AMES, Iowa—Crop growers will get an update on the latest advancement in strip tillage at this year’s fall field day at Iowa State University’s Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy Research Farms, to be held Wednesday, Sept. 8.
Just like the name suggests, “strip-till” allows producers to till and plant into narrow strips, leaving crop residue undisturbed between the rows. There are a lot of advantages, according to Meaghan Anderson, field agronomist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
“There’s a lot of interest in reducing our tillage use or finding out ways to keep more crop residue on the surface,” said Anderson. “Strip till is a really appealing option for corn because you get some of the benefits of the tillage and of no-till.”
The event begins with registration from 9-9:30 a.m., followed by presentations and demonstrations, and complimentary lunch at noon.
Matt Darr, professor in agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State, will give a brief introduction to strip tillage and talk about its potential for central Iowa farms, how they can get set up for strip-tillage or improve what they are already doing.
“Strip till provides unique opportunities for producers to lower cost of production and move towards more conservation tillage practices,” said Darr. “We’ll share insight into how to get started with strip till systems, what you should consider when evaluating strip till equipment options, and best practices for managing strip till systems year-over-year.”
Chad Hart, professor in economics and extension grain markets specialist at Iowa State University, will talk about considerations for reduced tillage and carbon market potential, followed by a trip to the field for demonstrations and discussion.
Field demonstrations will include several equipment manufacturers like Soil Warrior, Lynx Ag, Orthman, and Kuhn Krause demonstrating how their strip-till equipment works in a field of oat stubble.
Those who attend can quality for two soil and water CCA continuing education units.
RSVP to Anderson by Friday, Sept. 3, to assure your spot and a complimentary lunch, at mjanders@iastate.edu or 319-331-0058.
Ag Engineering and Agronomy Research Farms are located at 1308 U Ave., Boone, Iowa 50036.
(contributed press release, ISU Extension and Outreach)
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