Striptill and Cover Crops Farming - Adapt These To Change Your Fortune

Farming may become more profitable business if it is done with new techniques like striptill and cover crops that have been recently proved by worldwide researches. It is our bad luck as well the result of traditional socio-economic practices that majority of the farmers across the world is not much technically sound and believes in following traditional farming methods. It is causing heavy loss to the farm owners as well as to the nations. The present alarming food stock position in many countries has made the governments of all the countries serious for increasing their national agriculture output.

Striptill farming warms up the soil which is better condition for seedbed. Soil strips make the soil better nutrients and better adaptable for growing plants. The untilled space between the rows delivers multidimensional benefits as result farm owner saves on input costs and earns better because of improved output. Strips in the fields reduce soil erosion. Liquid fertilizer directly goes to 6-8 inch deep seeds and emerging roots. Farmers save lots of irrigation and chemicals. If it is done with right kind of tools and equipments of Twin Diamond category, strip tilling farming needs almost 60% efforts. It is considered more environment friendly because it needs less usage of fuel driven farming machinery.

Having cover crops in between the main crops is the centuries old practice. Variety of intermittent crops are known for delivering farming benefits but recent research reports state that rotation of cover crops is must to get all the needed soil benefits. The commonly benefits of these intermittent crops are:

• Shielding of soil’s upper surface from raindrops impact;


• Slows runoff velocity;


• Keeps the soil ingredients intact;


• Stops crust formation;


• Improves soil's capacity to absorb more water;

Intermittent crops commonly called "trap crops" are used to attract farming friendly pests/insects, which are present in the area. If sowed in planned manner, these deliver many benefits to land soil. Selection of intermittent crop depends upon environmental, economic, cultural, social and biological parameters. Sweet clover, cowpeas, soybeans, guar, velvet beans, sesbania and crotalaria etc are known as legumes. These are summer season manure crops. Catch crops are other cover crops, which are planted after harvesting main cash crop. Rye is commonly used winter season catch crop.

When you switchover from the traditional farming method to new proven methods, you need to be careful in following the recommendations, especially till you get some experience. To be sure of results in very first attempt, get the free help from agriculture institutions.

Jonnie T. Allen is writing articles for slyagri, We specialize in agriculture Development by striptill, strip-till, strip tillage, strip cat, cover crops and many more…