Like most agronomic researchers, Fred Below has spent his career chasing down the mix of in-field factors that create 300-bushel corn yields.

For a typical farmer, accuracy is important. But, for strip-tillers, it’s make or break. A strip-tiller has to know precisely where their strips are every single time they roll across the field.

When it comes to nutrient management, Deweese, Neb., farmer Brian Herbek lives by the 4R philosophy. As a fifth-generation farmer on a dryland and irrigated 1,900-acre corn and soybean operation, he’s focused on slowly evolving his practices over the years to become more efficient.

Mead, Neb., farmer Kerry Knuth, made the transition from dragging a disc ripper and mulch finisher across his 2,200-acre corn and soybeans operation to strip-tillage back in 2005.

From implementing shredding corn heads to running an extra vertical tillage pass, strip-tillers employ a number of different techniques to deal with heavy residue on continuous corn.

Nutrient management, reverse osmosis and pesticide reduction contribute to Iowa strip-tiller Keith Schlapkohl’s quest for consistently increasing corn-on-corn yields.

For farmers curious about the benefits of reducing their tillage practices, custom strip-till can be an efficient and affordable entry point. For farmers already building strips every year, it can be a lucrative business opportunity. 

In principal, the benefits of reducing tillage and introducing cover crops seems intuitive. But, for farmers like Osage, Iowa, strip-tiller Wayne Fredericks, it’s important to textualize these benefits with research, data and his checkbook.

Intentionally or not, farmers who’ve taken up strip-tilling have already made a commitment to rebuilding soil health. According to Rawson, Ohio, soil health expert Frank Gibbs, by being a bit more deliberate, strip-tillers can magnify the impact of their conservation efforts in ways that will show up on their bottom line.