Balancing Steel and Herbicides to Reduce Resistance:Farmer Perspective

Craig FleishmanCardinal Farms

Minburn, IA

Why Ridge-tillage helps accomplish……

• Soil Health• Weed Control• Erosion Control

NEBRASKA STYLE● Lower Rainfall● Buffalo-Till System (Developed by

Fleischer Mfg. Columbus, NE)● Buffalo Planter with Sweeps and

Guards● Cultivator with Disk Hillers● Two Cultivations● No or Little Herbicide● Non-GMO or Organic Seeds● Rotary Hoe for Weed Control● Make 6” - 8” Ridges Every Year● Furrow or Pivot Irrigation● Very Adaptable to Organic, Longer

Rotations or Integrated-Crop and Livestock Systems

● Wider Rows Needed 30” - 38”

The Steel Versus Herbicide Balance

in Ridge-Tillage Craig Fleishman

The Balance All Depends on the Weather!

Conventional Planter with Ridge Cleaners

Corn and Soybean Strip-Cropping

MINNESOTA STYLE● Higher Rainfall● Econ-O-Till System (Developed by

Jim Johnson Hiniker Comp. Mankato, MN)

● Conventional Planter with Row-Cleaners● 0 - 1 Cultivations without Disk Hillers● Broadcast Herbicide● Roundup Ready or Liberty-Link

Compatible● Rotary Hoe to Dry-out Ridges● Make 3” - 4” Ridges Every 2 - 3 Years● Chemical Cultivation with Drops● Irrigation Not Needed● Need Good Drainage● Some Potholes “Return to Nature”● Narrow Rows 22” - 30”

0% Herbicide

100% Steel

50% Steel

50% Herbicide

0% Steel

100% Herbicide

●Band P&K into the Ridges

●Conventional Planter with Ridge Cleaners

●Band Spray (10”)with Planter

●Rotary Hoe to Dry-out Ridges; Sometimes to break crust

●Early Post-Glyphosate/24DE Burndown

●1st Cultivation with Disk Hillers and Side-Dress NH3or UAN (Corn Only)

●Cultivation = Oxygen in Soil = Mineralization =

Synergistic Affect

●2nd Cultivation with Ridging Wings; Narrow Sweeps; No Hillers

●6” - 8” Ridges Every 1 - 2 Years

●Spot Spray Weed Control for Escapes

●Fence-Row Management

●Corn-Corn-Soybean Rotation

●Corn-Corn Pre-Clean for Blacker Strips

●Corn-Soybean Strip-Cropping

●Cover Crops in Bean Stubble

●Seed Down Headlands to Oats

●Maintain Grassed Hay Headlands

●RR-Corn and Soybeans Treated Like Non-RR

●RTK Makes It Work Better

50%-Herbicide/ 50%-Steel Craig’s Goal Band P&K into the

Ridges

1st Cultivation

Corn-Corn Pre-Clean for Blacker Strips

Nebraska Style•Lower Rain Fall•Buffalo-till System (Developed by Fleischer Mfg. Columbus, NE)•Buffalo Planter with Sweeps & Guards•Cultivator with Disk Hillers•Two Cultivations•No or little herbicide•Non-GMO or Organic Seeds•Rotary Hoe for Weed Control•6”-8” Ridges every year•Furrow or Pivot Irrigation•Very Adaptable to Organic, Longer Rotations or Integrated with Livestock•Wider Rows Needed 30”-38”

Minnesota Style

• Higher Rain Fall• Econ-O-Till System (Developed by Jim Johnson

Hiniker Comp Mankato, MN)• Conventional Planter with Row-Cleaners• 0-1 Cultivations without Disk Hillers• Broadcast Herbicide• Roundup Ready or Liberty-Link• Rotary Hoe to Dry Out Ridges• 3”-4” Ridges Every 2-3 Years• Chemical Cultivation with Drops• Irrigation Not Needed• Need Good Drainage• Some Potholes “Return to Nature”• Narrow Rows 22”-30”

“50/50” My Goal• Band P&K into the Ridges• Conventional Planter with Ridge Cleaners• Band Spray (10”) with Planter• Rotary Hoe to Dry out Ridges; Sometimes to break crust• Early Post-Glyphosate/24DE Burndown• 1st Cultivation with Disk Hillers & Side-Dress NH3 or UAN in Corn Only• Cultivation=Oxygen in Soil=Mineralization=Synergistic Affect• 2nd Cultivation with Ridging Wings; Narrow Sweeps; No Hillers• 6”-8” Ridges Every 1-2 Years• Spot Spray Weed Control for Escapes• Fence-row Management• Corn-Corn-Soybean Rotation• Corn-Corn Pre-Clean for Blacker Strips• Corn-Soybean Strip-Cropping• Cover Crops in Bean Stubble• Seed Down Headlands to Oats• Maintain Grassed Hay Headlands• RR-Corn & Soybeans treated like non-RR• RTK Makes It Work Better

Early Post-Glyphosate/24DE Burndown

Spot Spraying for “Weed Escapes”