Orthman/Ohio State University Offers an Approach to a New Tomorrow

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Published February 8, 2019 | By Mike Petersen

 

The team of specialists at Ohio State University under Dr. John Fulton are studying the values of how a Strip-Till Systematic approach to alleviating compaction, providing an ideal seedbed and then setting up the tillage zone with precision placed nutrition works.  This last season [2018] at the Molly Caren Center which is just west of Columbus, OH some 10-12 miles just off I-70 and at the Clark County, Ohio research facility, Fulton and staff demonstrated and have published their results in their 2018 eFields Report (which is out electronically and in published forms).  We at Orthman are providing an 8row-30 inch 1tRIPr along with a Salford twin bin 10 ton steerable fertility cart, with flow control apparatus and technical expertise as they study placement [shallow/medium depth/deep and broadcast], and variable down-force rates on the planter in the strip-zone compared to other systems approach.  And I do say – the results show great promise for growers in the Eastern Corn Belt and westward to consider a system that can save money, labor, fuel, trips across the field, water, soil erosion concerns lessened, an emphasis on applying phosphorus products, fertilizers applied in more crop appropriate quantities, and potential yield improvements.

 

I do want to direct your eyes and fingers at the computer to check out www.agcrops.osu.edu/people to touch base with Ohio’s Extension folks another way is to reach out to Dr. Elizabeth Hawkins who is a major part of the eFields Program; hawkins.301@osu.edu.  One can download the report if so desired  by going to https://digitalag.osu.edu/efields/efields-reports. It may behoove folks who are in the eastern Indiana, Western Ohio to Michigan region to make it to one of the four upcoming public review meetings being held to go over the 2018 results/studies: February 13th 9:00 to Noon EST Clinton County Extension office, Wilmington, Ohio or February 20th, 9:00-Noon EST, at Robert Fulton Ag Center, Wauseon, OH; February 27th, 4:30-8:30pm EST at RG Drage Career Conference Center, 2800 Richville Dr. SW, Massillon, OH and last one – February 28th, 9:00-Noon EST at Upper Valley Career Center, Adult Applied Technology Center, Piqua, OH.  There is a host of great studies and data presented in the eFields report.  Let me tease you with some information I gleaned quickly as I have gone through the 195 page report.

 

eFields Strip-Till Fertilizer Placement Study
   study located at Molly Caren Ag Center, London, OH
Treatments: Harvest Grain Moisture % Yield    (bu/acre)
Broadcast-NoTill 17.3 214.0
Broadcast-ST 13.6 210.0
Shallow(0-3″) 16.9 218.0
Medium(3-6″) 17.0 216.0
Deep (6-9″) 17.0 216.0
   Rate of P2O5 was 150lb/ac in all plots
Amt of precip during season 24.1 in.

 

Changes may not seem all that huge but efficiency of the P products do show that there can be an advantage to placement.  There are other locations across the U.S. that depict the placement can and is greater than this year at OSU.  Watch for those results with your own eyes.

 

We at Orthman Mfg are very pleased to be working with Ohio State University’s Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering to bring this and other studies to you.  Check out the report and/or visit with the Extension offices that are having these meetings right here quick.

 

Mike Petersen, Lead Agronomist-Orthman Manufacturing, Inc.

 

 

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