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Aberdeen MS | I did a multi year "experiement" of about 90 acres. 35 acres had a N/S row orientation and 55 acres had E/W orientation.
I stayed with 24 row or 60 foot strips as it fit my equipment. 8 row planter, 20 foot header and 6 row corn head, 60 foot sprayer.
I did weigh wagon results the second year on the corn. Checked the outside 6 rows on both sides vs the inside (middle) 6 rows.
I forget the extra bushels, but with $6 corn there was about a $50 advantage in net profit to strip cropping vs whole field crop. The beans also showed about the same net profit advantage. Several Extension people were asked for the reason for the beans, but no one really had an answer. The most plausible one was the difference in respiration rate.
As far as NEEDING GPS to make it work, you don't. I strip tilled and stripped with a 8 row Dawn Pluribus set up. I stripped the field from end to end, then came back planted corn in 24... skipped 24... planted 24 etc. when I came back in for the beans, corn was spiking or 2 leaf so it was a no brainer.
Weed control was done with a burn down compatible for both corn/beans, then follow ups specific for each crop 2nd time and 3rd if needed.
All N was sidedressed with drops with the sprayer. P was strip till and planter applied. K was broadcast whole field every several yrs and carry over accounted for.
Harvesting was not a nightmare as some suggested, at least not for me. Headland stayed in continuous beans. | |
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Alternating rows of corn and beans
