Precision farming with strip till systems
There is significant discussion over soil management and water quality. Concerns regarding erosion, loss of top soil and water retention are key elements to the discussion. And water quality concerns have recently heralded the top of the list as algae blooms are ever increasing in our region. Perhaps a better agricultural system is needed to address these issues.
All soils are not created equal, however, and some are better for drainage than others. Lenawee County is situated on lake plains and in depressional areas on moraines, outwash plains and glacial drainage ways. These are soils formed in lacustrine deposits and are considered poor to very poor soils for drainage.
A soil drainage index determines which crops work best and what tillage techniques are most desirable to increased growth output. Farming is no longer a guessing game, where we apply pesticides and fertilizers without the precision of rate, time and place of application on specific soils to achieve maximum output with the least environmental consequences.
As a result, strip till is gaining recognition by area farmers. Just what is strip till and how might it assist with erosion, soil quality and unwanted water drainage into key waterways?
Wikipedia describes strip till “as a conservation system that uses minimum tillage. It combines the soil drying and warming benefits of conventional tillage with the soil protecting advantages of no till by disturbing only the portion of soil that is to contain seed row.”
With the proper equipment, which is not conventional farm equipment, the farmer can plant the seed directly into the soil with the right amount at the right time and with the right positioning of fertilizer and/or chemicals that will most benefit the rows where the seed is planted. This differs from using fertilizers dispensed at equal amounts across a field that may not require as much in other sections of the same field. It also reduces the nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by 40-70%, which is a potent green house gas 300 times stronger than CO2. Nitrous oxide stays in the atmosphere approximately 120 years, according to Soil Science Society of America Journal.
No till does not provide these optimal planting conditions. Nor does conventional tilling, which disrupts the soil’s microbes and exposes the soil to wind and conditions creating erosion and/or loss of top soil. When oxygen is introduced into the soil via tillage, the decomposition of organic matter is accelerated. Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus tend to be higher in the no till systems than on reduced till and conventional till systems, noted an Australian study. No need to explain further that poor quality soil and loss of top soil is not conducive to crop growth, as witnessed by the Dust Bowl era.
And, importantly, when precision techniques are used to plant seed with the right amount, right time and the right position of the injected fertilizer most beneficial to the plant, crops thrive. This method allows optimal growth, creating deep root systems in commodity crops. Deep root systems tend to absorb excess water that is needed and used by the plant system. This allows water to stay in the soil and decreases excess run off.
Strip till systems tend to reduce labor, fuel consumption and irrigation in cropland. While farmers need to obtain special equipment to conduct strip till, the environmental and crop production can be an enormous boon to the agricultural system in the future. Sunrise Farms, owned and operated by Laurie, Jim and Jake Isley in Palmyra Township, is the first farm in the county to begin strip till farming. Next month, their experiences with soil conservation, deep root plant systems, water retention and experiences of developing the strip till method will be discussed.
Deborah J. Comstock is a local small farmer. She is a member of Lenawee Indivisible and serves on the Palmyra Township Planning Commission.