STRIP TILLAGE FOR “NO–TILL” ROW CROP PRODUCTION

Abstract

Strip tillage systems apply tillage procedures only to narrow strips or zones of soil where the individual rowswill be planted for the next crop. The tilled zones are no more than 25% of the field area. Strip tillage procedures for cropproduction are conservative, wherein the soil remains partially covered with protective residues while crops are planted,fertilized, grown, and harvested in the row zones. The strip tillage literature is reviewed and strip tillage defined for rowcropproduction in conservation tillage systems. Some technical alternatives are discussed and available commercial implementsare identified. Studies were conducted on both small research plots and large onfarm field plots. It was concluded that bothdeep and shallow types of strip tillage increased corn growth and yield, in some cases over conventional chisel plowing andtandem discing tillage, but there was no advantage to the use of deeper knifechisel zone treatment over shallow sweep zonetillage in the soils tested. The data was inconclusive for cotton and did not include shallow sweeptype treatments. For theconditions tested, use of the experimental strip tillage procedures will provide more management options than strict notilland higher yields than with conventional tillage in drought years.