Preserving Nutrients and Boosting Yields with Strip-Till in Unforgiving Conditions

Verona, Mo., strip-tiller Gary Wolf is especially conscious of his soil testing practices to maximize the growing potential on 325 acres of corn, wheat and soybeans. Farming extremely shallow, red clay soils — which can dry out during summer and are prone to compaction — Wolf finds that constant monitoring of soil health, partnered with strip-till, can save money — even in adverse growing conditions.

In our part of the country, we can get a good 1-inch rain, but if the ground is hard that water will just run off,” he says. “With strip-till, all of that water goes into the ground."
In 2007, Wolf purchased his first strip-till rig to help retain moisture and limit runoff in corn.

As one of the early adopters of strip-till in his area, he has evolved his system to include equipment modifications, adding moles knives to the shank setup on his row units to fracture a deeper hardpan, rigorous soil testing to analyze nutrient uptake and cover crops in 2011.

In a classroom session on August 6, Wolf will share his experience overcoming adverse growing conditions with strip-till to improve soil health and increase production.
For more information and a complete agenda of this year’s event, visit www.striptillconference.com.