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On this episode of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by DigiFarm, Andrew Focht takes us inside his strip-till operation in Villisca, Iowa.
Focht has increased his yields each year since switching to strip-till 2 years ago. He shares his nutrient management plan, which includes phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) applications in the fall, nitrogen (N) applications in the spring and variable rate N applications throughout the growing season. He explains how his strategies are helping him increase N efficiency and cut back on P and K by 30% while increasing yields to over 300 bushels per acre on some fields.
Focht also discusses the benefits of his unique starter fertilizer mix that includes liquid chicken manure, explains how cover crops play an integral role in his system and why networking is key when adopting strip-till.
Use the promo code DIGIFARM to receive 15% off your 2024 National Strip-Tillage Conference registration. Head to StripTillConference.com to download the program and register.
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The Strip-Till Farmer podcast is brought to you by DigiFarm.
DigiFarm VBN is an RTK corrections provider utilizing our privately owned network across much of the US. We work with all brands of GPS receivers and have numerous ways in how we can deliver our RTK corrections. DigiFarm has our in house designed modem elevate and our popular Bluetooth device called the Beacon used in conjunction with our DigiFarm VBN app. We also can use other OEM installed modem devices along with displays that have NTRIP capabilities.
DigiFarm VBN provides industry leading technologies, support, and resources to the dealer as well as end user. DigiFarm VBN uses its own base stations to create a virtual base giving the end user greater accuracy and reliability at industry leading pricing.
DigiFarm VBN is used in the AG industry by growers, producers, ag retailers, agronomist, and provides dealership opportunities to precision ag dealers. DigiFarm continues to grow not only by our ever-expanding network but also by growth in autonomy , robotic and drone technologies as they become more common place in our industry.
Full Transcript
Noah Newman:
Hello and welcome to another edition of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast. Great to have you with us. As always, I'm technology editor, Noah Newman. Thanks to our sponsor, DigiFarm. I want to remind you that you can save 15% off your National Strip-Tillage Conference registration fee by typing in the promo code DIGIFARM when you sign up at striptillconference.com. And the conference takes place August 8th and 9th in Madison, Wisconsin. Would love to see you there.
All right. Today we're catching up with strip-tiller, Andrew Focht, who's been strip-tilling for only a couple years now. We're going to talk to him about his fall and spring nutrient applications, how he's using some pretty unique stuff in his starter fertilizer blend, as well as biologicals and cover crops. Let's jump right into the conversation.
Well, first of all, tell me how everything's going this planting season.
Andrew Focht:
Well, everything's planted for the first time. I've got a little bit to go replant here, waiting for this rain maybe tonight, and then hopefully it dries up in the next couple days and I can get in and replant a couple spots that drown it out from just water sitting on top.
Noah Newman:
Yeah, tell me where you're located and tell us a little bit about your operation as well.
Andrew Focht:
I'm located down by Villisca, Iowa, which is in Southwest Iowa. I'm all corn, that's all I do. I do strip-till. I do some cover crops, just trying to build some organic matter and increase biology.
Noah Newman:
So 100% strip-till on corn?
Andrew Focht:
Yeah, 100% corn-on-corn.
Noah Newman:
So when did you make the switch to strip-till and what were you doing before that? Were you conventional or no-till?
Andrew Focht:
Yep. So this is my second full year of strip-till. I was full-till with deep tillage and then I vertical till in the spring and then plant it. So now the first year I went to strip-till, I just stripped it in the fall and put everything down. And then this last year here, in 2024, I did it in the fall with my P&K and then in the spring with my nitrogen and sulfur.
Noah Newman:
Interesting. Okay. Well we'll jump into the fertilizer aspect of your operation here in a bit, but I'm just curious, so what were your big motivations or reasons for switching to strip-till?
Andrew Focht:
Well, I didn't feel like I needed to be doing full-width tillage and I wanted to leave the residue out there. I have a little bit of a background in conservation. I worked for NRCS for 11 years, so kind of saw it work for different people across Iowa and just intrigued me of putting the nutrients right where the plant needs it as well.
