When using no-till practices, the soil is obviously not as soft at the surface due to the residue from the previous crop. If you don’t adjust your planting practices to go along with your no-till practices, then your yields will take a hit. Roger Wilcox, one of the speakers at this year’s Practical Farmers of Iowa Annual Conference, talked about what he does to get his planter prepared for the soil in his no-till fields.
Wilcox said he’s been able to find what works best for his operation by keeping up with the planting technology as it came out.
However, soil types can vary greatly, even within the same field. Wilcox said it’s a good idea to collaborate with area farmers to see what has been working best for the land.
Wilcox also encouraged farmers to give no-till a try if they haven’t already.
For more on sustainable farming practices, visit practicalfarmers.org.
