ROLAND – Iowa Learning Farms and Key Cooperative will co-sponsor a strip-tillage field day at the Mike Hermanson farm and at the Key Co-op strip-till plots in northern Story County on June 21, starting at 10 a.m.

The field day will include a complimentary lunch and information about the conservation strip-tillage practice. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.

Strip-tillage marries the best aspects of conventional tillage with the benefits of no-till.

Before planting (fall post-harvest or spring pre-plant), a strip-tillage implement creates strips of tilled soil.

Surface residue is left undisturbed between the tilled strips.

In the spring, corn or soybeans are planted into the tilled soil strips, which warm and dry faster than the rest of the field, making this system ideal for some Iowa soil types.

Landowners and farmers should see better water infiltration, improved soil structure and potential for reduced fuel, machinery and other crop input costs with the implementation of strip-tillage.

Mike Hermanson completed his strip-tillage last fall and will have strip-till implements at the field day site.

The field day will begin at Hermanson’s strip-tilled field, located one and one-half miles west of Roland on County Road E-18 on the north side of the road, just west of the turkey buildings.

The field day will then move to the Key Co-op strip-tilled plots. These are located two miles east of Roland on E-18 and then one-half mile south on county road S14 (620th St). Lunch will be at the Key Co-op site, sponsored by Monsanto.

Iowa Learning Farmsis building a Culture of Conservation, encouraging adoption of residue management and conservation practices.

Farmers, researchers and ILF staff are working together to encourage farmers to implement the best in-field management practices that increase water and soil quality while remaining profitable.