Eastern Iowa Farmer Spring 2017

managing your soil
One pass is
all you need
Strip tilling reduces fuel consumption, soil compaction
Jim Carstensen sees a lot
less of his crop ground
from the tractor seat than
he used to since he started
strip tilling. That’s because
this method of farming allows
him to apply all his fertilizer
and do all his tillage in just
one trip down a field.
“One pass and everything you need is
there, all concentrated in one little row,”
said his wife, Dawn, who farms with him.
In strip tilling, a 6- to 8-inch wide
cultivated seedbed is placed between
undisturbed crop residue. That means the
Carstensens use less fuel and reduce soil
compaction with fewer trips across the dirt
than they did before adopting the practice
in 2012.
Strip tilling also provides many soil
health benefits, as the crop residue prevents
erosion, protects water quality, and
adds organic matter to the soil as it decomposes.
Those are just some of the benefits.
The Carstensens had their best crop
year ever in 2016. While they have no
good way to compare strip till versus the
eastern iowa farmer photo / contributed
Strip tilling allows crop residue to remain on the
field. That not only prevents erosion, it also helps
build organic matter underneath the surface.
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50 Eastern Iowa Farmer | spring 2017