Your land may be your life. It may have been in your family for generations or it may be your source of livelihood. Regardless, as a farmer, you want your land to be sustainable. You may want to save money at the same time. This is where strip-tillage comes in.
Strip-till is the practice of tilling only a narrow furrow of soil to create a seed bed, leaving the rest of the soil undisturbed. Farmers are finding this practice does promote the sustainability of their land. Let’s explore how this happens.
Most often, farmers only need to make one pass over their land for tilling, fertilizing, and planting. This not only reduces soil compaction, but it also saves time, money, and wear and tear on machinery. Advances in farm equipment have enabled farmers to attach a variety of implements to their tractor, providing for various tasks to be performed at once.
Many strip-till farmers add a cover crop to their conventional farming practice. A large amount of crop residue on the ground prevents erosion. Wind and water won’t be able to carry your soil and its nutrients away, and water will stay inside the ground. On the contrary, there is greater erosion with conventional tillage as more ground is disturbed and compacted.
Strip-till is also optimized for earlier germination as seeds are placed in deep furrows that are rich in nutrients and can be warmed by the sun. These deep furrows also reduce deep root compaction providing earlier, and more healthy roots.
As these conservation practices save your soil from erosion, loss of nutrients, and compaction, its longevity is increased. Farmers are also able to save time and money. If you want to know more about no-till farming practices or need irrigation and drainage solutions, call us today. Richland Micro Drainage is here to help your land become more sustainable and successful.