I first got involved with precision ag in college after growing up on a row crop farm in east central Iowa. I spent 5 years working as a software support specialist with Ag Leader, where I learned a lot about the industry, but decided a desk job just wasn’t for me. I’m happier turning the wrench and getting underneath equipment. I ended up starting my own precision farming dealership — Youngblut Ag in Dysart, Iowa — and we sell strip-till equipment as well. 

When it comes to precision technology and strip-till, always keep ROI in mind. If we’re not getting a return on something, do we really want it? Some stuff is nice. I’ve got a truck, and I made sure to get leather seats because I have a 7-year-old who makes a hell of a mess. I’ve gotten my return on those seats. But do I really need the sunroof that came with it? It’s cool and my wife likes it, but I don’t see any return on it. That’s what we want to look at. I’m going to get a nice return on a good metering system. I’m going to get a good return from making sure I’m on the strip instead of off to the side. I might not get a return on sensors that tell me whether I have a blockage, but I could, depending on what product I’m applying. 

Teaming Up

The first thing I ask customers when they’re interested in strip-till is, “Do you know what strip-till really is and what do you want to achieve with it?” I want to get the right products and solutions to the right people. And I want it to work well, maybe that’s because I don’t like angry phone calls. It’s important to find somebody that has a broad spectrum of knowledge and knows the different product lines and manufacturers and can help you piece everything together. If you’re unsure, that’s when you need to find a good partner and work with them. Figure out your way into this and what the best approach is. 

We no-tilled for many years with cover crops before switching to strip-till. Andy Thompson from Yetter helped me figure out how to make strip-till work in our operation. He’s been my partner throughout the entire process. After finally investing in a toolbar, we terminated our cereal rye in the spring before applying urea and AMS. We were able to move the residue to the side and make strips only as deep as we wanted because our thought process was let the planter come in with downforce, lay that seed into a firm bottom, spread those roots out and get fertilizer in the zone. 

Always Learning

Now this fall, we’re going to make some strips a little deeper and apply phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Then we’ll come back in the spring and freshen the strips because we know the stalks are going to blow around. The freshener will warm the strips up. For those of you that went from conventional tillage to strip-till, think of it like a cultivator pass. Yes, we’re going over the field twice, but we’re able to variable rate 3 products and get into the field sooner with the planter. I use variable rate technology because that’s going to put more money in my pocket at the end of the day. Having the right rate controller that’s easy to use — and is accurate — is going to allow you to apply different products at different rates at the same time.  

Am I going to tell you that this is the silver bullet and is what you should do? Absolutely not. Are we going to upgrade or change things in the future? More than likely. Everything changes, every year. This just shows, even for people that work in the equipment world every day, we’re still learning and working right alongside you.