Strip tillage has provided Ron Verly with a valuable resource nearly every farmer wants more of during planting season: time.
The southwest Minnesota farmer says he is able to create a good seedbed while leaving residue between rows for erosion control and moisture conservation. The result is a significant head start on every season.
“I build strips in the fall, and then I plant right into those strips in the spring,” he says. “While [conventional till farmers] are trying to figure out which field they can go hit with the field cultivator, I’m already out setting my planter.”
Verly’s experience reflects a key benefit: using strip-till can reduce field time by nearly 50%, according to the Strip-Till Farmer 2025 Operational Benchmark Study.
Efficiency in Fuel and Horsepower
Five years ago, Verly was looking for a way to transition away from conventional tillage. The move to strip-till allowed him to reduce his high-horsepower needs and fuel consumption.
“With conventional till, we run a 500 QuadTrac, which can burn over 25 gallons of fuel per hour, and I’ve eliminated a pass,” Verly explains. “I’m running a smaller tractor with my strip-till. There’s a lot of variables to doing strip-till, but if you add them all together, there’s savings to be had.”
Beyond time and fuel, strip-tillage allows for better precision in nutrient management. Verly aligns his fertility program directly with the strip.
“My fertilizer is right where I’m putting my corn and soybean seed,” he says. This targeting helps him maximize every nutrient dollar spent on the ground his grandfather started farming more than 80 years ago.
Before making the switch to strip-till, Ken Ferrie advises farmers to balance pH levels since soil will no longer be mixed. “After you begin strip-tilling, you can then apply smaller lime applications more frequently,” notes Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.
Navigating the Learning Curve
Transitioning to strip-till is a management shift that requires a flexible mindset. Garrett Asmus, a fifth-generation farmer from north-central Iowa, suggests that new adopters be prepared to deal more with residue.
“You’re not working the ground and hiding the residue, so there can be times when there’s a lot more of it on the surface to manage,” Asmus says. “Make sure your planter is equipped to handle it.”
Asmus also emphasizes the important role technology plays in the process: “GPS lines are very important with strip-till because you’re putting that narrow strip down (usually 6” to 10”), and then you have to come plant directly over that, so accuracy is really important.”
Verly agrees that “tinkering” is part of the process. “Every year is different. Some years it’s a breeze, and some years you’re out there struggling a little bit,” he says. “There’s a ton of adjustability on these machines, and you need to be willing to make adjustments for your conditions and for each season.”
Asmus, who farms with his dad, Harlan, says they started their journey to strip-till in 2002, working with an experienced custom operator who could teach them the ropes and minimize the potential for costly mistakes. They continued the arrangement for nearly a decade.
“At that point, we invested in our own strip-till bar, and went 100% strip-till,” Asmus recalls.
Timing and Resilience
While Verly and Asmus prefer to build strips in the fall, Ferrie notes that creating spring strips are an option, provided the weather cooperates.
“We’ve built strips in March and early April, and when we got rain to settle them we got a decent seedbed,” Ferrie says.
However, in dry years, he notes that spring-built strips can dry out too much — but there is a Plan B available. “If it’s too dry to plant in the strips, it’s usually dry enough to no-till,” he adds.
The Long-Term Payoff: Yield and Soil Health
Strip-till requires a “long game” strategy. Verly notes that the most valuable results can take a few seasons to achieve.
“You’re not going to see results the first year. You’re going to see results the third year, the fourth year, the fifth year,” he says.
For Verly, the proof is in the bin. Before the switch, he says his soybeans had hit a yield ceiling of 50 to 55 bushels. “By my fourth or fifth year with strip till, I was getting 70 to 72 bushels,” he says, adding he expects to see additional yield increases over time.
“Soil health equals plant health, plant health equals yield,” he says.
Is Strip-Till Right for You?
Ken Ferrie offers five questions for you to consider if you’re contemplating making a move to strip-till:
- How well can you manage disease pressure?
- Are you willing to take the time to adjust your planter for conditions in each field?
- Can you control gully erosion in strips on rolling ground?
- Can you control weeds with a burndown herbicide?
- How will you manage traffic so you don’t drive over the strips with herbicide and fertilizer applications?
