Second round of cultivating corn. Non gmo soybeans get cultivated and foliar fed, R1/R2 beans

[@leeforeman3656]

Good afternoon, Jon. Your crops are looking great. That strip till does a fantastic job. Look after the soil, and the soil will look after the crop. 👍

[@TheBnbonthebeach]

Looking good

[@dustinadams9136]

Iron blite 😂I had a lot of that when I cultivated. Looks like you got a really nice unit now.

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

It's a similar faimly of disease as tire blight, very hard to tell The two apart. But they have the same treatment program and show up at the same time.

[@jayhedtke1012]

I might hav to borrow that cultivator next yr. Corn looks pretty good. Did you do a test strip with the cultivator?

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

Not really. I didn't do every field,

[@dennisdeville8984]

Patiently waiting for you to go organic 😂

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

@dennisdeville8984 I would never be certified, hate living in a box, weather it's organic or the zero till club...

[@dennisdeville8984]

Fair enough, still love what your doing though

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

@dennisdeville8984 thanks. We need to be flexible

[@jvin248]

Jon, your high protein heirloom beans; look into heirloom corn seeds for the protein burst too (Reid yellow dent is 3x commercial hybrid/gmo, bloody Butcher is 4x and Blue Hopi is 5x).

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

Oh really? Interesting.

[@AlextheDutchDairyfarmer]

It is looking good!

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

@@AlextheDutchDairyfarmer This is the first year in several that I am feeling really optimistic

[@chrisbertrand3989]

Have you ever looked into growing natto soybeans ? Would fit your geo. Well big premiums for them, also im really not trying to be a smart ass but it seems like you are doing more and more tillage lately what is up with that ?

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

I will look into them beans. These beans have a healthy premium. Some tillage, like the cultivator and finisher, are to reduce chemical use and get oxygen into the soil. If we look at the function and definition of healthy functioning soil, I need to do a little tillage to help my transitioning process. Long term goal is to have lots of rich fertile functioning no till soil. Also have some fields that are getting rough. I dont care about wearing a no till hat and bouncing the teeth out of my head. If I have to do a little tillage to smooth a field up I will. There are more studies showing that light tillage followed with covers or growing roots is better for the soil than no till with all the chemicals

[@trentsiemens1131]

A few years ago you seemed pretty all in on notill. Did you have problems with that to decide to reintroduce tillage?

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

The cost of chemicals would be my biggest driver of learning how to walk between conventional and organic I have always loved row crop cultivating. I love the moldboard plow, too, but that just doesn't make sense every year like we used to. But the more we learn about soil, I can see in my transitioning soil that it might need a little mechanical assistance to help the transition while we build structure and biology This year is a year of extremes, and how do we say Desperate Measures for desperate times. I would love to keep the row crop cultivator and put some sort of cover crop seeding on it. Greatly reduced the amount of herbicide I use, reduce the amount of cultivating and let roots and plants do what they're supposed to do

[@heathmumm9576]

I’m sorry I haven’t taken much time lately to keep up on KZbin videos but what was the history earlier this spring on the field? Did you do any primary and secondary tillage passes on the field?

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

@@heathmumm9576 One shallow finish pass to smooth ruts. Lots of rain, soil lacking oxygen is the driver of cultivating

[@robmiller2919]

Moisture stops coming up where it hits the cultivator line , breaks that capillary action and the loose dirt on top is like insulation , more effective than crop residue I think.

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

Really, grandpa said cultivate through a drought.that makes sense

[@robmiller2919]

@@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754 , that's what I've been told.....?

[@danw6014]

Hello John. Glad things are drying out. I was wondering if that cultivator can operate in no till conditions with heavier residue?

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

It sure can!

[@mn-1381]

Do you have any fields with a history of high calcium levels or high lime applications? Wondering if those fields this year are “breathing” better in your opinion?

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

No, everything needs lime once in a while. I am going to start using calcium more often and more as a fertilizer

[@mn-1381]

@@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754 I think you’re on the right track with that. I am looking at doing the same thing.

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

@@mn-1381 John Kempf just had a presentation about using calcium as fertilizer also I think what Glenn has been saying is starting to catch a little traction

[@mn-1381]

macropack and the importance of calcium episode? @@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754 macro

[@craigadair128]

Looks nice. You may need to invest in a smaller row crop tractor

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

This is about the smallest I would use on this cultivator. I wouldn't mind a 6 row and the 4430, let the wife sit out there!

[@derricksmith4038]

I thought the rule of thumb was 10 hp per row

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

Normally? Wide sweep several inches deep.

[@kevinkethe4300]

whats with the random rows going off on an angle?

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

Running the planter out !

[@ryecarlson7867]

If you can, evening foliar feeding supposed to be more effective!

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

Yeah. I bet that would, never thought of it, but send them to bed full!

[@ryecarlson7867]

@@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754 Russell Hedrick is always always foliar feeding beans at night

[@ryecarlson7867]

@@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754 no old timer sayings for when you're supposed to foliar feed!

[@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754]

Yeah, I would never sleep, fix and farm all day, and then farm at night to.

[@ryecarlson7867]

@@jonstevensmaplegrovefarms3754 it seems Hedrick literally sleeps almost none. Hope he can live a long life doing that!!!