National Strip-Tillage Conference

HERE ARE A FEW TOP STRIP-TILL EXPERTS THAT WILL SPEAK AT THE 2018 CONFERENCE

"Banking on the Proven Benefits of Cover Crops & Strip-Till."

Jack Boyer
Farmer
Reinbeck, Iowa

Jack Boyer is no stranger to experimentation. As a retired ag engineer, the Reinbeck, Iowa, farmer spent more than 3 decades proactively problem-solving equipment issues. For the last 10 years, he’s applied his trial-anderror methods to cover crops and today utilizes cover crops on 100% of his corn, seed corn and soybean operation. But Boyer acknowledges a successful marriage of strip-till and cover crops takes work and a willingness to learn from mistakes, while also celebrating the successes.
    Boyer details his experience integrating cover cropping practices into his farm operation to include examples of nutrient application savings (as much as $30 per acre of N), water infiltration benefits and 4 years of interseeding trials.

“What Have We Learned About How Tillage Systems & Cover Crops Affect Soil Health?”

Harold van Es
Professor of Soil Science
and Chair of Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Cornell University

Treating “sick soils” isn’t as simple as applying a Band-Aid or injecting an antibiotic. A permanent path to recovery requires a thorough diagnosis and an incremental plan.
    Harold van Es, a professor of soil science at Cornell University and chair of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, has been digging into the dynamics of developing healthy soils and strong biological activity. His team developed the Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health (CASH) framework, which includes the measurement of 16 soil health indicators that represent important processes in the soil. CASH can be used to identify specific problems related to physical, biological and chemical concerns in the soil, and CASH reports allow for targeted management approaches.
    van Es will discuss how different management practices impact biological, physical and chemical indicators and what strip-tillers can learn from those variables to improve soil biology.

“Digging Into the Dirty Details of Your Strip-Till System to Build Biodiversity.”

Mike Petersen
Soil Health Expert

Strip-till is far and beyond simply the tools used to create an ideal seedbed within several inches of tilled soil. In fact, most of the answers to questions farmers might have about their strip-tilling efforts lie right beneath the surface in the crop’s root structure, according to expert soil scientist Mike Petersen.
    “With strip-till, we change the thought process of common fertilization practices, broad-acre tillage and at times, no-till, as not being very effective or the most efficient method for placing nutrients in the root pathway,” Petersen says.
    Petersen will delve into what is happening to the physical condition of the soil and the crop(s) strip-tillers plant, including how a strip-till systems approach can overcome soil resistance, sidewall smear, early porosity and moisture or dryness. He’ll also explore how these factors affect the newly emerging seedling and the issues of emergence and root development.

Experience the Sights and Sounds of the National Strip-TIllage Conference

Check out this video to learn more about this educational conference for the serious strip-tiller!

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National Strip-Tillage Conference

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