Winter Conference 2026 ‣ Proven Nutrient Strategies from PTI Farm Research 

Lead research agronomist, Jason Webster, shares years of agronomic data from the PTI farm in Pontiac, IL that challenges long-standing nutrient management assumptions and highlights new opportunities for farmers to increase profit and efficiency. 

See how banded fertilizer placement, reduced application rates and fertilizer reallocation strategies consistently improved economic returns even when yields remained similar to full rate broadcast applications. Webster explains how rising input costs and tighter margins require growers to farm smarter by adopting practices that provide higher return on investment.  

Through multi-year strip-till studies, he shows that reducing dry fertilizer by 25 to 50% maintained yield while improving net profitability by up to $50/A. Alternative nutrition programs, including liquid planter-applied products and complete replacement of dry fertilizer, are also evaluated with compelling yield and economic outcomes.

Webster highlights additional innovative approaches such as manure-based fertility with chicken litter, hog manure applications through FurrowJet and the Stock Cropper autonomous livestock system, which dramatically increased soil test levels and produced some of the highest corn yields recorded at PTI.

The session concludes with a connected study on equipment traffic and tire tracks which revealed significant yield loss from compaction and demonstrated how planter weight management and proper tire inflation can mitigate those losses.  

This video is packed with practical insights for those looking to optimize fertility, reduce input costs and maximize return on every acre using proven research from the PTI Farm. 

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