Nancy and Jerry Ackermann have been strip-tilling corn and no-tilling soybeans and alfalfa on their 1,200-acre farm in southwest Minnesota for 15 years. Coming from conventional tillage practices, the transition began on a small 50-acre test plot.

“We were getting started right around the same time our co-op was using the new AGCO variable-rate spreaders,” says Jerry. “We had a friend mention that we ought to try strip-till that year too, so we tested both.”

Both strip-till and variable-rate showed an 8- to 9-bushel corn yield advantage. But the Ackermanns ran the tests again over the next few years and found that while they both increase yield, variable-rate technology was costing them $15-$18 more per acre in fertilizer when they followed the recommendations.

At the time, the Ackermanns decided to suspend variable-rate spreading but continue with strip-till, which was paying an immediate dividend.

“The first year we implemented strip-till across 100% of our corn and no-till on our soybeans and alfalfa, we cut our fuel bill in half,” Jerry says. “At the time variable-rate spreading wasn’t worth it, but now variable-rate application through the strip-till rig is available, which has been working great for us for the past 3 years or so.”

Custom Savings

In addition to fuel savings, the Ackermanns also saw an economic advantage to hiring out their strip-till compared to conventional tillage.

“We had to look at it from the economics of it,” Jerry says.

NO DIFFERENCE. Since they have their acres custom strip-tilled, the Ackermanns have…