John Werries, his son Dean, and one employee are no strangers to making adjustments year-to-year to combat the unpredictable conditions of their Chapin, Ill., operation of no-tilled beans and strip-tilled corn.

In a farming career spanning over four decades, not much fazes Mike Cerny at this point. From downturns to data and drones, the “combo-tiller” knows better than to get carried away with any given industry breakthrough, although he is always willing to at least give one a try.

For decades, the spring season was consistently stressful for Sparland, Ill., grower Jay Riddell. He dedicated days to running a field cultivator though his 1,500 corn and soybean acres while hoping for a suitable seedbed to plant into.

Within the 10-mile radius where father-and-son Doug and Steve Rotenberger farm, field variation is vastly understated. Across their 3,500 acres are sandy, high drainage soils along the east to heavier, gumbo-type soils encompassing most of the west.

After years of strict conventional tillage at Billing Farms, the family-run corn, soybean and wheat operation out of Enderlin, N.D., couldn’t help but wonder if a better option existed to maximize fertilizer investment for corn in the early 2000s.

While visiting with two different strip-till operations in central North Dakota last week, a pressing topic ahead of planting season centered on the best program for liquid nitrogen application, specifically in terms of accuracy and time savings.

North Bend, Neb. strip-tiller Chris Armstrong was just over the age of 30 when he made the switch to strip-till in 2014. That first year, he also decided to enroll in the Pioneer Encirca nutrient management program, investing $10 per acre in creating a database with a goal of more accurately applying fertilizer based on field-specific prescriptions.

The greatest of growing seasons has little effect on Trent Sanderson’s approach to cover crops across his family’s 2,000-acre corn, soybean and wheat operation in Clare, Ill. In his mind, more can always be done to maximize the value of every field, whether it’s a new seed variety, application method or frugal machinery investments.