The spotlight shined bright on strip-till during the summer trade show circuit in 2024. Strip-Till Farmer editors walked an average of 16,000 steps daily at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, to gather intel on the latest strip-till developments. Here are 5 takeaways from our conversations with farmers and equipment manufacturers. 

1. Record-Breakers

The current world record holders for corn and soybean yields are both strip-tillers, and both generated plenty of buzz throughout the Farm Progress Show. Outside the Pioneer tent was a giant billboard recognizing Charles City, Va., strip-tiller David Hula’s 623-bushel corn yield and Leesburg, Ga., strip-tiller Alex Harrell’s 218-bushel soybean yield. Harrell shared the keys to his success with attendees during a special meet-and-greet session. 

“Everyone wants the silver bullet, and we all know that we don’t have that,” Harrell says. “It’s just a systems approach. We plant early. We try to get into grain filling in those long days before the summer solstice. We do a lot of early season management and tissue sampling. We focus a lot on late season management to increase seed size. I’m a firm believer that a lot of extra bushels come from that.”  

2. For Strip-Tillers, By Strip-Tillers

East Moline, Ill.-based Black Eagle Ag debuted its 40-foot, 16-row narrow transport strip-till bar, which is designed to get the job done in arduous conditions. Black Eagle Ag president Doug Hays says the unit was developed, designed and tested by a partner who custom strip-tills in Australia. 

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK. Black Eagle Ag’s 16-row strip-till bar made its Farm Progress Show debut. The unit was designed for tough soil conditions by a custom strip-tiller in Australia. Noah Newman

“He works in some tough conditions, so his plan was to build something that’s heavy-duty with thick material,” Hays says. “The air cylinder system on the containment arms and row cleaners is designed to provide down pressure, up pressure or pressure to both sides so that it allows suspension. It’s very dialable to whatever conditions you’re running it in, and it’s very robust. There are several of these units running in Australia, and we hope to have a bunch running in the U.S. this fall.” 

3. Changing Landscape

Lynx owner Lance Glendenning showcased his company’s new 36-row, 22-inch strip-till bar. The new unit fits a changing market that’s seen more high-acreage farmers adopting strip-till in recent years, Glendenning says. He’s also noticed a recent shift in customer expectations, with more strip-tillers looking to buy a complete package rather than just a toolbar by itself. 

COMPLETE PACKAGE. Lynx owner Lance Glendenning shows off his company’s new 36-row, 22-inch strip-till bar, which he says fits the growing demand for strip-till in more high-acreage operations. Noah Newman

“As strip-till continues to grow, we’re going to see more commercial farmers, and less of the small-acreage guys adopting strip-till,” Glendenning says. “Especially with the 45Z tax credit, the federal government is pushing practices like strip-till more.

“Durability is the main thing strip-tillers are looking for in new equipment,” he adds. “25 years ago, strip-till was mostly about injecting fertilizer and trying to plant into it. Now, it’s also about refining the strip and making a nice seedbed. We started out just building toolbars, and then we realized that people wanted the toolbar, row unit and the box to all come from the same company, so there wasn’t a blame game as to who was responsible if something didn’t work.”  

4. Familiar Faces, New Showcases

NEW ADDITIONS. Kuhn Krause marketing director Curt Davis showcases a new air diffuser for the Kuhn Krause Gladiator ST-PRO II row units (L). Yetter debuted its air-assist cylinder and Unverferth unveiled the TerrainPro2 (R) row units for the Raptor. Noah Newman

While all the familiar strip-till models were on display, from the Orthman 1tRIPr to the Environmental Tillage Systems (ETS) SoilWarrior, many companies unveiled new features on the machines that strip-tillers have become familiar with over the years. Kuhn Krause showcased a new air diffuser for dry fertilizer on the Gladiator ST-PRO II row units with new stainless-steel tube that also integrates a wireless blockage sensor to notify strip-tillers if there’s a blockage in the flow of fertilizer. Unverferth debuted the TerrainPro2 row unit for Raptor models 2130 and 2115, and Yetter announced a new air-assist cylinder, which utilizes in-cab control systems for floating row cleaners. 

5. Planting with Rigs

Some strip-tillers are getting creative with their rig and using it for more than just making strips and applying fertilizer. During our stop at the ETS booth, we learned of some farmers who are using the company’s SoilWarrior to plant soybeans and cover crops. 

“You can strip-till, place fertilizer and apply cover crops in between rows with the SoilWarrior,” says Dave Sender, ETS regional sales manager. “We’re seeing positive results from farmers who are seeding soybeans with it as well. There are a few adjustments you have to make on the machine to direct the seed to the depth you want to plant, but in a nutshell, you’re applying it like fertilizer. You’re metering it out just like fertilizer, and you can do variable rate applications with soybeans the same way you can with fertilizer.”