According to the University of Nebraska, occasional tillage (OT) in no-till systems may be useful and unlikely to be detrimental if it is well-planned, implemented to target a well-characterized problem such as a weed control or compaction and erosion is controlled.

With fall strip-tillers are hopefully taking advantage of a mild autumn in many areas to get berms built before winter permanently arrives, they are also assessing options to maximize biological value of corn residue.

When talking with farmers, some will refer to their strip-till system as a "gateway" from conventional-tillage practices to no-till. They'll often talk about the versatility that strip-till provides for retaining valuable residue cover, while also loosening less-forgiving areas of a field for more efficient planting and fertilization.