Having just returned from our inaugural National Strip-Tillage Conference in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I had a calm 4-hour drive back home to gather my thoughts after a whirlwind 2-day event.

Driving past local cornfields on my way to work nearly every day, I’ve see a wide range of plant colors and sizes this year, from head-high, dark-green stands to tiny, pale plants, drowning in excessive moisture.

When visiting with strip-tillers, I'll usually take stock of what precision technology and practices they're using in their operation. And I'm always intrigued when strip-tillers tell me implement-guidance systems are among the precision tools they've tested or adopted.

In our last edition of Strip-Till Strategies, I shared some perspectives on best practices and precautions for building phosphorus levels in strip-till. We also asked our readers to share their experiences and advice on how they manage phosphorus in strip-tilled fields. Based on the feedback we received, it seemed worth revisiting the topic here.

Strip-tillers tend to be particularly conscious of when, where and how much fertilizer they apply to promote long-term yield consistency. Some prefer to broadcast potash, while others see the benefits of deep-placement of phosphorus and potassium beneath the strip.

The comfort zone for most strip-tillers tends to be 30-inch rows. It offers ample space for corn to emerge and equipment setup and maintenance is easier.

After spending a few days recently at the Agricultural Electronics Industry Foundation's (AEF) PlugFest, I came away with a renewed sense of how important technology is to the success of strip-till.

This time of year, most farmers could use an extra set of hands to ensure field operations are completed in the finite window opened by Mother Nature. Stillman Valley, Ill., strip-tiller Cade Bushnell is no different.

Talking with strip-tillers, they tend to have a strong preference for building berms in either spring or fall, often based on experience with both systems.

Talking with farmers and equipment manufacturers, there is still a fair amount of uncertainty about how to best marry cover crops and strip-till.