Some conventional peanut production systems may require as many as nine tillage operations, notes Baldwin. A strip-till system, on the other hand, requires only one to two operations.

Nutrient runoff from agricultural production is a significant source of water pollution in the U.S., and climate change that produces extreme weather events is likely to exacerbate the problem. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looks at how extreme rainfall impacts runoff and suggests possible mitigation strategies.

Assuming an average off-road diesel fuel price of $4.75 per gallon, by transitioning from continuous conventional tillage to continuous no-till, a farmer can save just over $17 per acre each year in fuel costs.

Data pulled from new sensor technology shows soil health practices in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana moving in the right direction, says the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC). Other states will come online soon.

In this Strip-Till Farmer podcast, bought to you by Topcon Agriculture, we're joined by University of Minnesota regional extension educator Jodi DeJong-Hughes who details her recent research on quantifying the value of conservation tillage techniques as erosion-reducing tactics, including crop selection and tillage depths.

Nick Jensen, President of Thurston Manufacturing, creators of the Blu-Jet line of fertilizer applicators and conservation tillage equipment discusses the unique appeal of the National Strip-Tillage Conference. He also shares how speaking directly to the farmers allows them to help introduce strip-tillers to their product line, keep track of new trends and to help the farmers improve their bottom line.

This year, 35 more farms will join a revolutionary research effort that hopes to show U.S. farmers how sustainability through soil health can also lead to increased profitably.