Noah Newman:
Yeah, absolutely. So what kind of strip-till equipment do you use? What brand is your bar?
Andrew Focht:
So I have a SoilWarrior dry bar.
Noah Newman:
How many rows is it?
Andrew Focht:
It's a 12 row.
Noah Newman:
And jumping back into the timing, so you're making strips in the fall, tell me about the nutrients you're putting in there and what approximate rates, if you don't mind sharing that as well.
Andrew Focht:
Yeah, I ran it in the fall with just my P&K, so it's actually MEZ and Potash, but it's a 0-50-60 is what I put on. That's kind of how I came to with my soil test and what I'm seeing in my tissue samples. So that was my fall program.
And then I do have some wet bottoms that I did use ESN in, so I did put the nitrogen so that I didn't have to go back this spring in case it was wet. So that would have, basically, a hundred total pounds of nitrogen between the ESN urea and ammonium sulfate and then there'd be six pounds of zinc in there.
Noah Newman:
How did you come to find that that way of applying your fertilizer was going to give you the most bang for your buck?
Andrew Focht:
Well, I'm still learning. That was what my agronomist that I deal with, him and I talked about it in the extent of what we wanted to do, especially the first year. But this last year, we just took what we learned from the first year, modified it a little bit. But I was going to try to lower my nitrogen efficiency by putting it on closer to the crop. So that's why I decided on most of my acres, I made a second pass this spring with my ESN urea, and then ammonium sulfate and zinc, and then planted back on that strip.
Noah Newman:
And talking about wanting to improve your efficiency, especially when it comes to nitrogen, what rates are you hoping to get down to about 0.8 pounds of nitrogen per acre or what's your goal as far as that goes?
Andrew Focht:
That's my goal for this year was 0.8, somewhere 0.8, 0.85. Just been, I don't know, historically right around that one to one-one. So I just feel like I can do a better job and I'm just still trying to learn. I did some stuff last year in trials, some worked, some didn't. So I'm just still trying to figure out, dial it in exactly what I want to do going forward.
Noah Newman:
Yeah, I mean you're only on year two, so like you said, you're just kind of getting started with this. So you're doing the on-farm trials, I guess tell me a little bit about that and how many acres are you doing those and what are some of the key lessons you've learned from those?
Andrew Focht:
Oh, I've got so many trials. As far as the strip trials, strip-till trials, I've got about three on different rates, just bumping it up as I go percentage-wise. Last year, so totally, I've dropped my P&K about 30%. Some say you can go more, some say less. For me, that's worked so far, 30%. But when I lowered my nitrogen last year, I did some 50% reductions, last year, and I really took a hit where I reduced my nitrogen and just postponed it till later in the season to make up the difference.
Noah Newman:
So you're finding that you're able to cut back more on the P&K, but nitrogen, there's only so low you can go with that.
Andrew Focht:
Exactly. And I don't know if it's just getting tied up in the carbon to nitrogen ratio, because, I mean, there's such a penalty there for the corn-on-corn and the cover drops and I don't know if I'm getting tied up there but still trying to learn for sure.
Noah Newman:
What would you say is your goal in terms of how much you're hoping to trim your fertilizer bill? Is there a certain percentage?
Andrew Focht:
I mean, my overall percentage. I was hoping to get down like 25% from when I started.
Noah Newman:
And that's a large number. I mean, that'd be a game-changer for you, right?
Andrew Focht:
It would be, but I'm doing some other things too that I'm going to be doing that I'm hoping will help with that too. So it's not just the strip-till. I'd say with the strip-till my goal was like 10% reduction.
Noah Newman:
I see. Would you say that's been one of the top benefits, and it's all a year too, but would you say that's one of the top benefits of strip-till for you, just increasing the efficiency and being able to cut down on fertilizer bill by a little bit?
