Learn about the different trials evaluating the benefits of strip-till in South Africa.
Brian Nieuwoudt 076 283 0766 | Graham Bekker 071 838 7313 | Stephan Erasmus 076 949 527
ORTHMAN RESEARCH TRIALS
The purpose of the research trials are to evaluate the importance of early nutrient placement for early vigor, improved root development, setting a higher potential yield, sustainable plant growth all season long and better water usage of the soil profile. We strive to demonstrate how strip tillage can accomplish all of this. This year Orthman South Africa conducted 3 different trials evaluating the benefits of strip-till. One trial was a fertilizer depth trial comparing placing nutrients at 180 mm and 250 mm below the seed. The next trial compared deep ripping at 425 mm then strip-till at 180 mm to just strip-till at 180 mm. The final trial compared strip-till at 250 mm with fertilizer placement at 180 mm to strip-till at 250 mm without fertilizer followed by broadcast fertility placement. Physiological measurements were recorded during the growing season to give indication of differences in treatments and crops were weighed at harvest to measure yield. Orthman is committed to continuing research in agronomics and strip-till and sharing the information with you.
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INFORMATION .……………………………………………………… 5
FERTILIZER PLACEMENT TRIAL …………………………….... 7
DEEP RIP+STRIP-TILL VS. STRIP-TILL TRIAL .………….. 10
STRIP-TILL VS. BROADCAST TRIAL ………………………... 13
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Strip-Till and Planting Information
- Strip-till date - 5 November 2021
o Amount applied. 400kg/ha dry fertilizer strip-till
- Liquid fertilizer with planter. 100L/ha N
- Planting date - 24 November 2021
- Hybrid – DKC72-76BR
- Soil moisture at planting. 38%
- Population planted – 45,000 plants per ha
- Rainfall
Rainfall (mm)
Oct
111mm
Nov
62mm
Dec
102mm
Jan
189mm
Feb
234mm
Mar
52mm
Apr
23mm
Total
773mm
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Fertilizer Placement Study 2021-2022 The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the importance of early nutrient placement and strip-till when it comes to early vigor, improved root development, potential higher yield, sustainable plant growth and better water usage. This trial compared 180 mm placement to 250 mm placement. After planting in season data was collected at 45 days after emergence and again at 83 days after emergence. This data is used to show how treatments will vary from one another and give us an indication of what we will see at harvest time. Total ear and plant height that was collected at 83 days after emergence gave us good reason to believe that 180mm placement depth would yield better than the 250 mm placement depth. This is because both ear height and total plant height were higher than the 250 mm placement. This gave us confidence that the180 mm would in fact be the higher yielding treatment.
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Typically greater ear height and total plant height of the same hybrid can be indicator of higher yield because the plant has produced more vegetative material in order to photosynthesize more resulting in more seed production. These physiological measurements are not always perfect indicators of yield but are generally considered as a fairly reliable method for indicating yield differences during the growing season. Trials were weighed at the time of combining. The results matched what we were seeing in our in-season measurements.
Grain Price R/tonne
Net Return R/ha
Rep 1 Yield t/ha
Rep 2 Yield t/ha
Average Yield t/ha
Nutrient Placement Trial 2022
Strip-till (180 mm)
9.87
10.09
9.98
3900
38992
Strip-till (250 mm)
9.39
9.72
9.56
3900
37284
Advantage 180mm over 250mm R/ha
1708
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Data from two replications show us that corn prefers to take up nutrients placed at 180 mm below the soil surface. Corn where nutrients were applied at 180 mm bellow the soil surface was 4.39 percent higher in yield than the placement depth of 250 mm. This is consistent with other research that Orthman has conducted in other locations over multiple years. Based on the grain price of R3900/tonne and the average of two replications the 180mm placement depth would have a net profitability of R1708/ha more than the 250mm placement depth.
Deep Rip + Strip-till VS. Strip-till
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This trial was conducted to help understand if it is necessary to deep rip prior to strip-till. The yield results from this trial favored the deep ripping followed by strip-till over the strip-till. Our data averaged 0.77 T/Ha more yield in a growing season that
saw record rainfall. We feel that the deep ripping allowed for more water infiltration and savings for later use resulting in increased yields. We also feel that it is not economically feasible to deep rip every year. This trial needs to be repeated over the next few years to give us a better indication differences in a more typical growing season. When we monitored fuel usage it was still a financial advantage of R2870.4/ha to deep rip then strip- till. We will plan to repeat this trial again next growing season.
Deep Rip Fuel Usage L/ha
Strip- Till Fuel Usage L/ha
Fuel Usage L/ha
Fuel Price R/L
Fuel Cost R/ha
Grain Price R/Ton
Net Return R/ha
Rep 1 Yield T/ha
Rep 2 Yield T/ha
Average Yield T/ha
Strip-till (180 mm) Deep Rip + Strip-till (180mm)
9.87
10.09
9.98
2.3
2.3
26
59.8
3900
38862.2
10.89
10.61
10.75
5.1
2.3
7.4
26
192.4
3900
41732.6
Advantage of Deep Rip + Strip-till over Strip-till R/ha
2870.4
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Strip-Till Vs. Broadcast Trial
This trial was designed to demonstrate the benefit of nutrient replacement. Roots move down by gravity and temperature and when nutrients are placed directly below the seed the likelihood of them accessing the nutrients is much more than it would be in broadcast. This precision placement of nutrients will also result in better nutrient use efficiencies. Both replications demonstrated that precision
nutrient placement with strip-till produced more yield than the same nutrients when applied by broadcast application. For the only strip-till treatment, nutrients were applied with the strip-till applicator. For the broadcast treatment, the strip- till unit was ran to address compaction and did not apply nutrients. The nutrients were applied with the dry spreader for the broadcast section of the treatment. This study had similar results to trials that Orthman has conducted around the globe. The data from this trial demonstrated an advantage of R3588/ha using strip-till over broadcast fertilizer application.
Nutrient Placement Trial
Rep 1 Yield t/ha
Rep 2 Yield t/ha
Average Yield t/ha
Net Return R/ha
Grain Price R/t
9.39
9.72
9.56
3900
37284
Strip-till (180 mm)
Strip-till (180mm) Broadcast Nutrients
8.85
8.43
8.64
3900
33696
Advantage Strip-Till over Broadcast R/ha
3588
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Thank you for all your efforts:
Brian Nieuwoudt – Orthman Territory Manager
Fanie Potgieter - Grower
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