Montezuma, Kan., farmer Josh Koehn says attention to detail is really what’s made the difference on his 10,000 acre farm. Feeling the need to manage residue better and build healthier soils, he switched from full tillage to strip-till back in 2008 on most of his 30% irrigated and 70% dryland operation.

“Educational” is the most print-friendly, paraphrased response I’ve gotten when asking strip-tillers to summarize their 2019 operational goals vs. reality.

From regularly replacing disc openers to keeping hydraulic hoses elevated and secure, Illinois strip-tiller Dave Delhotal adheres to an annual checklist before putting a single seed in the ground.