Strip-till is the practice of tilling the row where the seed and/or fertilizer will be placed, keeping the residue between the rows undisturbed. Depending on the type of machine and the desired depth of fertilizer placement, the deepest part of the strip is between four and eight inches. Strips can be created in the fall after harvest or in the spring prior to planting. Some systems utilize both a deep fall strip tillage with a lighter spring “freshening” of the strip.
Strip-tillage offers a wide range of benefits including: increased savings, improving water quality, and allows for a higher yield potential and fertilizer effectiveness.
INCREASED SAVINGS
- Saves time. Most strip-till systems rely on one “tillage” pass in the fall and no tillage in the springtime.
- Conserves fuel. When compared to conventional tilling, which often results in three to four passes, a considerable amount of fuel can be saved
HIGHER YIELD POTENTIAL & FERTILIZER EFFECTIVENESS
- Improves soil health. One of the first steps to a healthier soil is reducing disturbance. With less tillage, earthworms, fungi and other soil organisms can thrive in the soil and improve many soil health metrics including soil aggregation.
- Better adoption of cover crops. By leaving most of the soil undisturbed, it is possible to take a more advanced step toward soil health by allowing a cover crop to grow in between the rows. Strip-till operations can be performed after cover crop application to ensure a clean seed bed for next year’s crop while maintaining cover crop on most of the field.
Increase work efficiency.
- Reduces erosion. Less disturbance and good cover of residue reduces the potential for soil to erode from the field.
- Warmer soil in the spring. Removing residue just above where the seed will be planted allows for the soil to be warmed by the sun in the spring before planting.
- More precise application of fertilizer. The fertilizer can be applied directly into the soil in the same pass as you move across the field. Strip-till machines can be set up for both dry or liquid fertilizer. Liquid fertilizer requires less horsepower per row to inject than a dry system.
- Reduces soil compaction. Leaving soil undisturbed allows for soil structure to form and reduced trips across the field minimizes the compacting load on the soil.