Andrew Focht:
Yeah, I wouldn't say that's the only benefit for me. I mean, for the corn-on-corn, it helps me with residue management as well. And it just, with the ... I'm putting biologicals out there in the fall and then it seems like when I run that strip-till my residue for really, really good corn, there isn't much left in the spring.
So I'm really happy with this program that I went to this year. Because last year, the first year, after planting, I had a residue issue because the wind blew my corn stalks back over my row and then we got a big rain and it just made a mat.
Noah Newman:
Oh man.
Andrew Focht:
So I did replant 30-some acres last year, which isn't a lot, but it's a pain in the butt and it just looked like crap all year.
Noah Newman:
Yeah, the residue management, that always seems like the biggest challenge for people that we talk to, and once you get that figured out, it seems like you're on your way.
Andrew Focht:
Yeah, that's what I've noticed first this year when I was planting. I'm like, "God, I just don't have the residue," and it's just nice to plant into that nice strip and knowing that all my fertility's there. And I think that the biology in that strip from not disturbing the whole area should be really, really good as we go through the season.
Noah Newman:
Are you using any kind of starter fertilizer or anything with the planter?
Andrew Focht:
I do. I do put on a starter. I'd tell you what it is, but there's so many different little things in there. It's kind of my own custom blend. I don't know how deep you want to go into that one. I use some liquid chicken manure at a gallon per acre, along with some biologicals, some stress mitigators, and some stuff like that.
Noah Newman:
So the liquid chicken manure, that's pretty interesting. You don't hear about that too often. Yeah. Tell me a little bit about that. What are some of the benefits of that and how'd you come to add that in your arsenal?
Andrew Focht:
Well, that's a new one for me. So I have a trial on it on two different farms and about 250 total acres that I did. So Mutiny Crop Protection is the one that I get it from. They basically came out with it this winter and I learned about it and it's like a 4-11-0 4-17-0. And just talking to them about it and learning more about how they get the product, I'm like, "Gosh, chicken manure is always great if you can get it."
So they said about putting it in furrow. So just kind of one of those things where I don't know a lot about it really until harvest, so I'm just excited. I mean, it smells like chicken manure, so you know it's the real stuff, so.
Noah Newman:
So that just goes towards your goal of increasing the biology in your soil?
Andrew Focht:
Correct.
Noah Newman:
And let's burn a quick time out. Here's a message from our sponsor DigiFarm. DigiFarm VBN is an RTK corrections provider utilizing our privately owned network across much of the US. We work with all brands of GPS receivers and have numerous ways in how we can deliver our RTK corrections. DigiFarm has our in-house design modem Elevate and our popular Bluetooth device called the Beacon used in conjunction with our Digifarm VBN app.
We also can use other OEM installed modem devices along with displays that have in-trip capabilities. DigiFarm VBN provides industry-leading technologies, support, and resources to the dealer as well as the farmer. DigiFarm VBN uses its own base stations to create a virtual base, giving the end user greater accuracy and reliability at industry-leading prices.
And again, get 15% off your national strip-tillage conference registration with the promo code, DIGIFARM. That's promo code, DIGIFARM, for 15% off. Head to striptillconference.com to register for the conference, which takes place August 8th and 9th in Madison, Wisconsin.
Yeah, you said, so there's a lot of stuff in your starter fertilizer program. I know our listeners and readers, they're interested in hearing about all the different kinds of products or anything. So if you can share some of that off the top of your head, what all goes into that?
Andrew Focht:
So chicken litter at a gallon, and then I use some Stoller products, Bio-Forge, which is a stress mitigator, and then I use Fortified, which is kind of a plant growth regulator. And then also I throw in BioPath, which is a biological for nitrogen phosphorus uptake, and then, PhycoTerra, which is a food for the biological.
I'm sure there's something else in there too, but that's all I can come up with off the top of my head. That's kind of the main mix. I put on about five gallon to the acre. I supplement part of that solution with water.
