First of all we would like to introduce you to the concept of Strip-tillage.

What is Strip Till?

Strip till is opening up a path through the residue creating a seedbed that is comparable to conventional tillage but leaving a great deal of the residue similar to No-till. In selecting a strip till unit, keep in mind the “mixing factor”. Aggressive strip till units will not comply with no-till standards.

A strip till unit should be able to accommodate dry programs, liquid and dry, dry and ammonia, or just liquid programs. The Strip Cat can accommodate all of these options with different row configurations (ex. 12 row 30”, 24 row 22”, etc.).

A good strip till unit should be able to change from producing a good fall type birm to a smooth “semi birm” if needed in the spring with simple, easy adjustments.

The true test of a good strip till unit is its’ capability to go corn on corn. The Strip Cat will go corn on corn, in any direction with the row, at an angle, or able to stay on the ridge when using gravity irrigation or beds.

In the following sequence, the strip till unit should be able to go through the high residue cornfield and leave a good clean path. Notice the small strips with the high residue in the middle. It is hard to imagine that any crop would emerge in this situation, however look at the soybean stand that emerged and produced an above average yield. The residue that appeared in the second photo is no longer upright in the soybean field.

Why Strip Till?

One of the primary objectives of No till/Strip Till is to stop and reverse the degradation of organic matter! In this picture, this soil has an organic matter of 1.2% and a CEC of 25. It had the potential of being a highly productive field but with the loss of original organic matter, the yields have either decreased or the demand for more commercial fertilizer has dramatically increased! Organic matter is the foundation for higher yields.

Lateral movement of our precious soil, either by wind or by water, has to be stopped, and can be minimized by the usage of the Strip Cat. Leaving less soil exposed will stop the movement, but at the same time leave the small strip opened to warm up for optimum germination. By placing some of our fertilizer program immediately under the row it lowers the risk of movement. We have been able to reduce our fertilizer requirements by “feeding the plant” and not the yield.

It’ll allow to reduce fertilizer uses up to 40%.

The StripCat also allow to work under cover crops, which will help farmers answer new european rules : covering the soil in the winter.

By creating a path through the cover, it’ll allow to take advantage of both system, by protection the soil in the winter, and having a birm ready to plant early  because of a warmer soil.

One of the advantages for strip till is the opportunity of placing some of the nitrogen immediately under the plant unlike this field pictured on the left. The nitrogen has been sidedressed in the middle of the row with an injection unit. Strip till’s precise placement of nutrients has tremendous environmental and monetary ramifications for the producer. “Recovery” of our nitrogen and phosphorous by positional availability under the plant, leads to higher efficiencies of our fertilizer. If we can utilize more of our fertilizer by positioning it, we have less nitrous oxide emissions and less lateral movement of the phosphorous causing the hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.

We have found that water management efficiency has increased with the usage of strip till. When applying the fertilizer with the Strip Cat, we see a change in the soil density caused by the fertilizer knife. By this change in soil density, rainfall or irrigation water will fill that change under the row where the majority of the roots and fertilizer has been placed. Two things happen here, the fertility is always in the soil solution and the roots remain moist in critical periods.

Strip Till Equipment:

The Strip Cat can be designed to suit your needs, from 1 to 24 row machines available, we can accommodate both small and large farming techniques.

The Stripcat is easily ajustable in any point to fit your needs. In option, it is available with an hydraulic auto reset system to work in rocky conditions:

Build to last:

The StripCat has been build to last. Every moving parts is either under sealed bearing or ring mounted. It is daily maintenance free.

Build with high quality Iron, the StripCat is an heavy machine (about 600 lbs per unit) allowing a constant great job and a really low maintenance cost.

Testing in Europe:

Our partner in France has been testing an 11 row Strip Cat during the Autumn of 2010. To enable us to compare the advantages of strip till against no-till methods, we decided to sow a rape seed crop both using no-till and strip-till techniques. We will periodically take samples of the crop and monitor fertilizer usage to help produce a fair comparison. We aim to trial this in other european countires in the near future.

Feel free to contact us if you want to see a machine, test it, or simply talk with farmers already using this machine in Europe.

stripcat@gmail.com