Tom N - 2/19/2025 13:59

I agree with your statement. I have been fall strip tilling for 21 years. Cutting back about 20% on fertilizer rates for what it calls for. Some years I’ll put on the rate it calls for plus do a side by side test with the cut rate. I just have not seen a difference in yield between the two.

I do use 4 gallons of Riser starter in the spring on the seed when I plant. Last fall I added ESN to the P&K mix in the strip. Before I was using about 50lbs of N as a carrier for the corn chemicals that are applied right after I plant. I did not like broadcast N as the young corn roots would not reach some of it.

This kind of all fits in keeping most the plants nutrients within a 15 inch band of the corn plant. My coulter side dress bar has Y drops that lay 40% of the N application right in the row. The other 60% is applied by the coulter 15 inches away.

Biggest advantage of strip till over no till on this river bottom is the ground is 6 to 8 degrees warmer on the strip than in the no till area between the strips. If planting in early April that is a big advantage to have.

I use 3pt mounted strip till bar and planter with RTK guidance. It makes nutrient placement pretty easy.

Tom N.