Strip-tillers often stress the 4R strategy for fertilizer placement, acknowledging that sometimes conditions aren’t always conducive to achieving desired results.

Fertilizing practices and products remain consistent, while strip-tillers trend toward sprayer ownership and increasing accuracy with applications.

Strip-tillers favor 12-row rigs and shank-style setups on row units, while preference for fall or spring strip-building increases.

Strip-tillers often cite targeted fertilizer placement as a key benefit of the practice, to ensure that plant roots can access nutrients throughout the growing season. But the 3rd Annual Strip-Till Operational Benchmark Study revealed some interesting changes in what type of fertilizer strip-tillers are applying and how.

As strip-tillers search for efficient, economical ways to retain moisture and nutrients in their soils, an increasing number are turning to cover crops. Analysis of the 3rd Annual Strip-Till Operational Benchmark Study revealed another uptick in their use.

For the second year in a row, farmers increased the average number of acres they strip-tilled, despite a minor dip in the percentage of farm acreage strip-tilled.