Levels of soil erosion have decreased in the U.S. and in Iowa, but soil erosion remains a serious problem, especially for some soils.

In recent years, some no-tillers have criticized strip-till, pointing to instances of severe soil erosion in fields that were strip-tilled up and down hills. But more than 25 years ago, a study by three agricultural engineers at the University of Illinois showed that strip-tilling on the contour effectively minimized soil erosion and limited losses of herbicides and insecticides.

From the standpoint of economics it befuddles me why growers would not desire to give their corn crop the best opportunity to come out of the ground like a roaring lion.

Crop yield can be improved by ensuring adequate nutrient availability. But how should you place the fertilizer and what cropping system gives the best yields?

"Jeff,"? a 9-year strip-tiller from northwest Kansas, discusses his search for a strip-till unit and he'd like your suggestions. He's been using a DMI 5310 12-row machine but is look at trading it. Mostly DMI and Orthman machines are used in his region.

Banding fertilizer may cause non-uniform distribution in the soil and strip-tillers may need to take this into account when soil sampling, says University of Illinois crop-science educator Fabian Fernandez.

Corn producers can often increase profit by minimizing or eliminating tillage, but in some situations this can reduce corn yields, say researchers at Kansas State University, the University of Guelph and the International Plant Nutrition Institute.

Strip-tilled corn yielded more than 3 tons per acre than no-tilled and zone-tilled in a 2011 research study by the University of Vermont.

By switching to strip-till, a typical dairy producer in California could eliminate up to four or five tractor passes, says Jeff Mitchell of the University of California Kearny Agricultural Center.

Starting back in first decade of this century, the buzz words of carbon sequestration has appeared in articles and has become frequently discussed with farmers in the USDA's Farm Service Agency and NRCS offices as one of the methods to reduce or offset carbon emissions.