Learning how to be more efficient and more productive with less tillage!

1. @WheatPete
Strip Till
Peter Johnson
WheatPete.com
peter.johnson@bell.net
519 318 2040
Answers?
@WheatPete

2. @WheatPete
www.realagriculture.com
Sirius Satellite 147: Rural Radio

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Lake Erie
Richards et al., 2002
Agricultural Phosphorus…
0.4 lbs/ac/yr

5. Location
Background P and K treatment
ANOVA
P >F
P<20
K<120
P>20
K<120
P<20
K>120
P>20
K>120
bu/ac
Elora (5 yrs) 124 c 124 c 151 b 172 a <0.001
Bornholm (5 yrs)
Lucan (3 yrs) 188 b 204 a 186 b 206 a <0.001
Ridgetown (4 yrs)
Average
17 site-yrs
ALL starters
Corn yield response to background fertility
-- averaged across starter treatments --
Mean separation within location statistically significant at P=0.05 @cropdoc2 #SWAC17

6. Location
Background P and K treatment
ANOVA
P >F
P<20
K<120
P>20
K<120
P<20
K>120
P>20
K>120
bu/ac
Elora (5 yrs) 124 c 124 c 151 b 172 a <0.001
Bornholm (5 yrs) 178 bc 183 bc 184 b 192 a <0.001
Lucan (3 yrs) 188 b 204 a 186 b 206 a <0.001
Ridgetown (4 yrs) 202 c 212 ab 206 bc 213 a <0.001
Average
17 site-yrs
ALL starters 172 c 180 b 181 b 196 a <0.001
High P+K
starter only
187 c 195 b 190 c 200 a <0.001
Corn yield response to background fertility
Mean separation within location statistically significant at P=0.05 @cropdoc2 #SWAC17

7. @WheatPete
Fertility
 13 bushel/acre corn moderate soil test
 4 bushel/acre soybean moderate soil
test
 11 bushel/acre wheat moderate soil
test
 10 bu/ac corn starter on planter

8. @WheatPete
P Loss
 Surface flow: particulate P
 Surface flow: Dissolved Reactive P
 Tile flow: macropore flow

9. @WheatPete

10. @WheatPete
Soil Movement vs. Soil Loss
Soil Movement within Field Soil Loss (Sedimentation)
(productivity) (environment and productivity)
!

11. @WheatPete
Production Cost
of Erosion
11
Iowa Data (Rick Cruse, Iowa State U)
• Estimated 6.8 inches of
topsoil lost in Iowa over last 150
years
• Cost $300M/yr
(Kasemi et al, 1990)
3 bu/ac/yr
11 bu/ac/yr

12. @WheatPete
Erosion Costs Yield!
65 bu/acre 201 bu/acre
Huron County, Ontario
Soil Erosion Rate Estimate
4.2 tons/ac
Soil Erosion Rate Estimate
0.5 tons/ac
Source: R. Wilson and M. Veliz, ABCA Crops
and Creeks Project

13. @WheatPete
Strip Till
 Reduced erosion
 Reduced particulate P movement
 Reduced DRP
 Reduced tile P
 Increased crop P efficiency
 Increased yield?

14. @WheatPete
RESEARCH!!

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17. @WheatPete
Protocol
 Standard tillage vs strip till
 Yield zones (low, medium, high)
 No fertilizer
 2/3 rate
 Full rate (removal plus soil test factor)
 Full rate plus sulphur

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0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
2/3rds Full Full + S
%changePhosphorus
Amount of Crop Removal
% Change Phosphorus Pre-Plant
Standard
Strip

27. Tillage Influence on Soil-test P (ppm)
0 20 40 60 80 100
No-till
Strip-till
Fall Chisel
Fall Plow
0 to 4"
4 to 8"
Vyn, Long term tillage trials 1975-2015

28. @WheatPete

29. Tillage Influence on Soil-test K (ppm)
0 100 200 300 400
No-till
Strip-till
Fall Chisel
Fall Plow
0 to 4"
4 to 8"
Vyn, Long term tillage trials 1975-2015

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33. @WheatPeteAaron Daigh NDSU

34. @WheatPeteAaron Daigh NDSU

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-5%
-4%
-3%
-2%
-1%
0%
1%
2%
3%
1 2 4 6 7 8 9
Net Difference in Yield (all zones) Strip Till/Standard

56. @WheatPete

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58. Yield Response to Timing and Placement
of MESZ Fertilizer in 2015
Source: M. Winters and T.J. Vyn

59. Three Year (2013-2015) Average Yield Response to
MESZ Banding with and without Starter 10-34-0
200
205
210
215
220
225
230
235
NT NF FSW NF FSW ZM SSW ZM FSW SSW N FSW BM SSW
N
FSW ZM SSW
N
Yield(bu/ac)
Grain YieldNo Starter
Starter
Source: M. Winters and T.J. Vyn

60. @WheatPete
Strip Till Answers?
 8” wide X 6” deep fall
 Rough is okay (fall)
 Plant on the strip!
 Refresh spring? OPTIONS!
 Seed to soil contact
 Potash!

61. myveritas.ca
Thank you to project supporters
This project was funded in part through Growing Forward 2 (GF2), a federal-
provincial-territorial initiative. The Agricultural Adaptation Council assists in the
delivery of GF2 in Ontario.
Grain Farmers of Ontario
Middlesex Soil & Crop Improvement Association

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