One creative twist on strip-till — especially in the small grain phase of the rotation — is a concept called bio-strip-till. The goal of this approach is to concentrate specific cover crops in strips across the field in preparation for the cash crop the following year.  

In this Strip-Till Farmer Podcast, bought to you by Topcon Agriculture, Snover, Mich., farmer Ryan Shaw shares the systematic setup and implementation of his twin-row strip-till system, along with the vital role cover crops play in his cropping rotation.

Travis Alhorn, business development for Topcon Agriculture Group, discusses Topcon’s full suite of strip-till precision solutions with the Apollo System including variable-rate application, cover crop application and more.

Nick Jensen, President of Thurston Manufacturing, creators of the Blu-Jet line of fertilizer applicators and conservation tillage equipment discusses the unique appeal of the National Strip-Tillage Conference. He also shares how speaking directly to the farmers allows them to help introduce strip-tillers to their product line, keep track of new trends and to help the farmers improve their bottom line.

Regional Account Manager Alex Burge with Topcon Agriculture discusses his own experience with strip-tilling and cover crops and how this part of his past helps influence how Topcon can better serve their strip-tilling customers.

Environmental Tillage System's Mike Eaton, Sales manager serving Canada discusses how among the trends he's seeing with strip-till, including cover crop adoption and new research and education unique to the practice demonstrates that there is great potential for growth.

Sales Manager Jake Jass from Copperhead Ag shares his experiences at the National Strip-Tillage Conference and the unique opportunity it presents for talking directly with their strip-tiller audience about their use of cover crops.

Farmers plant cover crops to keep the soil anchored between growing seasons, reaping benefits in soil erosion, fertility, water retention, weed and pest control, and biodiversity. While the practice is growing in popularity, cover crop acreage in the United States remains low.