I agree with most of your comments. Air fertilizer carts are a different business from the ground-engaging tools end of strip till.  Even in air carts, you have to be careful because most of the units sold were really designed to convey seed on large air sedders in open large field areas of the country.

Few air carts are really designed to convey fertilizer. Dry fertilizer conveys MUCH differently that lighter, drier seed. Some types of air conveying systems can be adapted to fertilizer more easily than others.

We recommned to folks that they look at Roger Montag's cart. He had a display at the expo. There are also many variations - mounted, pull-behind, lift assist etc.

As far as fall vs spring, I am glad to hear the research data is starting to be collected. We were in Champaign IL at a strip till meeting earlier this summer and heard some Purdue data that seems to indicate that fertilizer does NOT need to be real deep -4-6", in good contact with the soil and covered were equal to or better than deeper placement 5 out of 6 years if I recall correctly.

The research you mentioned also tends to jive with what we have seen on spring vs fall in the north. 

You mention the Fargo area. We have a number of strip till customers in that area and as far as I am aware they all strip corn or bean stubble in the spring. The only exception to that is that heavy wheat stubble really should be stripped in the fall.  There is also nothing wrong with making two passes one fall than one spring if you have the time and inclination. Howevert almost always one pass in the spring is the system of choice with our Dawn units.

Here are two pictures of strip tilling corn on corn in the Fargo area, the second photo is from approximately the same spot in early June. This is corn on corn. I've been told the corn looks yellow but that is due to the sun angle when the picutre was taken note the third photo looking straight down with the flash.

Thanks for your comments.

Jim at Dawn

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(Dawn Strip till ND full fertilizer stand 061806 img100-0426 rear trees.JPG)

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Dawn Strip till ND full fertilizer 042606 img2146 rear trees 640x480.jpg (72KB - 499 downloads)

Dawn Strip till ND full fertilizer stand 061806 img100-0426 rear trees.JPG (92KB - 506 downloads)

Dawn Strip till ND full fertilizer stand 061806 img100-0429 residue betw rows.JPG (76KB - 473 downloads)