A flexible fertility program and a homemade rig helps Wisconsin strip-tiller Alan Sweeney attain a 30-bushel per acre increase over no-till, while saving 15% on fertilizer costs.

Do you remember more than 10 years ago, when researchers and Extension staffers were doing all they could to make strip till a reality? Back then the practice - also widely referred to as zone till - showed a lot of promise, but there were also a lot of headaches.

Soybean is a crop that can remove significant amounts of nutrients per bushel of grain harvested. Because of this, soybeans can respond to starter fertilizer applications on low-testing soils, particularly phosphorus.

There has been a great deal of interest in recent months in the idea of using nitrogen fertilizer during the growing season to increase soybean yields.

Streator, Ill., strip-tiller Larry Tombaugh has enjoyed his share of rewards that come with the risk of experimenting with fertilizer application.

There is widespread concern about potential sulfur (S) deficiencies in corn and soybeans in the North Central region. Sulfur is relatively immobile within the plant, so symptoms usually appear in the new growth. Atmospheric deposition used to supply a considerable amount of plant available S (about 8 to 15 pounds per acre annually), but with the implementation of the Clean Air Act, this amount has significantly decreased.

Manufacturers and early adopters are working out the kinks for this technology, which would let farmers pair different brands of tractors and implements and reduce confusion and clutter in the cab.

Poultry litter can provide a significant and important supply of nutrients for crop production in areas where a supply of litter is available. Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma rank among the largest producers of poultry in the U.S.

For some farmers, their early transition to strip-till conjures up fond memories of higher yields or improved fertilizer placement, while for others, building those first berms serves more as reminder of how far they've come in their operation.

Mike Starkey reviews what he's learned from onfarm trials and the changes he's made to his fertility-management practices throughout the years. This No-Till Farmer webinar is being made possible with support from Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers. [To view any of our webinar replays, you must be logged in with a free user account.]