Conservation tillage is the only option for Bill Darrington to farm the rolling hills of western Iowa, to maintain soil structure and maximize nutrient uptake in the soil. Since 1987, he’s evolved from no-till and strip-till to a hybrid of the two farming practices. This includes deep-banded, multi-level placement of fertilizer during a spring strip-till pass and multiple foliar applications, along with timed insecticide and herbicide applications to provide crops with a robust nutrient package.