A growing number of farmers are switching to strip-till for a variety of reasons. Whether it’s to warm up soils that remain cold for too long in the spring, to trim input costs, to reduce compaction, improve drainage or other reasons, strip-till is getting a closer look these days.

When I shared our no-till experiences at the 2004 National No-Tillage Conference, we had just made a serious shift from a corn-soybean rotation to continuous corn. After 5 years, we’ve learned a lot about growing corn on corn. Now we’re evaluating new technology that will take our strip-till operation to the “next level,” as I reported in Indianapolis during the 2009 event.

With nearly 650 leading-edge farmers, researchers and suppliers on hand for the 13th annual National No-Tillage Conference, the event again revealed what’s coming on strong in the no-tilling industry.

Since most no-tillers probably already qualify for payments, the new 2002 farm bill offers plenty of opportunities and should lead to further expansion of no-tilled acres. But if you're just no-tilling corn and soybeans, don' expect that rotation to automatically meet the necessary government criteria in all states.

I'd make a really poor conventional farmer. I'd get bored out of my gourd. I never liked cultivators and I've always said they should rename them "corn killers."