Noah Newman:
Gotcha. Yeah, so there's a lot of stuff going on in there. And is this only the second year you've been doing that as well?
Andrew Focht:
This would be the fourth year of ... I've mixed up my starter solution every year for four years. The one that hasn't changed, I guess, that I didn't mention is Xyway. I put Xyway, it's not on the seed, but it's off to the side. I build a Y system so it doesn't drop it right on the seed for my starter. It's just on the edge of the trench.
Noah Newman:
So a Y system you built on your ... custom built that on your planter or how does that work?
Andrew Focht:
Yep, yep. I think it's a totally tubular system, and so what I did was just take an inch of plastic hose with some clamps and then bought plastic Ys that are about an inch long on each side. And then it just kind of goes on the trench so it doesn't hit the seed is kind of what I went with because that fungicide, Xyway, it's not supposed to go on the seed now, so.
Noah Newman:
I see.
Andrew Focht:
Had to come up with something a little different.
Noah Newman:
And then how does the placement work for the rest of your starter fertilizer program? How close are you putting that to the seed?
Andrew Focht:
I mean, it all goes together.
Noah Newman:
Oh, okay.
Andrew Focht:
So it's all in the same spot. Yep.
Noah Newman:
I see. I see.
Andrew Focht:
Yep.
Noah Newman:
So what would you say have been the top benefits or how's your starter fertilizer program impacted your crop recently, would you say?
Andrew Focht:
Well, I think a lot of it I see stay grain longer throughout the season and through grain field and I don't know how to explain, but it increases the maturity length. It matures faster than some other, the stuff that doesn't have starter. I don't understand that completely, but it's the way it is. I don't know if ... Emergent seems to be about the same, but I do have better plant health through the whole growing season. I don't ever, I don't say ever, but most of the time I don't have that ugly corn phase.
Noah Newman:
Yeah, that's good to hear. Do you make any other nutrient applications in season?
Andrew Focht:
Yes, I do top dress nitrogen and sulfur in season. Use the Adapt-N program. My agronomist runs it based on rainfall and then what our yield goal is and tells us how much nitrogen we've lost, how much has been used, and how much we need to apply based on certain dates and rainfall.
Noah Newman:
Oh, that's interesting. And what are you using to apply that?
Andrew Focht:
In the past it's been just a ground rig and broadcast spreading it. This year I'm hoping to try some Y-drops.
Noah Newman:
And it's called Apply-Ns. That's the first time I've heard of that. Can you tell me a little bit more about that program, how it works?
Andrew Focht:
The Adapt-N?
Noah Newman:
Oh, Adapt-N, Adapt-N, yeah. Sorry.
Andrew Focht:
I would love to say I know a lot more about it, but basically you put in your planting dates, they have all your soil tests, soil, what you've applied, all your applications. And then it also takes into account all the rainfall on different soil types based on your soil tests and soil types and everything.
Puts all that together and says, "Okay, your yield goal is here based off of ..." We've come up with a trend, and then it calculates how much nitrogen's been lost due to weather or pushed too deep that the plant can't get until later on and just kind of factors in on a variable rate basis that we can go out and apply fertilizer to try to meet our yield goal.
Noah Newman:
Interesting. Yeah, I mean every year is different. So it sounds like you don't go into every year with a certain hard number on what you're going to apply. You're changing up a little bit every year, it sounds like.
Andrew Focht:
Yeah, well, yeah, it's multiple times through the field, or not one pass, but it's variable rated, so it can vary anywhere from, I think, 50 pounds is the minimum up to, say, 220 pounds.
Noah Newman:
And what form is the nitrogen in for that, that you're top dressing?
Andrew Focht:
It's either ESN, or part ESN, part urea, depending on what the rainfall factor looks like when I do that. The wide drops will be 32% with a humic or in full of it with it to buffer some salt and some ATS is the plan, if I do get it, do some wide drops this year.
