements? Does the banding depth matter? Does the banding position matter in successive years on the same field? How should soil sampling proceed once deep banding is used routinely? Does deep banding mean lower rates can be used without yield loss?

Strip Tillage with Nutrient Banding in Small-plot Research (West Lafayette, IN) 19th 18th 21st Annual National No-Tillage Conference Note: P 2 O 5 rate = 88 pounds/acre, and K 2 O rate = 115 pounds/acre All plots received a uniform 2 x 2 starter of 14 28 14 (N,P,K), plus a total N rate of 250 pounds/acre.

Sponsor: PPI-FAR 2001-2003 High Yield Corn Response to Placement Hybrids: 1. Pioneer 34B24 2. Pioneer 34M95 Population/ Acre: 1. 32,000 2. 42,000 P&K Fertilizer Placements: 1. Control 2. Broadcast 3. Shallow Band (6 ) 4. Deep Band (12 ) 5. Shallow + Deep (6 and 12 ) Note: P 2 O 5 rate was 88 pounds/acre, and K 2 O rate was 115 pounds/acre All plots received a uniform 2 x 2 starter of 14 28 14 (N,P,K).

Corn Yield Response to Fertility Placement, West Lafayette, IN, (2001-2003). Yield (bu/acre) 220.0 200.0 180.0 160.0 140.0 120.0 100.0 b abab a a B A A A A Control Broadcast Band 6" Band 12" Band 6" and 12" 2001 2002 2003 CONTROL Soil-test P (0-4 ): 15 25 30 (4-8 ): 15 15 21 Soil-test K (0-4 ): 94 143 161 (4-8 ): 107 101 110

Importance of fertilizer management to uniformity in ear size at high plant populations Control Deep Band at 6 + 12

Six inch Band P and K Placement Effects on Strip-till Corn Yield (mean of 2 hybrids, 2001-2007) Yield (bushels/acre) 260.0 240.0 220.0 200.0 180.0 160.0 140.0 120.0 100.0 b a ab 2001-2003-2005-2007 Control Broadcast P & K Deep-Band P & K Soil-test P (0-4 ): 22 (4-8 ): 21 Soil-test K (0-4 ): 186 (4-8 ): 94

Corn yield response to deep banded vs. broadcast P and K (2-yr mean) Source: Fernandez. Univ. of IL.

Illinois Corn Response to P&K Check (0P-0K) Yield (bu/a) 175b NTBC 182a STBC 184a STDB Source: Fernandez, Univ. of IL

Soybean yield in Illinois in Response to Broadcast versus Deep Band Source: Fabian Fernandez, Univ. of IL

Micro-Essentials Banding Project for 2013-2015

RTK Guidance & Nutrient Placement Conclusions

RTK Guidance & Nutrient Placement Conclusions 1. P and K fertilizer placement: No evidence of advantage for deep banding at full crop removal rates. 2. UAN and NH 3 fertilizer: Rate, timing, and proximity to corn row are important considerations in avoiding injury while promoting even and optimum N availability to all plants.

Acknowledgments Funding: John Deere Fluid Fertilizer Foundation IPNI USDA-NIFA Equipment: John Deere Cropping Systems Unit Remlinger (Kalida, OH) Environmental Tillage Systems Seed: Pioneer Hi-Bred, Int.

Thanks!

Corn Response to Deep Banding at 6 Depth

Residual Effects of Fertilizer P and K Placement in Corn on Subsequent No-till Soybean (2002-2006) Planting 5/10/04 Soil sampling (June/04)

Six inch Band P and K Placement Effects on Strip-till Corn Yield (mean of 2 hybrids, 2002-2004-2006) Yield (bushels/acre) 260 240 220 200 180 160 140 120 ab b a b a a a b b 100 2002 2004 2006 Control Broadcast P & K Deep-Band P & K Soil-test P (0-4 ): 104 (4-8 ): 94 Soil-test K (0-4 ): 164 (4-8 ): 125

Soil P concentrations in spring 2008 following third strip-till corn cycle for a corn-soybean rotation In-row 0-4" In-row 4-8" Mid-row 0-4" Control Broadcast Deep-Band Mid-row 4-8" 0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 Soil P (ppm)

Soil K concentrations in spring 2008 following third strip-till corn cycle for a corn-soybean rotation In-row 0-4" In-row 4-8" Mid-row 0-4" Control Broadcast Deep-Band Mid-row 4-8" 20.0000 0 40.0000 60.0000 80.0000 100.0000 120.0000 140.0000 160.0000 180.0000 200.0000 Soil K (ppm)

Historic Broadcast versus Deep-Band Fertilizer Effects on No-Till Corn Yield (2009) Yield (bushels/acre) 220.0 Control Broadcast P & K 210.0 Deep-Band P & K 200.0 190.0 180.0 170.0 160.0 150.0 c a b Soil-test P (0-4 ): 22 (4-8 ): 21 Soil-test K (0-4 ): 186 (4-8 ): 94

Corn Yield Response to Tillage and Rotation on Drought-prone Soil 19th 18th 21st Annual National No-Tillage Conference Corn yield, bu/acre Tilled No-till Perry, 2008-2011 200.0000 150.0000 100.0000 50.0000 0 Cont Corn Soy-CornS-Wheat-C W-S-C Rotation Source: E. Nafziger S

Corn yield, bu/acre Corn Yield Response to Tillage and Rotation on Drought-prone Soil Tilled No-till Perry 2012 90.0000 67.5000 45.0000 22.5000 0 Cont C Soy-C S-W-C W-S-C Rotation Source: E. Nafziger