Posted by coonie minnie on November 22, 2016 at 18:20:09 from (50.123.238.251):
In Reply to: No Till discussion posted by Dave from central MN on November 22, 2016 at 12:39:57:
We have no-tilled for 31 seasons on some of our ground, and it has been the best management change we have ever made. We have some advantages... good drainage, and we operate a dairy, so we have manure. Yes, manure is your friend in no-till. It will stimulate a lot of earthworms, and they do a lot of natural tillage, much more effective than any tillage tool or subsoiler. We started in 1986 with a 7000 planter planting into alfalfa sod. We had some home made coulters attatched to the planter made from plow coulters, and no special closing wheels. It worked wonderfully, and we have not plowed any sod since.
Only one year did we have an issue, and that was in 2000 when we updated to a 7200 with unit mounted coulters. That spring we had 80 degree, dry weather in late April, and the ground was hard. We had no extra down pressure springs on the planter, and twice the coulters we had to push into the ground with the same springs as we had on the 7000. We ended up removing the no-till unit mounted coulters, and the units went in the ground fine. I think you will find a JD planter will close the trench in most any condition.
No tilling corn into bean stubble is a no-brainer. You will most likely not need any additional coulters or trash whippers, or special closing wheels to do this. We did that next.
Next, we went to no-tilling into bean stubble with 12,000 gallon of semi solid manure to the acre surface applied the fall or winter before. This will work just as well as no manure. Planting into bean stubble, as mentioned, requires NO extra equipment. I WILL SUGGEST, HOWEVER, put 40-50 units of N down with the planter in a 2x2 placement. You can handle the rest of the N application as you see fit, but put a good chunk down close to the row. This helps a lot.
No tilling corn into corn stubble is more challenging. It is best to try to plant between the rows.... we don't use the marker when planting in full corn residue, instead we use last year's row. I would recommend row cleaners in this scenario, and a coulter (I prefer frame mounted, as we have rocks). Again, put 40-50 lb of N down with the planter, near the row.
No-till corn into wheat stubble... the same as above. Be agressive with the row cleaners. Throw the wheat stubble away from the row. Slugs love wheat straw. Plant a cover crop after the wheat.
No-till beans.... it is hard to screw this up. If your land has been no-till for a few years, the worms etc will break down a lot of the residue. We frequently plant beans into 2 years of 200-270 bu corn residue with a 750 drill. No residue management other than I have the drill set up so that no depth wheels run on the stalk residue if I follow the old corn planter tracks. If planting with a corn planter, I would suggest you use the method I described with planting corn after corn.
Other benefits of no-till... more profit. No expensive iron to maintain. We planted through 2014 with 2 4020s. Not cause we had to, but because we could. We went to a larger drill in 2015, and Dad turned 70 (it was suggested he would last longer if I put him in a sound gard;)) and so now we plant with a 4450 and and a 4455. 1100 acres of corn, bean, alfafa, and wheat. Better yields. We have the best yields in our county. Ask FSA. It isn't meant to brag. It is a fact. Less fuel used. The diesel guy asked me a few years ago when we were going to plant. I told him we were done. He looked disappointed. We can plant with about .7-.75 gal per acre including spraying. We use far more fuel feeding cows, moving manure, and harvesting forage.
Go for it. It will work. Don't cheat on weed control. Put fertilizer close to row in corn. Rotate crops. Pay attention to details. Avoid compaction. It will work. There are plenty on here that will tell you, I tried it years ago, and it didn't work. But it will. Technology has improved since the 80's. And mother nature never tilled. Wildlife surface applied manure. 365 days a year. As farmers, we can never fight nature and win. We need to work with and succeed.
You probably think I am full of SH@#$t, but I am not. Google UW Discovery Farms, and search for Koepke Farms. That is us. Or search Howard Buffett's work for us. Or No-till farmer. Or Successful Farming. Or our Facebook page or labellecheese.com. Or if you email me, I will help if you promise to try.
Good luck,
John Or email me. We will help you- and it will be better for your land, and better for your pocketbook.
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