Tillage Systems and Soil Conservation for Corn-on-Corn Tony J. Vyn, assisted by colleagues, graduate students, technicians, and farmers
Ratio of Corn to Soybean Acres (2005) Source: G. Shnitkey, Univ. of Illinois, Farm Economics Facts and Figures (Sept. 15, 2006)
4-State No-till Adoption in 2004 70 Acreage (%) 60 50 40 30 20 Corn Soybean 10 0 Ohio Ind. Ill. Iowa Source: CTIC National Crop Residue Survey
Tillage Choices for Corn after Soybean versus Corn after Corn? Photo Credit: Greg Stewart
What Kind of Corn-Dominant Rotation? Continuous Corn Soybean-Corn-Corn Soybean-Corn-Corn-Corn Soybean-Corn-Corn-Soybean-Corn Soybean-Wheat-Corn-Corn-Corn Alfalfa-Alfalfa-Alfalfa-Corn-Corn-Corn
Corn Yield Means After 5 Years of Soybean (Arlington, WI; 1987 to 2005; Control Treatments) 190 180 175 176 170 Yield (bushels/acre) 160 150 140 130 120 A 18% A 19% 159 B 7% 152 153 152 CD 2% C 3% C 3% 148 D 110 100 C-SB 1st-yr 2nd-yr 3rd-yr 4th-yr 5th-yr Cont Cropping Sequence Source: J. Lauer and T. Stanger, Univ. of Wisconsin
Soybean Yield Means after 5 Years of Corn (Arlington, WI; 1987 to 2005; Control Treatments) 70 60 50 54 59 53 50 50 48 49 Yield (bushels/acre) 40 30 20 B 10% A 20% B 8% C 2% CD 1% D -2% CD 10 0 C-SB 1st-yr 2nd-yr 3rd-yr 4th-yr 5th-yr Cont Cropping Sequence Source: J. Lauer and T. Stanger, Univ. of Wisconsin
Corn Yield Response to Tillage After 5 Years of Soybean (Arlington, WI; 1987 to 2005; Control Treatments) 190 Yield (bushels/acre) 180 170 160 150 140 130 120 174 176 176 176 164 154 160 160 161 144 146 Fall chisel plow No tillage A A A A B D BCD EF BC E BC EF CD F 144 157 140 110 100 C-SB 1st-yr 2nd-yr 3rd-yr 4th-yr 5th-yr Cont Cropping Sequence Source: J. Lauer and T. Stanger, Univ. of Wisconsin
Corn Yield Response to Rotation & Tillage: Southern Iowa Region (2002-2005) Crawfordsville & Chariton, IA Source: M. Al Kaisi, Iowa State
Corn Yield Response to Rotation and Tillage: North-Central Iowa Region (2002-2005) Ames & Kanawha, IA Source: M. Al Kaisi, Iowa State
Nitrogen Management Issues for Corn after Corn with Conservation Tillage Timing: Starter more important (Residues? Planting Date?) Rate: More N for any version of corn after corn than typical corn-soybean rotation?
Corn Yield Response to Tillage and Rotation, Silty Clay Loam, West Lafayette, IN, 1975-2006. Tillage Corn/Soybean Con't. Corn Yield Gain for Rotation bu/ac % of plow yield bu/ac % of plow yield Plow 179.8 - - - 172.4 - - - 4% Chisel 180.1 100% 167.7 97% 7% No-till 175.2 97% 148.8 86% 18%
Average Maximum Soil Temperatures in First 4 Weeks after Planting (1997-2002) Degrees F 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 Corn after soybean Continuous Corn Fall chisel, disk, field cultivate No-till
Ridge-till vs. No-till Continuous Corn
Mean Plant Heights?
Plant Height Variability in Corn after Corn
Grain Yield Response of No-till Continuous Corn vs. Plow + No-till Rotation Corn (1980-1994)
Long-term Tillage Effects on Soil Organic Matter (1975-2003, West Lafayette, IN) 0 to 2" Soil Depth (in) 2 to 6" 6 to 12" 12 to 20" 20-30" 30-40" No-till Plow 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Organic Matter (%) Source: Gál and Vyn, 2007
Long-term Tillage Effects on Soil Density for Soil Equivalent Mass C Calculations (W. Lafayette, 2003) Soil Depth (inches) 0 to 12" 12 to 40" No-till Plow 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 Bulk Density (g/cm 3 ) Source: Gál and Vyn, 2007
Long-term Tillage and Rotation Effects on Total Soil Carbon to a 39.3 depth (1975-2003) Soybean-Corn Continuous Corn No-till Plow Mean Source: Gál & Vyn, 2007 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 Soil Organic C (tonnes/ha)
Chisel Plow or Combination Tillage Tools for Corn after Corn?
Corn Yield Response to Tillage and Rotation, Sebewa Loam soil, Wanatah, IN (1997-2006) Tillage Corn/Soybean Con't. Corn Yield Gain for Rotation bu/ac % of chisel, d.,fc. yield bu/ac % of chisel, d.,fc. yield Fall chisel, disk, field cultivate 195.3 - - - 180.7 - - - 8% Fall chisel, field cultivate 193.5 99% 181.9 101% 6% Fall disk, field cultivate 197.4 101% 178.3 99% 11% No-till 189.7 97% 167.2 93% 13% Source: West and Vyn, 2006
No-till Corn Yields Continuous as % Of Rotation Loam Soil, Wanatah, IN (1997-2006) Percent 110 105 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 97 98 99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 Rotation Continuous Source: West and Vyn, 2006
Corn after Corn with Stover Removal? Stuart Birrell, Ag and Biological Engineering, Iowa State
Questions about Corn Stover Removal Feasibility for ethanol production? Effects on soil properties (physical and chemical)? Improved situation for No-till Continuous Corn?
Successful Strip Tillage after Soybean and with Reasonable Soil Moisture Conditions Source: Norm Source: Larson, Elburn Norm Co-op, Larson, IL IL
Strip Tillage for Corn after Corn?
Surface Residue Cover (%) after Planting Loam Soil, Wanatah, IN, 2001-2004 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Soy Corn Previous Crop Chisel Striptill No-till
Strip Tillage for Corn after Soybean and Corn in N. Indiana, Loam Soil (2001-2006) Yield (bu./ac) 220 200 180 160 202 204 197 a a a 188 a 187 a 176 b Fall Chisel Strip-till No-till 140 120 Soybean Previous Crop Corn
Increased Corn Demand Drives Rotation and Tillage Choices?
Successful Continuous, Conservation-till Corn Depends on: 1. Soil properties (texture, drainage, slope, structure, nutrient status) 2. Tillage system selected and how it is adapted (e.g. striptill versus no-till, depth/timing adjustments) 3. Associated management (hybrid selection, fertility, etc.) 4. Don t go beyond second-year corn unless you have superior soil structure.
Successful Continuous, Conservation-till Corn Depends on: 4. Compaction patterns / controlled traffic? 5. Long-term factors: (e.g. Number of years of corn in succession; manure; corn stalk harvest?) 6. Research investment over the next decade!
Acknowledgments Funding: USDA-CASMGS Purdue University Mary S. Rice Farm Fund Foundation for Agronomic Research (PPI or IPNI) John Deere & Co. Equipment: Case-DMI (Goodfield, IL) John Deere Cropping Systems Unit Remlinger (Kalida, OH) Seed: Allen County SWCD Pioneer Hi-Bred, Int. Beck s Hybrids