More no-tillers are finding fertilizing and tilling a 6- to 8-inch narrow band of soil in the fall and planting into this strip the following spring definitely boosts corn yields.

In recent years, there has been an explosion of interest in the use of foliar (leaf) fungicide treatments.

Tom Niewohner farms Luton soils in the Missouri River floodplain. The Luton soil series is formed in clay alluvium, which drains poorly. He says drainage is the number one issue on the river bottoms.

Global supplies of potash could outstrip demand by between 59 and 100 per cent by the end of the decade, a research report from Rabobank warns.

Corn no-tilled into soybean stubble beat strip-tilled corn-on-corn by an average of 42 bushels per acre under irrigation and dryland conditions in a 2011 study Monsanto conducted at its Learning Center in Gothenburg, Neb.

Strip-till and other conservation practices not only preserve soil and water, but also can save growers money, says Tony Vyn, Purdue University Extension agronomist.

Levels of soil erosion have decreased in the U.S. and in Iowa, but soil erosion remains a serious problem, especially for some soils.

In recent years, some no-tillers have criticized strip-till, pointing to instances of severe soil erosion in fields that were strip-tilled up and down hills. But more than 25 years ago, a study by three agricultural engineers at the University of Illinois showed that strip-tilling on the contour effectively minimized soil erosion and limited losses of herbicides and insecticides.

From the standpoint of economics it befuddles me why growers would not desire to give their corn crop the best opportunity to come out of the ground like a roaring lion.

Crop yield can be improved by ensuring adequate nutrient availability. But how should you place the fertilizer and what cropping system gives the best yields?