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| I understand the cost savings associated with strip till but at what cost? How expensive are these strip till units? I farm in South Central Iowa and we have been running a Turbo Till vertical tillage tool in the spring on bean stubble before we plant corn. It can run as deep as 4 inches but we like to run it about 1-2 inches deep just to aerate and warm the soil. We can pull it about 10 mph and the cost to run the machine is very minimal. To me this system is just as competative as strip till for corn following soybeans. To me the true cost savings comes with a continuous corn rotation.
My main question is what is most important with a strip till application, the tillage that loosens the soil in the strip or is it simply clearing the trash off the strip to help warm the soil, or are they both equally important? Would it be possible to retrofit an NH3 toolbar with row cleaners to simply clear a zone while applying nitrogen, and then simply planting over the strips in the springs with row cleaners on your planter to clear away any possible trash that may have fallen into the strip. I am interested in finding a system that will allow me to maintain continuous corn yields on ground with slopes that do not allow significant tillage. Obviously disease and insect pressure are big issues but those are variety selection issues. I am interested in making a smooth, clean seedbed for planting. | |
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Economic benefits of strip till
