Iowa State University Extension announced that Iowa Learning Farms and farmer partner Mark Thompson will host a strip-tillage and cover crop field day Thursday, July 28 in Webster County.

The University of Minnesota Extension took a day last month to highlight various tillage practices at their Tillage and Technology Field Day. The event, held at the University of Minnesota-Morris, brought together experts from across the Upper Midwest and Canada to talk with producers and demonstrate equipment.

The Mecosta Farm Bureau hosted a tillage field day in Big Rapids, Mich., in 2014 with the goal of comparing the effects of different tillage types on the production of corn and soil structure.

Iowa Learning Farms will host a Strip-till and Cover Crops for Nutrient Management field day on Tuesday, June 17 at the farm of Mark Thompson near Badger, Iowa from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Topics that will be discussed include the use of strip-tillage and cover crops as conservation farming techniques, and how these methods reduce water impairment and pollution. The event is free-of-charge and open to the public, and dinner will be provided.

Gary Haak,Thurston Mfg. sales representative for North Dakota, South Dakota and western Minnesota, explains the benefits of strip-tilling at the Oct. 24, 2012, field day north of Ruthville, N.D.

Gene Carstens from StripCat describes twin row, strip-till nutrient management at the FEASTT Field Day. In the video, Gene explains the benefits of using a systems approach, encouraging plants to grow deeper roots to reach cooler soils for higher nutrient uptake.

Agricultural officials say strip-tilled crops have fared well in studies in the southwestern U.S. more than 70 ag scientists gathered recently for a field day at the New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center at Clovis to discuss how sorghum and safflower studies seem to be faring in New Mexico and west Texas.