Noah Newman:
Gotcha. You mentioned the cover crop earlier at the beginning of our conversation, so what species are you using and how is that kind of helping play a role in your operation?
Andrew Focht:
Well, that's one of those things where I'm still learning, so I flew it on. I've done a little bit of cover crops here and there in the past, and so I flew it on last fall and with us being so dry, I think it was like, oh, end of August, first of September, they flew it on, and then it just never rained.
So very, very sporadic cover crop emergence this year. But it did get good growth this spring with the rains and everything else, but just one of those things trying to increase my biology and that's kind of the goal with it.
Noah Newman:
Is it cereal rye or?
Andrew Focht:
Oh, sorry, cereal rye and wheat.
Noah Newman:
Oh, I gotcha. Yeah.
Andrew Focht:
[inaudible 00:17:38] species.
Noah Newman:
About how much are you applying?
Andrew Focht:
I think it's 20 pounds of each, I think is what it is.
Noah Newman:
20 pounds of each. Gotcha. And is that on most of your acres? All your acres?
Andrew Focht:
All of them.
Noah Newman:
All of them, okay. Yeah, I've heard of some guys making strips through terminated cover crop ground. Are you making strips right on through the cover crop, living cover crops, or how's that working for you?
Andrew Focht:
Well, the cover crops are out there, and then when I make my strips in the fall this year, I think it pushed a lot of the cover crop seed out to the side, which was a good thing for me. So in between the row I had better sand to cover crop and I didn't have it in my strip so much, so I didn't have to worry as much about termination.
I mean, I still worried about terminating early enough, but it just seemed like I didn't have that. I had a nice buffer between the cover crop and where my seed zone is, so I'm hoping I don't see any yield hits from that.
Noah Newman:
Yeah. Well, speaking of yields, how have those been since you switched to strip-till? I know it's only been a couple years, but what kind of impact has strip-till had on those so far?
Andrew Focht:
Well, they've increased every year. That's the one thing that I have noticed. I've had the best two crops the last two years that I've ever raised, so I'm hoping this year's better. But with all, I think in a drought I'm better off. I farm a lot of bottom ground that can get wet, and so a little wetter year, I might see a little yield drag. So we'll see how that affects things. But the last two years have been really, really good. Some of the best yields I've ever had.
Noah Newman:
Wow. That's great to hear. Are you up? What's your average, are you over 250?
Andrew Focht:
I think last year was 264 across everything.
Noah Newman:
Wow. Yeah. That's really good.
Andrew Focht:
Yep. I had my first field average over 300 bushel last year.
Noah Newman:
Well, that's got to be a good feeling for you when you see the results. You go out on the limb and make a major switch and it's paying off. How does that make you feel? Pretty good, I would imagine.
Andrew Focht:
Yeah, it does make me feel pretty good, but I like to learn, so it is taxing my brain sometimes. I'm like, "Well, what can I do better?" That's what I said, my biggest limiting factor on yield is myself, so it's what I need to learn and being picky enough to do it the right way. So just trying to learn all the time.
Noah Newman:
Yeah. I was just going to ask you if you had any advice for people thinking about switching to strip-till or first time strip-tillers. Would that pretty much be it, that just always be willing to adapt and learn?
Andrew Focht:
Yeah, you have to be willing to adapt to learn and listen to guys that have done it before you. I went to the strip-till conference there a couple years ago. Went right after I bought my strip-till machine, and that was eye opening to be able to talk to other farmers and just pick their brain. And then become friends with them and be able to call them and say, "Hey, what have you seen in the past in this situation? Or how would you do it?" That's just been so vital is just the networking in that group.
Noah Newman:
And that'll wrap things up on this edition of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast. Thanks to Andrew and thanks to our sponsor, DigiFarm. Again, 15% off your strip-till conference registration fee with the promo code, DIGIFARM, at striptillconference.com.
Thanks so much for tuning in. Until next time, for all things strip-till, head to striptillfarmer.com. Have a great day.
