strip tillage for corn: new developments for successful adoption · 2011-01-18 · 1 strip tillage...

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Strip Tillage for Corn: New Developments for Successful Adoption

Tony J. Vyn,with assistance from farmers, graduate

students, technicians, and colleagues

Indiana Tillage Data, 1990-2003

24

60 5956

36

2122

21192216

60

38

4855

343433

2925 30

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1990 1993 1996 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003

CornSoybeanAll Crops

(percent of total cropland for specific crop in a no-till system)

Source: Purdue University-Transect Data

Proceedings of Indiana Crop Adviser Conference 2004

© Purdue University

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2002 Indiana Cropland Tillage MapPercent of all Corn Fields planted using No-till

2002 Indiana Average is 21%

<

No data available

> 60%

Source: Purdue University-Transect Data

So What is Problem?

Planting Date?

Nutrient Availability?

Pests?

Yields?

Maturity?



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Poor Stand Establishment?

Corn Response to Tillage and Rotation

West Lafayette, IN, (1975-2003)

188714698173No-till

999167103182Ridge*

897164100177Chisel

5- - -169- - -176Plow

%% of plow yield

Bu/ac% of plow yield

Bu/ac

Yield Gain for Rotation

Continuous CornCorn/SoybeanTillage



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Corn Yields Following Soybeans, Chisel Vs. No-till,

West Lafayette, IN, 1975-2003.

50

100

150

200

250

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Bus

hels

/acr

e

Chisel

No-till

5 per. Mov. Avg.(Chisel)

5 per. Mov. Avg.(No-till)

Population densities of Soy. Cyst Nematode Population densities of Soy. Cyst Nematode under different crop sequences and tillageunder different crop sequences and tillage



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Long-term Tillage Effects on Soil Organic Matter (1975-2003, West Lafayette, IN)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

30 - 40"

20 - 30"

12 to 20"

6 to 12"

2 to 6"

0 to 2"

No-tillPlow

Soil

Dep

th (i

n)

Organic Matter (%)

Long-term Tillage Effects on Soil Available P & Exchangeable K with Broadcast Application(Soybean-Corn Rotation, 1975-2003, West Lafayette, IN)

0 100 200 300 400 500

12-20"

6 to 12"

2 to 6"

0 to 2"

No-tillPlow

Soil Depth

Soil K (ppm)

0 50 100 150 200

12 - 20"

6 to 12"

2 to 6"

0 to 2"

No-tillPlow

Soil P (ppm)

Soil Depth



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Going Deeper??

Strip Tillage for Corn



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Fall Strip-till Option?

What are we after?

Yields(relative to no-till; stability)Planting Timeliness

(pre-plant soil conditions)Fertilizer Placement Efficiencies(systems approach)



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Berm Heights in Spring after Successful Strip Tillage

Soil Drying Pattern (0-6”) after Wheat (ON, 1999)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Moldboard

Strip-till 12"

Strip-till 6"

No-till

April 27 May 1 May 4

Wheat

Moi

stur

e (%

)



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Strip-till versus No-till Corn after Wheat (Belmont, ON)

153 149 149142148

80

100

120

140

160

180

Moldboard Chisel Fall Disk Strip-till No-Till (baled)

Tillage Effects on Corn Yield After Wheat

Centralia and Wyoming, ON (1994-96)

Yie

ld (b

u/ac

)

153 148 149 149 142



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Wheat Residue Effect on No-till Corn Yields

80

100

120

140

160

180

Fall Strip-till

No-till (not baled)

No-till (baled)

No-till(bare)

Fall Strip-tillNo-till (not baled)No-till (baled)No-till (bare)

149135

142 149

Centralia & Wyoming (1994-96)Y

ield

(bu/

ac)

Opoku, Vyn & Swanton (Agron. J. 89:549)

50

75

100

125

150

Plow Chisel Strip-till No-Till

Tillage Effects on Corn Yields After Soybean (Hooker, Avg. of Alvinston and Fingal, ON, 1994-96)

Source: Dave Hooker, 2000

Yie

ld (b

u/ac

))

127 120 127 120

a b a b



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Fall Strip-till 8” depth

DMI 2500with Mole Knife

Fall Strip-till 12-14” depth

John Deere 955 Deep Ripper

Rolling Basket



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Accumulated Soil GDD Pre-Planting 1999-2001, IN

0

10

20

30

40

50

Fall Moldboard Strip-till 13" Strip-till 8" No-till w/ RowCleaners

Soil

GD

D abaa

b

1999 Soil Penetrometer ResistanceAverage Soil Moisture = 25%

Penetrometer Resistance (MPa)

0 1 2 3 4

Dep

th (c

m)

0

4

8

12

16

20

24

28

32

36

40

Fall MoldboardFall Disk OnlyStrip-till 35cmStrip-till 20cmNo-till

LSD (.05)

NSNS

NS



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2000 Soil Penetrometer ResistanceAverage Soil Moisture = 36%

Penetrometer Resistance (MPa)

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0

Dep

th (c

m)

0

4

8

12

16

20

24

28

32

36

40

Fall MoldboardFall Disk OnlyStrip-till 35cmStrip-till 20cmNo-till

LSD (.05)

NSNSNSNS

Lsmeans covariate from 8-20cm depth.

