Needham Ag - Successful No till Wheat Into Corn Residue (And Spreading Corn Residue).

A short video showing the challenges when no-tilling wheat into corn residue, so start out right by spreading the residue as evenly as possible with the combine. Then, follow up by ballasting and adjusting the drill/air-seeder to plant into the corn residue.

[@edelm6062]

Would there be a way to try and put some type of row cleaner ahead of the seed opener? Thanks.

[@NeedhamAg]

@@edelm6062 We have spent lots of time over the past 20+ years, helping to test and refine a row cleaner for a single disc opener - to help part corn residue, but there are too many challenges. The main one is there isn’t anywhere to go with the high volumes of residue (if the residue is light you don’t need a row cleaner).

[@bigtractorpower]

Interesting details on no till wheat into corn.

[@NeedhamAg]

@@bigtractorpower Thanks Jay!

[@MegaBomboloni]

Could running a mulcher before planting be useful?
And how about using seeder with coulters rather than disc seeder? Like Horsch sprinter, or the corn residue would pull up and pile up between the coulters?

[@NeedhamAg]

@@MegaBomboloni We strongly discourage mulching corn residue ahead of a no-till single disc drill.
These are the primary reasons based on our research over 25-30 years.
1. When you mulch corn residue ahead of the drill, it dramatically increases the material on the soil surface that the drill has to cut through, which reduces stand counts and early plant health.
2. Mulching corn residue leaves a mat of residue on soil surface (compared to leaving stalks tall and standing). This reduces the soil temperature, especially early in the spring (with winter wheat) and slows early spring growth.
3. Mulching residue increases the carbon penalty and often reduces plant health in the fall and early spring (with winter wheat).
4. Mulching corn residue is slow and expensive, plus our research shows higher wheat yields come from leaving corn stalks standing as tall as possible (compared to mulching ahead of the drill).
5. Some mulchers don’t spread the material evenly and leave heavy streaks like this video shows.
If your drill pulls up piles, you need to switch to a drill which can handle the residue.

[@MegaBomboloni]

@@NeedhamAg tnx for reply

[@daehlerfarms]

A Gleaner will do the best job sprending residue. Just have to have it set. 40ft for any brand isn't hardly achievable especially if theres some wind.

[@NeedhamAg]

Which Gleaner do you run? The one in the AGCO video (taken at the NFMS) didn’t look very good at 3.37 in this video.

[@daehlerfarms]

@NeedhamAg Personally run older R series. With 24ft head i can way over spread it's width and it will be even. On newer machines the spreader needs to be running full speed with an X pattern on the channels for it to spread even and wide. From what ive seen locally, anything wider than 30ft the residue doesn't get spread like it should. Ever with Deere power cast there are streaks of heavy and light residue.