VIRTUAL NATIONAL STRIP-TILLAGE CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

100% Virtual Event. Interactive Sessions. One-on-One Networking

The Virtual National Strip-Tillage Conference offers a learning format to suite your exact educational needs, interests and schedule: Live broadcasts, on-demand presentations, interactive round-table discussions, Q&A and more. It all happens Aug. 6-8!

Here is the event schedule...
 

Thursday, Aug. 6

LIVE SESSION WITH Q&A

9 a.m. CT 

David Hula, “Secrets to Breaking Through the 300-Bushel Barrier with Strip-Till” 

Shattering yield barriers is part of David Hula’s DNA. The Charles City, Va., farmer is known for his record-breaking corn yields, but the results are not based on repetition.

 

Rather, it’s Hula’s willingness to embrace change and accept the challenges of adopting a new farming philosophy. Starting in 2018, the long-time no-tiller began transitioning corn acres on his operation to strip-till, seeking more consistency in early emergence, targeted fertilizer placement and yield growth.

 

Hula’s evolving strip-till system contributed to his capturing the 2019 National Corn Growers Assn. high corn yield title with a record of more than 606 bushels per acre. “As we got to yield barriers, we were introduced to strip-till and we played with a few acres, banded some fertilizer and planted our corn crop into the strips,” he says. “The first year, in the very first field, we saw a 37 bushel per-acre yield increase, and overall, what we consistently saw is emergence quality with better seedbed preparation with strip-till.”

 

Hula kicks off the 2020 National Strip-Tillage Conference, analyzing the operational challenges, economic gains and growth potential of transitioning to strip-tilled corn.

LIVE SESSIONS

1 p.m. CT 

First Set of 5 Live Strip-Till Roundtable Discussions

These interactive LIVE discussions place you into a video chat room with a group of like-minded strip-tillers to share and compare ideas, advice, questions and answers on a pre-determined topic.

• Let’s Talk Spring Strip-Till: Benefits, Challenges & Results
• Managing My ‘Must Have’ Micros: How & When to Apply
• Finding & Fixing Sidewall Compaction Issues
• My Biggest Strip-Till Mistake: What I Learned & Why
• How Do I Know Which Cover Crops to Seed with Strip-Till?
   

LIVE SESSION WITH Q&A

3 p.m. CT 

Premier Lecture Series, sponsored by TruAg

 

Tony Vyn, “Optimizing Nutrient Rates & Placement in Strip-Till Systems”

Strip tillage has been a viable option in North American corn and soybean production for over 30 years, and its use accelerated when RTK guidance became more commonplace.

 

But what are the keys to capturing the most value from targeted nutrient placement? Understanding the proper depth, delivery and distance of placement from the row are key. For more than two decades, Tony Vyn, professor of agronomy and Henry A. Wallace Chair in Crop Sciences at Purdue University, has dug into the methods and motivations for optimal fertilizer placement. “We have to manage our corn with the concept of no plant left behind,” he says.“ And that is only going to occur if every plant has the same opportunity in terms of nutrient and water access."

 

During the Premiere Lecture Series general session, Vyn will focus on research results comparing strip-till to other tillage system alternatives to include takeaways on nutrient rate, timing and placement in a strip-till system.

 

Friday, Aug. 7

LIVE SESSION WITH Q&A

9 a.m. CT 

Mike Petersen, “Digging Into Compaction Issues, Contributions & Solutions”

Compaction is a reality more farmers have been forced to face, especially during the last few years as excessive moisture condensed the window of opportunity for planting and harvest. With farmers having to explore alternative tillage practices to alleviate compaction, many may be taken outside of their comfort zone to find a solution. But is it the right solution? Agronomist Mike Petersen has led a 2-year research study comparing the causes and remedies for compaction in strip-till, no-till and conventional tillage systems across 3 states, in 8 different soil types from loamy sand to silty clay.

 

“When we go into a row cropped field, we’re looking at the guess row, where the plant is growing and in the traffic row, every 2 inches down from the surface to a depth of 14 inches to provide a detailed profile of soil resistance.”

 

Petersen presents results of the ongoing compaction research as well as his advice on how to solve current compaction problems and prevent the risk in the future.

 

LIVE SESSIONS

1 p.m. CT 

Second Set of 5 Live Strip-Till Roundtable Discussions

These interactive LIVE discussions place you into a video chat room with a group of like-minded strip-tillers to share and compare ideas, advice, questions and answers on a pre-determined topic.

• For First-Year Strip-Tillers Only

• Stretching Your Fertilizer Dollar with Split N Applications

• Strip-Refreshing: The How, When & Why

• Hitting the Target with Your Banded Fertilizer

• Let’s Talk Fall Strip-Till: Benefits, Challenges & Results

LIVE SESSION WITH Q&A

3 p.m. CT 

Brandon Hunt, “Scaling Strip-Till Value Large Acreage Operations”

As a fourth generation farmer, but the first to solely focus entirely on managing the family’s 11,000-acre operation near Herndon, Ky., Brandon Hunt appreciates how innovation is born out of experimentation. After graduating from college, Hunt permanently returned to the family farm — formed in the 1950s — which raises primarily corn, soybeans and wheat, along with smaller amounts of tobacco and hemp.

 

He recently completed a 3-year study on 125 acres comparing banded fertilizer application vs. spreading to gain more understanding on nutrient efficiencies of banding 8 inches deep at different rates vs. surface application. Hunt is currently conducting trials with cover crops, which have become an increasingly important part of the operation. Seeding cereal rye in mid-October to November after harvesting double-cropped soybeans, Hunt then likes to strip-till ahead of planting corn.

