INVESTING CHECKOFF DOLLARS
Dean Sponheim, Osage
UNCOVERING HIDDEN REVENUE Strip-tilling soybeans may be the answer BY MATTHEW WILDE
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ean Sponheim and other Iowa farmers will plant soybeans into narrow strips of tilled soil surrounded by corn stalks this spring. Strip-tilling soybeans isn’t for everyone or every farm, soil and agronomy experts say, but research data and on-farm results show it can boost yields and revenue. For strip-till veterans, especially those with heavy, black soil, they're sold on the practice. It’s an opportunity to reap the benefits of tillage while protecting and improving the soil — all with the bottom line in mind. “I can plant earlier, get a little yield bump and prevent soil erosion like this year when we got 55 inches of rain,”
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says Sponheim, an Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) member from Osage. Scott Nelson, ISA On-Farm Network® director, says tough economic times — cash soybeans dipped to 10-year lows in November at about $8 per bushel — dictate that producers evaluate every agronomic decision. That includes tillage or the lack of it. Strip-till is a system in which residue-free strips of soil about 6 to 8 inches wide (about one-third of a row) and 4 to 8 inches deep are tilled ahead of planting using a knife apparatus such as a fertilizer injection shank. It’s widely used in corn production statewide, but less so for soybeans.
Whether a farmer is a diehard no-tiller, favors conventional tillage or something in between, Nelson says strip-till may be an option. “Investing money and time in tillage is an important decision in soybean production,” Nelson says. “I’m still a big proponent for no-tilling soybeans, but every input should be scrutinized for overall effect on per bushel production costs.” A dozen On-Farm Network replicated strip trials were conducted this year, mostly in the northwest part of the state, comparing strip-till to no-till and conventional tillage in soybean production. Results weren’t available at press time.
