A PUBLICATION DEDICATED TO MAXIMIZING YIELD POTENTIAL

Well Fed Roots, the Foundation for Yields

There are several ways to ensure roots are well fed during the growing season. Fall strip tillage combined with fertilizer placement is showing steady growth as one of the ways.

Tom Niewohner 12 row strip-till rig with Yetter MaverickTM Openers

Strip-till has many benefits, one of which is a significantly warmer, drier planting zone. Loose, mellow soil encourages rapid root development which allows quicker contact with bands of nutrients to jump start yield potential. Plus, the balance of untouched residue helps retain soil moisture.

Tom Niewohner of Onawa, Iowa has been strip-tilling for the past two years. Along with his own 1300 acres he custom strips another 1700 acres for his neighbors. A real believer in strip-till, Niewhoner uses the Yetter Maverick^TM Opener to place fertilizer for next years corn crop exactly where he wants it. His experience with strip-till has shown dramatic yield improvements of 10-15 bushels per acre. He attributes this to more even stands in places that have had emergence problems in the past. “I definitely see the benefits in the tighter river bottom land that normally stays wetter in the spring. The strips dry out faster, plus they are warmer so I can plant earlier”, says Niewohner. The Onawa area received a 4” rain five days after Niewhoner finished planting. In past years that would have meant drowned out seed, but the loose mellow soil in the strips improved water drainage and prevented this from happening. Strip-till aided during the dry late-summer months by retaining moisture and eliminating the need for irrigation.

Instead of using markers to keep the strips lined up Niewhoner utilizes a hands off GPS Guidance System that he has been involved in developing. Along with the guidance system Niewhoner uses an air delivery system for dry fertilizer application. To finish off his strip-till rig Yetter Maverick^TM Openers were mounted on a 12 row toolbar. The Maverick^TM Opener was chosen because it constantly moves the right amount of residue and builds uniform sized berms, both crucial elements for successful strip-tilling. Niewhoner adds, “Considering the number of acres I strip each fall, I have to have an opener I can count on for acre after acre of trouble free operation, and that’s what I get with the Yetter Maverick^TM.

Like Niewohner, many growers are starting to realize strip-till is a move in the right direction to maximizing yield potential. In the end strip-till provides a solid Return on Investment through higher yields and lower input costs while saving time.