Ferrie: Do Fall Tillage if Fields are Dry, Consider No-Till Corn and Soybeans for 2023
As harvest continues in central Illinois, Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie says he is fielding a lot of calls from farmers about whether to do fall tillage.
For the most part, his recommendation is to proceed with it if field conditions are dry, which they are in so many parts of the Midwest.
“Remember, these fields will have to be level to sterile seedbed into them next spring,” he says. “Waiting (until next spring) for it to dry enough to level fields could push you out of the slot for getting planted early or cause you to level fields when they are wet and lay in a compaction layer.”
With harvest conditions being so dry this fall, Ferrie says he believes next year will be a great year to no-till both soybeans and corn.
“You won’t have wheel tracks or ruts to deal with,” he says. “You do need to think about a winter burndown to keep fields clean before planting next spring.”
Along with that perspective, Ferrie also shares some initial results from the 2022 Farm Journal Field Test Plots. Here is a brief summary:
Soybean Planting Date Plot
In this plot, Ferrie’s team planted 2.6, 3.4 and 4.6 maturity soybeans. Each maturity was planted on April 12, April 27 and May 12.
The 2.6 soybean results: By moving from May 12 up to April 27, there was a 2-bushel increase. Moving from April 27 to April 12, there was a 5-bushel increase.
In the 3.4 soybeans: the harvested plot showed an 8-bushel increase moving from May 12 up to April 27 but only a 1-bushel increase moving from there up to April 12.
In the 4.6 soybean: Yield picked up 3 bushels moving from May 12 up to April 27 and another 5 bushels moving up to April 12 planting.
“So, it looks like a 7-bushel to a 9-bushel gain from planting on April 12 versus May 12,” says Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist. “This does surprise me a little bit on the basis that it took forever for those April 27 and April 12 soybeans to get out of the ground. So that's kind of interesting.”
Impact of 15-Inch Versus 30-Inch Rows
Ferrie also looked at the performance of bush beans compared to narrow-row soybeans. The bush beans were planted in six maturity groups from a 2.9 up to a 4.0 in both 15-inch rows and 30-inch rows.
“It looks like the narrow-row beans did respond to narrower rows by 3 to 5 bushels, meaning they were 3 to 5 bushel better in fifteens than they were in 30s,” he says. “But it looks like the bush beans had no response to row spacing. So that too is kind of interesting.”
Sulfur Plot
In this plot, Ferrie evaluated a variety of different sulfur products and various application timings and their impact on soybeans. Overall, he saw a positive yield response of between 2 and 5 bushels in the plot.
“Now, the data in these Farm Journal campus plots is not well replicated, but it will be presented this winter at our virtual Corn & Soybean College on January 5, 2023, as a lot of you guys want to know how those plots do,” he says.
Corn Planter Fertility Plot
Ferrie says his initial finding this fall is there is a yield difference between fertility applications in these plots but not as significant as what he saw in 2021.
His takeaway: “When corn comes out of the ground in four to five days, it probably doesn't need as much help as we typically would expect,” he says. “There are responses, but they are smaller.”
Corn Fungicide Plot
In the area around Ferrie’s location, Heyworth, Ill., fungicide plots are not showing a lot of response because disease pressure in the area was less severe this season than last. He expects to see more response in plots where more disease pressure was present.
However, Ferrie notes excellent yield results in one fungicide plot where the weather was ideal this season.
“With 15 entries, the plot averaged over 300 bushels per acre. Matter of fact, only one entry went under 300 bushels,” he says. “Dryland plots like that are far and few between.”
Get Ferrie's complete comments below, in his Boots In The Field podcast:
Ferrie: Here’s What the Textbook Photo Finish Looks Like in Corn
From the Combine Seat: Weed Prevention Starts in the Fall
Farm Harvest's Bitter Realities of Death and Injury
5 Ways You’ll Grow Corn Differently in 5 Years
Rethink Your Seed Selection Process for 2023
