Stefan Zehetner – Hensall, ON

Ken Nixon – Ilderton, ON

Residue – Bad Reputation in 2015

Late Corn Harvest in Fall of 2014

2 Frost Events in May 2015

Corn Injury – esp May 23rd

Replanting Early Planted Soys

Black Dirt Guys Never Skipped a Beat

Did the Equivalent of Going Back to Our Old Cheating

Boyfriend / Girlfriend (The Plow)

We Know It’s Not Healthy,

But We Can Predict the Result.

Residue is NOT the ENEMY Residue is Essential to Healthy Soils Which Produce High Stable Yields

We Need Organic Matter, Starts as Residue – Crops & Cover Crops

Organic Matter (The Soil Sponge):

Stores and Releases Water as Needed

Stores and Releases Nitrogen and Other Nutrients

Prevents Compaction

Reduces Puddling and Surface Sealing

Can’t Buy It… We Earn It.

Organic Matter

1) Quit Burning it Off With Tillage

2) Grow More High Residue Crops – Corn, Cereals

3) Perennial Forages – Root Mass/No Tillage/Manure

4) Limit Carbon Negative Crops –Soys/Edibles/Veggies

Grow Cover Crops to Mitigate…

5) Import Manure If Feasible

Earthworms are Surface Feeders

Tillage Empties the Pantry & Leaves the Fridge with a Jar of

Pickles…

High Yields With High Residue

is Possible With Management Changes

1. Combine Spread Residue Your Full Cutting Width

Chopper Upgrade

Header Width Reduction

Spread Chaff Rotaries – Drop Straw, Must Spread Chaff

Walker Machines – Chaff Spreader a Must

Residue Has Nutrients – Treat it Like Fertilizer

2. Cereal Harvest Cut Low / Chop Fine / Spread Wide

4 Months of Decomposition

Need Residue on the Soil

Mow or Clip if Necessary

3. Soybeans / Edibles Roll after Planting – Harvest &

Decomposition all Summer

Spread Chaff (Pods)

Improve Spread on Dry Bean Combines

4. Cornstalks… i. 200+ bu. Yields – 50% more stover!?!?

ii. Genetics Focussed on Plant Health – Stalks & Roots

iii. Bt Event

Management:

iv. Row Width Reduction x Population Increase

v. V–tassel Fungicide Plant Health + Overspray on Soil…?

vi. Late Season N + Fungicide…

vii. Later Harvests That Go Late.

viii.Cornheads – (Chopping / Processing)

More Decomp: South of Interstate 80, South of I -70

Chopping Head Replaces Separate Stalk Shredder Pass for Sizing

Ontario..? Early – Benefit, Late – Detriment (esp. on Snow)

Trade Heads? No – Raised / Tipped / Slowed Down

Stalks Tall & Together in Late Harvests

5. The Longer Soil is Left Undisturbed, The Faster Residue Breaks Down 6. Rotations – Long & Diverse are Better

7. pH > 6.5 Microbes and Fungi 8. Cover Crops To Hasten Decomposition

• FARM 1100 ACRES

• CORN, BEANS, WHEAT, BEANS

• 4-YEAR ROTATION

•2013 HARVEST 1st RYE

• 2014 HARVEST 1st OATS

• 2015 HARVEST 1st BARLEY

• 2016 1st SUNFLOWER, BUCKWHEAT, CHICKPEAS/FABA BEANS/COWPEAS

• FUTURE 8+ YEAR ROTATION

• 30’ CONTROL TRAFFIC

YOU TUBE – PLANTING GREEN IN HURON COUNTY