Deweese, Neb., strip-tiller Brian Herbek tried just about every system of farming until he started strip-tilling in 2009. After seeing the benefits that fall, he has strip-tilled every year since.

In regards to nutrient application, Herbek is a big believer in the 4R philosophy: right source, right rate, right time and right place. There’s a reaction with every application, and when you overload the strip with a ton of nutrients, you throw the balance out of whack, Herbek says. 

“In the strip-till community, many people have lost sight of that,” he says. “If you eat a huge piece of prime rib, aka nitrogen, you won’t have room for potatoes and vegetables and all the other stuff needed to be healthy for the longevity of the race.”

Herbek developed an extensive zone sampling protocol to help craft his application rates. Combining satellite imagery, harvest data, soil types and test results, he’s increasingly confident in the demands of his zones. 

“I sample 4 inches off the growing plant in season,” Herbek says. “After harvest, as soon as the combine has gone through the field, I sample where we’re going to plant next year’s crop. I sample 15 inches off the old corn row because that’s where I’ll be building strips.” 

With test results in hand and a clearer picture of what’s available in the soil, Herbek asks himself several questions.

“Why is our P not where it needs to be? Is it because the soil is lacking it or is our calcium out of whack? Is our zinc out of whack? Did we raise the pH too quickly in our strip to tie up some of the P?”

For more information on how Herbek tackles nutrient application and strip-tilling, read Noah Newman’s article “Longtime Strip-Tiller Prioritizes Efficiency Over Yield” featured in the Spring 2026 Issue of Strip-Till Farmer.