 

Hunt shares some of the transitional lessons learned implementing strip-till on a large-scale farm operation, along with results of recent on-farm cover-cropping and nutrient management trials.

 

 

PLUS, WATCH THESE ON-DEMAND SESSION ON YOUR OWN SCHEDULE!

In addition to the scheduled live sessions listed above, you’ll also get 12-months of extended access to a huge library of on-demand sessions! You'll be able to view and replay these profit boosting strip-till presentations at your own convenience, from home or on the go, beginning Thursday, Aug. 6.

On-Demand General Sessions:

 

“Applying an Analytical Eye to Measure Soil Health Improvement” with Jerry Hatfield & Wayne Fredericks, Osage, Iowa

In this session Dr. Jerry Hatfield, retired USDA plant physiologist and Osage, Iowa, strip-tiller Wayne Fredericks highlight how increased organic matter levels and improved soil structure have led to reduced yield variability, improved water and nutrient use efficiency and overall positive changes in corn and soybean production.

 

Strip-Till Benchmark Study Review
 

We take a deep dive into the results of the 7th annual Strip-Till Benchmark Study offer insightful commentary, perspectives and interpretation on what the data says about the current state and future of strip-tillage.

 

Strip-Till Innovator Program, sponsored by Montag Mfg.

In this session we recognize the 2020 recipient of the Strip-Till Innovators Program for their dedication, commitment and advocacy for the practice. You'll hear directly from the farmer who made a significant contribution to the advancement of strip-till farming, elevating the practice and its benefits in reducing soil erosion, fertilizer use and increasing soil health and crop production.

On-Demand Strip-Till Classrooms:

 

Strip-Till Classroom #1: “Knowing What You Don’t Know: Getting Started in Strip-Till” with Nick Emanuel, North Bend, Neb.

As he’s evolved his system, Emanuel still draws on the lessons learned from his first few years to shape future goals. Prepare to take notes as he walks through some of the foundational elements of his strip-till system, including hits and misses with equipment, nutrient management and precision farming strategies.

 

 

Strip-Till Classroom #2: “Smarter Cropping Solutions for Your Strip-Till System” with John Nowatzki, North Dakota St. University

During this session, John Nowatzki, agricultural machines specialist at North Dakota State University, shares results of ongoing research to include conclusions on the value and challenges associated with smart farming solutions.

 

 

Strip-Till Classroom #3: “Building Biological Stamina in Your Strip-Till Soils” with Larry Tombaugh, Streator, Ill.

Strip-tiller Larry Tombaugh details how his self-described “living laboratory” of nutrient management experiments is stimulating soil health on his farming operation in this session.

 

Strip-Till Classroom #4: “Building Cover Crop Biomass Through Roots, Not Shoots.” with Mike Verdonck, Montreal, Quebec

 

Canadian strip-tiller Mike Verdonck details how his commitment to building biomass through intense cover cropping methods that include inter-cropping, bio strip-till and seeding permanent covers, have shaped his philosophy of building soil health through “roots, not shoots.

 

 

Strip-Till Classroom #5: “After Berms are Built: Capitalizing on the Full Potential of the Growing Season” with Gary Gangwer, Lafayette, Ind.

Lafayette, Ind., strip-tiller Gary Gangwer breaks down his methodical approach to maintaining a year-round strip-till system, to include chronicling equipment performance, input usage and harvest preparation.

 

 

Strip-Till Classroom #6: “Supporting the Systematic Approach to Strip-Till” with Pete Youngblut, Dysart, Ill.

Get ready to have your questions answered as Dysart, Iowa, farmer and founder of Youngblut Ag, an independent farm equipment dealership, Pete Youngblut, shares his experience and insight working with a variety of farmers on assembling the most profitable, productive pieces of a strip-till system.

 

 

Strip-Till Classroom #7: “What Strip-Tillers Need to Know to Maximize Nitrogen Advisory Tools” with Brad Carlson, University of Minn. Extension

In this session Brad Carlson reviews the research and key findings including practical take home messages with respect to how to best use and evaluate the performance of N advisory tools and why farmers need to understand N transformation, loss processes and the crop demand curve in order to use N advisory products correctly and efficiently.

 

 

Strip-Till Classroom #8: “Banding vs. Broadcast: Digging Into the Benefits, Barriers & Breakthroughs” with Scott Foxhoven, University of Illinois

University of Illinois graduate research assistant Scott Foxhoven, shares results of new research which digs into the details of why and how banded fertilizer application can benefit a strip-till system.

 

 

Strip-Till Classroom #9: “Putting 20-Inch Strip-Till to the Test: Early Returns & Lessons Learned” with Kale Carlisle, Carthage, Ill.

In this session Kale Carlisle shares their entry point into establishing a 20-inch strip-till system, the customization of their strip-till rig and early takeaways on their evolving nutrient management program.

 

 

Strip-Till Classroom #10: “Achieving Repeatable Results with Continuous Strip-Tilled Corn” with Cade Bushnell, Stillman Valley, Ill.

Stillman Valley, Ill., farmer Cade Bushnell dissects the long-standing stigma of a corn-on-corn system and how his systematic management of residue and nitrogen application, combined with cover crops, have led to sustained success.

 

 

Strip-Till Classroom #11: “Crunching the Numbers on Custom Strip-Till: Economic Opportunities & Advantages” with Jesse Stoller, Kenton, Ind.

Count Kentland, Ind., custom operator Jesse Stoller breaks down the structure of his custom strip-tilling operation, to include pricing and payback, along with entry-point advice and tips for test driving the practice.