Scott, best root pit I have seen on the Internet or this page.

You are trying to learn what your practices do to your roots and results in your yield. Net profit is the game, we all know that or should practice it.

With no more moisture than you received, looks like you are doing a great job. Took me a lifetime to learn this, you are learning earlier than I.

manage your soil like you are!

by drainage

 lime

right soil test

tissue test

control the pests

Looks like you are doing a great job! Here is a root pit we dug in Venango County a month ago, shows the longer you are in continuous notill the better, shows Pioneer roots vs a DeKalb hybrid, there are many root types and figuring out what root type you need is important vs a sales call with not enough information.

http://www.venangocd.org/vcd_photo_gallery.htm

 Get into longterm notill like many of these readers and posters, the more root types your soil will respond to. Those deep penetrating root types are adapting to my tillage practices but most types still shine depending on the year.

Take a look at forage radishes for a cover crop, yields are much better after them. Probably too late to plant them before most corn crops but I am trying to figure out how to use them in my rotations. Great pictures and excellent root pits, Scott! Paul Butler also has some good root pics on the Internet he showed recently Ed Winkle