2nd Strip-Till Operational Benchmark Study: Acreage and Yields Increase for Strip-Tilled Corn and Soybeans

Farmers grew their total percentage of farm acres and average number of acres per farm being strip-tilled in 2014.

Strip-till remains a subset of more widely adopted conservation tillage practices, including no-till. According to the 7th Annual No-Till Operational Benchmark Study published by No-Till Farmer earlier this year, about 7.7% of cropland acres were strip-tilled in 2014, compared to 76.5% in a no-till system.

However, a closer look at the numbers from the 2015 strip-till study reveals increases in both average acreage and percentage of total farm acreage being strip-tilled by farmers. Respondents strip-till an average of 948 acres, compared to 877 acres reported in the 2014 strip-till study.

The percentage of total farm acreage being strip-tilled also increased, from 54% last year to 63.7% in the 2015 study. Further bolstering the increase is the percentage of farmers strip-tilling all of their acres, from 11% last year to 29.9% in 2015.

Avgperbushelyields

Cropping Breakdown

Consistent with the overall increase in acreage being strip-tilled are rises in the average number of strip-tilled corn and soybean acres.

This year’s study reveals that farmers strip-till an average of 737 acres of corn, which is a 20-acre increase over the 2014 survey. Corn also remains the most popular crop farmers are strip-tilling, with 97.2% of respondents taking this approach, compared to 98.0% last year.

Strip-tilled soybeans also increased in popularity during the last year, with the average number of acres growing from 444 in 2014 to 476 this year. Only about 25% of respondents to last year’s survey said they strip-tilled soybeans, but that number increased dramatically to 38.6% in 2015.

It will be…

To view the content, please subscribe or login.
 Premium content is for our Digital-only and Premium subscribers. A Print-only subscription doesn't qualify. Please purchase/upgrade a subscription with the Digital product to get access to all No-Till Farmer content and archives online. Learn more about the different versions and what is included.

Zemlicka headshot

Jack Zemlicka

Jack Zemlicka was the Technology Editor for No-Till Farmer. His coverage included precision farming practices, products and trends, which can improve efficiency and productivity for no-till farmers.

He joined Lessiter Publications Ag Division in 2012 and also served as managing editor of Strip-Till Farmer.

Top Articles

Current Issue

Cover_NTF-December-2024.jpg

No-Till Farmer

Get full access NOW to the most comprehensive, powerful and easy-to-use online resource for no-tillage practices. Just one good idea will pay for your subscription hundreds of times over.

Subscribe Now

View More

Must Read Free Eguides

Download these helpful knowledge building tools

View More
Top Directory Listings