Corn yields in Indiana following soybeans in Indiana (1999-2001)

197 185 185 186

020406080

100120140160180200220240

Moldboard Strip-till 13" Strip-till 8" No-till

Moldboard Strip-till 13" Strip-till 8" No-till

Yie

ld (

bu/a

c )



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Photo Credit: Greg Stewart

Strip Tillage for Corn after Corn?



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Strip Tillage for Corn in N. Indiana, Loam (2001-03)

193180

196

177

192

169

100

125

150

175

200

225

Soybean Corn

Fall ChiselStrip-tillNo-till

Yie

ld (b

u./a

c)

Previous Crop

a a b

Planting Date Effects in Indiana, 2003

170

180

190

200

210

220

230

Early Optimum? Early Optimum?

Strip-TillNo-TillChisel

W. Lafayette Pinney-PAC



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Recent Strip Tillage Options

1. Automatic Guidance Systems for Planting Ease

2. Berm Building Alternatives (disk, rolling basket)

3. Residue Clearance options

4. Fertilizer Banding Options

Strip Tillage with Fertilizer Banding



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High Yield Corn Response to Placement

Hybrids: 1. Pioneer 34B242. Pioneer 34M95

Populations: 1. 32,0002. 42,000

P&K Fertilizer Placements: 1. Control

2. Broadcast3. Shallow Band (6”)4. Deep Band (12”)5. Shallow + Deep (6” and 12”)

Sponsor: PPI-FAR 2001-2003

Note: P2O5 rate was 88 pounds/acre, and K2O rate was 115 pounds/acreAll plots received a uniform 2 x 2” starter of 14 – 28 – 14 (N,P,K).

Strip Tillage with Nutrient Bandingin Small-plot Research



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Fertility Placement and Corn Leaf Area(LAI) for Pion. 34B24 from 2001-2003

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

32,000 ppa 42,000 ppa

ControlBroadcastBand 6"Band 12"Band 6+12LA

I (m

3 /m3 )

Placement Effects of P plus K on Leaf K %for Pion. 34M95 in 2003

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

32,000 42,000

ControlBroadcastBand 6"Band 12"Band 6" & 12"

Plants/acre

K %



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Corn Yield Response of Pion. 34M95 to Alternate P plus K Placements in 2003

120130140150160170180190200210220

32,000 ppa 42,000 ppa

ControlBroadcastBand 6"Band 12"Band 6+12C

orn

Yiel

d (b

u/ac

re)

aab ab ab

Corn Yield Response to Fertility Placement, West Lafayette, IN, (2001-2003). (Mean of 2 hybrids and 2 populations)

100

120

140

160

180

200

220

2001 2002 2003

Control

Broadcast

Band 6"

Band 12"

Band 6" and 12"

bab ab a a

Yiel

d (b

u/ac

re)

B

A A A A

“CONTROL”Soil-test P (0-4”): 15 25 30

(4-8”): 15 15 21Soil-test K (0-4”): 94 143 161

(4-8”): 107 101 110



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Six inch Band Placement Effects on Strip-till Corn Yield (mean of 2 hybrids, 2001-2004)

100

120

140

160

180

200

220

240

260

2001 2002 2003 2004

Control

Broadcast P & K

Band P & K

Band P

Band K

b

a a

b

Soil-test P (0-4”): 15 95 30 116(4-8”): 15 73 25 104

Soil-test K (0-4”): 151 139 232 129(4-8”): 71 115 125 104

Yiel

d (b

ushe

ls/a

cre)

a AB B B B

Conclusions

1. No-till corn adoption lower than for soybean; reservations on increased adoption similar in most Mid-west farming areas.

2. Technology changes have improved success rate of No-till and Strip-till.

3. Strip tillage permits increased planting flexibility and opportunity for fertility placement.



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Conclusions (continued):

Fall strip-till provides warmer and drier soil conditions, relative to undisturbed no-till, in the spring before planting. These improved conditions may allow 2-3 days earlier planting in comparison to no-till.

Fall strip-till resulted in lower penetrometer resistance in comparison to no-till at certain depth intervals.

Deeper depths of fall strip tillage resulted in a yield advantage when no-till yields were below conventional-till yields.

Conclusions (continued):

Deep banding of K increased plant K uptake through the R-1 stage (especially at high populations), but did not generally increase final corn yields, relative to broadcast K fertilizer, in our high yield trials at ACRE.

Deep-banded K may still be more beneficial than broadcast K with certain corn hybrids, and certain environments (e.g. high corn plant populations, and highly stratified soils with moisture deficits during June-July).

Relative corn yield advantages for deep banding versus broadcast K may be more likely when no starter fertilizer K is applied, and when total K application rates are lower than those we used. Does deep banding improve efficiency?



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Thanks!

[email protected] page: //www.agry.purdue.edu/staffbio/vyn

Acknowledgements

Case-NH (DMI) Goodfield, IL John Deere (Columbus, OH and Des Moines, IA)Pioneer Hi-Bred International Ltd.Remlinger (Kalida, OH)Purdue Research FoundationPotash and Phosphate InstituteFoundation for Agronomic ResearchOCPA, OMAFRA, AAFC.



strip tillage for corn: new developments for successful adoption · 2011-01-18 · 1 strip tillage...

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