OKfarmer - 1/27/2015 20:10

Lot of good comments here. You asked earlier what is consistent. As you know in OK nothing! I have had this discussion before with a neighbor. If you can raise 50 +- wheat every year why change? For me the main reason started out as labor, time, equipment savings. I was needing to upgrade a lot of equipment taking over more ground when my father died, so going NT was a good fit.
As mentioned before, timing is everything. But you have to constantly keep something planted. This year was my worst wheat crop. However, my corn this year was the best I've ever had. My DC beans, I didn't even harvest. They looked fantastic all summer, but burned up when blooming and setting pods. My DC milo made almost 50. It has been my best DC crop the last few years making 50 to 60. Nothing is consistent and annual rain fall means nothing if it doesn't' come at the right time. You asked what is consistent? Nothing! Soybeans have been my weak link. There are some many groups and they can be planted at different times, it's hard to find one that works here. Our nights are hot and that doesn't help either. They do mellow the ground and provide N so they are doing me some good.
Someone told me when I was getting started in NT that you don't TRY it. It's all or nothing. Sell all your tillage tools and don't look back. You will make mistakes but learn from them and keep going. As mentioned before, I'm at 14 years on some ground and tillage is not an option. I've got more residue, more worms and more mellow ground than I've ever had. What rotation works three states away may not work here and what works in Garber, Breckenridge or Drummond may not work for you either.
When I first started, I would deep rip a field the first year of NT. I felt like that helped break my hard pan from plowing and discing so much. So you might consider that.
E-mail me if you want.
Jim