On this episode of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Yetter, University of Illinois soil scientist Andrew Margenot shares key takeaways from his long-term phosphorous (P) studies.

This is your chance to see initial findings from a brand-new strip-till research trial before anyone else. As a senior research specialist under Fred Below at the Univ. of Illinois, Jared Fender launched a massive strip-till trial in 2023 focusing on fertilizer placement, timing, utilization of different tillage methods, fall vs. spring fertility and more.

North central Wisconsin strip-tiller Andrew DeVries tried interseeding cover crops in 60-inch corn on his 1,800-acre dairy operation in 2023 to see if it could save him time and money and ultimately boost his bottom line.

“When strip-till is done right, it makes money, and today’s strip-till equipment has come of age to the point that it will deliver on the agronomic challenges farmers face,” says Bill Preller, longtime crop consultant and founder of AGuru Machinery.

In addition to his farm operation, Adam Gittins is president and general manager of Harlan, Iowa-based HTS Ag, the recipient of the 2024 Precision Farming Dealer Most Valuable Dealership award. As a farmer and precision specialist, Gittins understands the true value of cutting-edge technologies, especially for strip-tillers.

Each winter, Luverne, Minn., strip-tiller Shawn Feikema asks himself 2 questions — how can he do more with less and how can he leave the farm in better shape than it was when he got it? The 3rd generation farmer found an answer in 2016 with the switch from conventional tillage to strip-till and cover crops.

Jodi DeJong-Hughes has been at the forefront of strip-till related research for over 25 years as a regional educator with the University of Minnesota Extension. DeJong-Hughes shows how strip-till stacks up to other tillage systems, quantifies the value of conservation tillage techniques and deep dives into decades worth of data to see how strip-till performs in even the harshest climates.

Every equipment pass risks soil compaction, a problem that affects root and crop growth, water infiltration, crop fertility access and your bottom line. But many management practices exist to help fix compaction and avoid it in the future.