The primary objective of strip till machinery is to stop and reverse the degradation of organic materials, such as soil, during the cultivation process. By doing so, it can help to produce higher yields by ensuring that the nutrients in the soil adapt to meet the needs of the plant, while giving equal and sufficient ground coverage to the soil between the rows.
Using minimum tillage, strip till combines all the benefits of conventional tillage, such as soil drying and warming, while providing all the benefits associated with no-till conservation systems by disturbing the bare minimum amount of ground, being the area where the seeds are intended to go.
So what exactly are the benefits of strip till systems? Well, as previously mentioned, it warms the soil, allowing it to remain in a fit state which is better for seeding. Also, it allows some water into the soil, with the amount of erosion of the soil controlled, as opposed to a conventionally tilled field, which would see a lot more erosion.
Possibly the biggest benefit of strip till is that liquid fertilizers can be applied directly to the areas where the seed is being or is to be planted, reducing the amount of fertilizer needed and applied, which is not only good for the field, but the environment and the bank balance, as you don’t need to purchase anywhere near as much fertilizer as you previously may have done.
As well as having financial benefits, it also saves the farmer a lot of time. When combined with a planter, this system can reduce the number of trips needed through a field, helping to improve the precision of the planting, meaning that the seed is sown evenly, in the right place, and in a much shorter period of time, something all farmers can benefit from in the busy summer months.