Abstract
The need for tillage in corn and soybean production in the Kansas River Valley continues to be debated. The soils of the Kansas River Valley are highly variable, with much of the soil sandy to silty loam in texture. These soils tend to be relatively low in organic matter (<2%) and susceptible to wind erosion. Although typically well drained, these soils can develop compaction layers under certain conditions. A tillage study was initiated in the fall of 2011 at the Kansas River Valley Experiment Field near Topeka to compare deep vs. shallow vs. no-till vs. deep tillage in alternate years. Corn and soybean crops are rotated annually. This is intended to be a long-term study to determine if soil characteristics and yields change in response to a history of each tillage system.
Highlights
The need for tillage in corn and soybean production in the Kansas River Valley continues to be debated
Yields of corn or soybeans did not differ due to tillage in the setup year of the study (Table 1)
In 2014, the corn yields were very good and Sudden Death Syndrome lowered soybean yields, but there were no differences between tillage treatments (Tables 2 and 3)
Summary
Trends from a tillage study conducted since 2011 are beginning to show that corn yields are greater when there is an occasional deep tillage. The yield of soybeans have not been affected significantly by tillage systems ranging from no-till to conventional tillage every year
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