By TOM J. BECHMAN

THE problem is twofold for Roger Wenning of Greensburg. Most of the

soils he farms are rolling, but they’re also wet in the spring. No-till helps minimize soil ero-sion. Yet residue on top in the spring holds in moisture and keeps soils cooler.

He believes his answer is strip till. More common in fl atter regions, strip till clears a zone for the row that can warm up and dry out faster.

Here’s where his story be-

Homemade strip-till rig gives no-tiller fl exibility

STRIPS THROUGH COVER: Zones for planting are already formed in this fi eld, even where soil is blanketed by a growing cover crop.

Key Points■ Homemade strip-till unit creates

strips for a small investment.■ Deep fertilizer applications in

strips could improve effi ciency. ■ A rolling basket crumbles soil to

improve seedbed.

comes unique. Not knowing for sure how well strip till would work, he elected to rig up his own strip-till machine. A year ago Wenning ran the fi rst strip-till rig built from scratch, and liked what he saw. This winter,

building an improved model was one of the fi rst projects he completed in his new shop. Able to run it in early April, he again likes what he sees.

To build his upgraded unit, he started with a Case IH 900 cyclo-planter frame, then raised the dry starter fertilizer tanks so fertilizer would fl ow into strip-till knives more easily. He added a toolbar and coulters out front. That portion came from an old anhydrous toolbar.

Build to suitPlacing fertilizer 6 inches deep is one of the secrets, Wenning believes. He intends to use it to apply most of his phosphate

and potash fertilizer. Mole knives run where fertilizer is applied with disk-sealers fol-lowing behind each knife.

“It’s kind of like putting feed in a trough for hogs versus just scattering it out,” he explains. “I believe corn plants will fi nd the fertilizer quicker if it’s deep-banded near the row.”

Wenning made individual rolling baskets for each row out of a steel rod for his original rig. He mounted a crumbler, as he calls it, on one row of the new rig. After running it earlier this spring, he decided to make one for each row.

“If you get rain, it helps settle it down without a crumbler,” he notes. “But the basket just helps smooth it out and makes a better seedbed.”

To work on Wenning’s farm, a strip-till rig must be able to go through cover crops. He’s found that his current unit does a good job of forming a planting zone and deep banding, even where a cover crop grows. The key is not spraying until after plants that might have been covered by dirt work free, he notes.

Strip till in the fallMany people prefer strip tilling in the fall, especially if they’re running knives several inches deep. Wenning prefers doing it in spring on his soils. “There’s just too much chance for soil erosion if we ran in the fall,” he says.

Once strips are made, he returns and plants with his six-row Kinze planter.

HOMEMADE AND HANDY: This strip-till unit assembled from scratch helped Roger Wenning get into strip till without spending big bucks.

Information about the soybean checkoff request for referendumAccording to the Soybean Promotion and Research Program, an automatic producer review of the soybean checkoff program is

required every five years. This automatic review provision in the law requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct a request for referendum. Each person who was a producer of soybeans in the United States and who provides documentation that they, or the producer entity they represent, have paid an assessment on soybeans at least once from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2008, would be eligible to request a referendum. Only those producers who desire a referendum should participate. Participation is voluntary.

Producers who do not want a referendum need not take any action.

Producers who desire a referendum may request such by completing Form LS-51-1, available at the Farm Service Agency (FSA) office in the county where FSA maintains and processes the producer’s administrative farm records. Producers who do not participate in FSA programs may obtain a form at the county FSA office that serves the county where the producer owns or rents land. Form LS-51-1 may also be obtained via the Internet at http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsmarketingprograms. Producers may obtain a form in person, by mail or by facsimile from May 4, 2009, through May 29, 2009. Requests made in person or by facsimile must be received in the county FSA office by May 29, 2009. Mail-in requests must be postmarked by May 29, 2009, and received in the county FSA office by June 5, 2009. Producers also need to attach documentation such as a sales receipt to this form showing that the producer, corporation or other entity paid assessments on soybeans during the period from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2008. FSA will determine a producer’s eligibility and notify all producers who are ineligible to participate in the request for referendum process.

For more information on request for referendum procedures, please contact your local FSA office or visit www.ams.usda.gov/lsmarketingprograms.

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www.IndianaPrairieFarmer.com - May 200922TECHNOLOGY/MACHINERYTECHNOLOGY/MACHINERY