To help other farmers adopt strip-till — or convince their family to give the practice a chance — Smith shares these five tips: ow.ly/FhSj50YCqCQ
Breaking Barriers: Farming Profitably in the Age of Rising Inputs
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In this episode of Breaking Barriers, lifelong farmers and Total Acre founders Randy Dowdy and David Hula share practical agronomic insights designed to chal...
Two Wisconsin farmers look at early soybean planting - Brownfield Ag News
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Two Wisconsin farmers are taking different approaches to the start of the planting season. South-central farmer Doug Rebout of Janesville says some research has shown the benefits of planting soybeans...
What is the overall impact on soil loss, nutrient loss and yield should conventional tillage switch to strip-till? ![]()
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Switching from conventional tillage to strip-till provides a "solid win" for conservation by drastically reducing soil and nutrient loss while maintaining or even increasing crop yields. ![]()
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Soil and Nutrient Impact![]()
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Soil Loss Reduction:![]()
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Strip-till can cut soil erosion by 50% to 87% compared to conventional methods. By leaving 60-75% of the soil surface covered with crop residue, it protects valuable topsoil from water and wind erosion.![]()
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Nutrient Loss Prevention:![]()
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It significantly reduces nutrient runoff, particularly phosphorus and sediment-bound nutrients, by similar margins as soil loss (up to 87%).![]()
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Precision Placement: ![]()
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Strip-till allows for precision nutrient banding directly into the root zone, which increases fertilizer efficiency to over 50% compared to just 12% for broadcast applications. This prevents nutrients from sitting on the surface where they are most vulnerable to runoff.![]()
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Yield and Agronomic Impact Yield Stability: ![]()
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Long-term studies show that strip-till yields are generally comparable to conventional tillage and often beat no-till systems. In some Midwest trials, strip-tilled corn yielded 11 to 24 bushels per acre more than conventional tillage.![]()
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Improved Seedbed: ![]()
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It provides the "best of both worlds" by warming and drying the seedbed like conventional tillage while maintaining the moisture-conserving residue of no-till between rows.![]()
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Root Development: ![]()
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Strip-tilled crops often develop deeper and more abundant roots—up to three times the total root length of conventional tillage—allowing plants to better access water and nutrients during dry periods![]()
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Operational Gains Cost Savings: ![]()
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Farmers can save approximately $19.50 per acre due to fewer field passes, reduced fuel consumption (up to 52% savings), and lower labor requirements.![]()
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Field Efficiency: ![]()
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The system can reduce total field time by nearly 50%, allowing for faster planting
Just because you're talking about high yields doesn't mean you have a good ROI. Saving on input cost while keeping the same yields (or even increasing them sometimes) means a higher ROI. The question is... are you earning a wage or making money? Making a wage and making money are two different things.
Could Strip Tillage Be Your Key To Lower Costs And Higher Yields?
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Farmers detail how they navigated the strip-till learning curve and offer some tips you’ll want to know before making the move.
Relying on equipment sharing and an agronomic eye, in 4 years of strip-tilling Justin Krell cut fertilizer use by 30% and achieved 230-bushel corn. ow.ly/xvnH50Yqx76
