Shattering yield barriers is part of David Hula’s DNA. The Charles City, Va., farmer is known for his record-breaking corn yields, but the results are not based on repetition.

David Hula

Rather, it’s Hula’s willingness to embrace change and accept the challenges of adopting a new farming philosophy. Starting in 2018, the long-time no-tiller began transitioning corn acres on his operation to strip-till, seeking more consistency in early emergence, targeted fertilizer placement and yield growth.

Switching to strip-till offered him the opportunity to increase yield potential without jeopardizing return on investment (ROI) or soil health. Hula’s evolving strip-till system contributed his capturing the 2019 National Corn Growers Assn. high corn yield title with a record of more than 606 bushels per acre.

“As we got to yield barriers, we were introduced to strip-till and we played with a few acres, banded some fertilizer and planting our corn crop into the strips,” Hula says. “The first year, in the very first field, we saw a 37 bushel per-acre yield increase, and overall, what we consistently saw is emergence quality with better seedbed preparation with strip-till.”

At the 2020 National Strip-Tillage Conference Aug. 6-8, Hula presents a virtual general session analyzing the operational challenges, economic gains and growth potential of transitioning to strip-tilled corn.

The 7th annual National Strip-Tillage Conference will be held virtually and feature 3 days of strip-till education through an array of thought-provoking general sessions, strategy-packed strip-till classrooms and highly collaborative strip-till roundtable discussions. 

For more information and to register for the virtual conference for just $49, visit www.StripTillConference.com and also check out our new “Frequently Asked Questions” page designed specifically to ensure a productive, positive experience. 

Title sponsors making the learning and networking opportunities possible for strip-tillers include Agrisolutions, AgroLiquid, Claas, Copperhead Ag, Environmental Tillage Systems, Kuhn Krause, Montag Mfg., Nutrien, Orthman Mfg., Schaeffer’s Crop Enhancements, Schlagel Mfg., Vulcan Equipment and Yetter Mfg. Co.  

All 13 companies will offer exclusive opportunities to visit their virtual booths, answer one-on-one questions and share new product information throughout the duration of the 3-day educational event.