Keeping plants healthy throughout the growing season is critical to a successful corn crop. But understanding and satisfying early season nutrient needs can help strip-tillers set the stage for a bumper crop. Jerry Hatfield, supervisory plant physiologist with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), has done extensive research on the interactions within the soil-plant-atmosphere spectrum and their connection to air, water and soil quality. Hatfield will discuss recent research that looks at the correlation between early-season nutrient applications on plant health in strip-tilled corn and its impact on yields.

Constantly evaluating the form, rates and placement of nutrients can make the difference between profitability and not farming at all. This is a philosophy that strip-tiller Donn Branton and his son, Chad, subscribe to on their 1,500-acre operation in LeRoy, N.Y., since adopting the strip-tillage more than 12 years ago. Deep placement of fertilizer, multiple nitrogen applications and nutrient management trials have contributed to a 40-bushelper-acre boost in some corn fields. “Every decision we make on the farm is an investment,” Branton says. “We’ve stuck with strip-till, cover crops and other practices because they improve our soil, yields, the environment and our bottom line.” Branton will share results of on-farm nutrient management experimentation and detail his strategies for improving your yields and soil health with a conservation-minded fertility program.

Interest and use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in agriculture continues to increase, but questions remain about whether the technology is a practical tool or simply a toy? Having researched and experimented with application of UAVs in conservation tillage systems, John Nowatzki, agricultural machine systems specialist at North Dakota State University, is an authority on the use of unmanned aerial imaging and sensing technology. Nowatzki will share his experience and advice on current use of UAVs in strip-till, along with a look at future applications and opportunities with the technology.

For the last 10 years, Woodville, Ont., strip-tiller Dustin Mulock has been building and refining a combination no-till/strip-till system. Integrating different pieces of equipment, fertility methods and cover crops put him on a productive path to bio strip-till. This approach complements his twin-row, strip-till setup for corn and soybeans and has helped increase yields by 25%, while also naturally building nutrient levels in his mostly sandy loam soil. Mulock will detail the development and results of his bio strip-till system, to include fertilizer application equipment modifications and experimentation with more than a dozen different cover crop species.

Farming in arid conditions, Plainview, Texas, strip-tiller Steve Olson views water as a precious commodity on his 2,500-acre cotton, corn, sorghum and wheat operation. With most of his strip-tilled corn and cotton under center pivot or drip irrigation, he uses moisture probe technology and intensive water management practices to maximize crop yields in a drought-stricken area. Olson will share his experience and advice for making every drop of moisture count in a strip-till system and how he’s designed a sustainable fertility program to accommodate his dry conditions.

While strip-till can dramatically improve soil structure and health, there are additional practices that can supplement a system to further increase productivity. Cover crops have proven to be a valuable asset in retaining nutrients for Lakefield, Minn., farmer Jerry Ackermann. But through aggressive experimentation during the last 3 years, he’s also seeing added benefits that have helped reduce input costs and increase yields. Ackermann will share how his evolving cover cropping program has accelerated water infiltration and reduced reliance on herbicide application.

Striking a productive balance between the benefits and potential challenges of striptilled corn-on-corn is an attainable goal for Chapin, Ill., farmer John Werries. Strip-tilling 3,200 acres of continuous corn since 2010, he’s consistently harvested yields 25 bushels above the county average and, with the addition of cover crops, dramatically improved soil structure. “Striptilled corn-on-corn and cover crops have reduced erosion to almost nothing on our farm,” he says. “It’s a wonderful combination.” Werries will discuss ongoing experimentation and results within his strip-tilled corn-on-corn system, to include expanded use of cover crops and continuing modifications to his successful nutrient management program.

Proper placement of fertilizer in strip-till is a key factor to optimize your yields and minimize environmental impact. But in practice, the right placement is continually evolving, and can be impacted by planting technology, tillage system and weather variability. Recent research by Kansas State University soil fertility specialist Dorivar Ruiz Diaz compared placement of phosphorus in strip-till with other tillage systems to track uptake, carryover and loss. Diaz will share the results of a recently concluded 10-year university study on phosphorus application on corn after soybeans in different tillage systems and analyze key takeaways for strip-tillers from the study.

Developing a strip-till system isn’t an easy process. Just ask Brian Watkins, who took nearly 15 years to confidently transition from no-tilled corn to strip-till on his 7,000-acre operation near Kenton, Ohio. Throughout the transition, experimentation has been a mainstay of his strip-till system to include incorporation of crop sensing technology, equipment setup modifications and intensive fertilizer management practices. Watkins will share his experience and payback utilizing remote sensing tools to improve fertilizer application methods, along with the addition of an air seeder cart for dry fertilizer application in strip-till.

Strip-tiller Adam Nechanicky takes pride in getting the most production from his family’s corn and soybean operation near Buckingham, Iowa. Strip-tilling corn for nearly 10 years, he has meticulously modified their farm equipment setups to match production and fertility goals, including improved emergence and plant health in traditionally lower-producing fields. Nechanicky will share his approach to adapting farm machinery to suit your strip-till operation, optimize efficiency and meet production goals.