I seed cereal rye at 50 pounds per acre right after soybean harvest. Later in the fall I use a Dawn Pluribus strip-till unit with a Flexi-Coil air cart to apply phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in the strips. I terminate the cover with glyphosate 2 weeks before planting, and then make another pass with the strip-till unit with The Mosaic Co.’s K-Mag fertilizer or additional fertilizer before planting.

Strip-tillers need to allow time for the cover to grow in the fall before strip-tilling, but you must strip-till before there’s too much growth, or the rye doesn’t get buried in the strips very well. The corners and headlands can be a challenge to work properly for planting. You can make gentle curves or pick up the strip-till rig and make shorter straight passes.

I plant with a John Deere 1760 12-row corn planter with a Flex frame, row cleaners, Keeton Seed Firmers, one rubber and one Dawn Curvetine closing wheel and drag chains, along with dual 2-by-2-inch 28% liquid N and liquid starter fertilizer in-furrow. I use a 2630 monitor SF1 for guidance and a 250 John Deere monitor.

Planting in the straight strips in the terminated cover works really well. I have no problem keeping on the strips when I take the time to square up the headlands and corners with the strip-till rig. There are still a few times I get off the strips and some of the clay soils are tougher to manage.

Just have patience with the process. Each year you’ll get better with the system.