Here’s something to keep in mind……I imagine some folks will read this and the first thing that will come to mind as a comparison will be the N application that most folks spread during December and the accompanying green up……Most of those situations are going to be an apples to oranges comparison with what is occurring in my field. The reason being that in a traditional planting that has been using tillage for years your “unfertilized” situation is going to be one that is likely pretty void of nutrients all together and the plants are heavily dependent on the fertilizer to have vigor and produce growth. That’s a big difference versus the “unfertilized” area of my test field that still has a large nutrient reserve built up for the plants to pull from. Its not a matter of All or Nothing…..It’s more like you’re comparing “Fertilized and More Fertilized”……and I’m speculating that your Goldie Locks Zone is the natural cycle that I have going without adding “more”.