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G74-131 No-Till Corn In Alfalfa Sod, Alex R. Martin, Russell S. Moomaw

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Nebraska produces about 1,740,000 acres of alfalfa annually. Corn or grain sorghum usually follows alfalfa in the crop rotation. The moldboard plow or chisel plow are commonly used to break up alfalfa sod for corn planting. The plow is a high consumer of energy, requiring about 2.25 gallons of diesel fuel per acre.

Research conducted in Nebraska has been used to develop a system in which the alfalfa is killed with herbicides and corn is planted directly into the sod without tillage. Plowing is eliminated and energy requirements can be reduced to about 1/4 that used in the conventional plow …