Published May 19, 2006 | By admin
What is strip-tillage?
Strip-tillage is defined as less than full-width tillage of varying intensity that is conducted parallel to the row direction. Generally no more than one-fourth of the plow layer is disturbed by this practice. The goal of strip-tillage is to create a seedbed condition in the row that is similar to that achieved by moldboard plowing, while leaving a relatively high amount of crop residue on the inter-row soil surface to reduce erosion.
There are several terms that are synonymous with strip tillage including: zone-tillage, row clearing, and deep zoning. Strip-tillage is often a separate operation, usually conducted in the fall, although some tools and row crop planters are equipped to do strip-tillage in the spring at planting. Many are designed to apply fertilizer simultaneously.
Three major types of strip-tillage can be described by the nature of the tools used and the intensity of the soil disturbance.