ABSTRACT
Farmers in Indiana and other Corn Belt states are changing tillage practices more rapidly than they were in last century. While reduced tillage offers an opportunity to reduce production costs on many farms, yield differences due to tillage practices often have a greater influence on net profit. However, research and farmer experience in the eastern Corn Belt during the past twenty years have identified the major factors which influence the success of reduced tillage systems. These include soil drainage, previous crop, and length of growing season, proper nitrogen application, pest problems and operator management skills. Most tillage research in the Corn Belt shows that response to tillage is related to soil characteristics. Delayed planting, which allows soils to become drier and warmer, would be more likely to reduce yield potential in northern latitudes than in southern latitudes because of the shorter growing season.
