Here is one fact though.
Rain can put up to 40 pounds per acre on the field. Just has to be the right kind of storm.
We used to put in around 45 pounds per acre on the corn. Always side dressed it with the planter. But that was for silage for dairy.
These days with no till methods. It takes one HELL of a lot of chemicals to prep the ground. Instead of killing weeds by tilling, they kill the weeds by herbicides. But, it saves on the top soil. Cant no till on certain places in this country though...like east central WI. Or I imagine Dakota in certain areas.
...like east central WI...
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Is that due to the sandy soil? (I live there.) We garden in raised beds.
When we moved here, I was struck by the number of row crops that were irrigated. Now, I know why...the sand just sucks down all the rain.