PLAIN CITY, Ohio -- Optimum yields and maximum profits of no-till corn start at planting. Attendees to Ohio's No-Till Conference Dec. 9 will learn what is required to improve seed placement and plant stands with the proper adjustments of farm equipment.
Setting the planter for optimum crop yields is just one of several topics offered at this year's conference, being held at Der Dutchman Restaurant in Plain City. The theme of the event will be "Building Soil -- Building Your Bank Account." The conference will run from 9 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. Registration starts at 8 a.m. and is $25 before Dec. 2 and $30 at the door. It includes refreshments, lunch and conference materials.
There are several critical planter adjustments to get no-till corn off to a good start and several speakers at the Ohio No-Till Conference will offer some of the secrets of success.
Jim Leverich, an on-farm research coordinator with the University of Wisconsin, will provide several tips for modifying machinery to optimize no-till yields, including information on optimum row spacing and population, seed and starter placement, reduced compaction and horsepower, residue management, fertilizer placement efficiency and fertilizer sources and timing.
Bill Lehmkuhl of Precision Agri Services will provide additional information in the areas of planter adjustment most often neglected, including the level of the hitch, planter bar height and proper adjustment of the down-pressure spring.
Other topics being covered at the Ohio No-Till Conference include:
• Nutrient value of biomass, presented by Jim Hoorman, Ohio State University Extension.
• Managing crop residue and cover crops in continuous no-till, presented by a farmer panel.
• Maximizing returns from fertilizer dollars, presented by Joe Nester of Nester Ag Management.
• Selecting cover crops, presented by Alan Sundermeier and Jim Hoorman, OSU Extension; Rafiq Islam, OSU South Centers at Piketon; and David Brandt, Ohio No-Till Council.
The conference is sponsored by the Ohio No-Till Council in cooperation with Ohio State University Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service.
For more information on the Ohio No-Till Conference, contact Randall Reeder at (614) 292-6648 or reeder.1@osu.edu. Mail registration to Mark Wilson, Land Stewards, 1122 Somerlot Hoffman Rd. East, Marion, OH 43302.