Todays agricultural community is embracing many new technologies. Innovative researchers have developed new ways to increase yields ranging from the global positioning of satellites to strip till. Strip till is a process of tilling small strips of soil while leaving the strip in between each row untilled to remain rich in organic matter. The benefits of strip till versus conventional till make it a practical way of increasing farm efficiency.Strip till first began in as a way for large farms to cover more acreage more efficiently in order to save time fuel and labor. The process begins a full growing season in advance with another crop. Once this crop is harvested, the stalks and other debris are mowed to the ground leaving the ground covered in organic matter; this crop is termed the cover crop. Once all equipment preparations are made the next growing season is started. A pass is made through the field with a minimum tillage implement. This implement plows up twelve-inch wide strips and then conditions them. Then the crop is planted and herbicide is applied. Throughout the growing season the crop is sprayed using a specialized hood sprayer, which protects the crop from the herbicide, to control weeds. This is a vast difference in conventional methods, which utilizes several passes to plow and condition the soil while also using herbicides.Environmentalists would have one believe that herbicide applications are detrimental to our ecosystems. However, with proper handling, our ecosystems are better protected from hazardous runoff when strip till practices are utilized. Conventional methods spray herbicide directly onto the ground where they can be washed away by rain or irrigation. Strip till methods spray herbicides onto the organic matter left behind from the cover crop where it can be absorbed into the plant. The method of spraying directly onto the desired area is called banding. The environmental concerns make strip till ...
