Tackling Tillage: Why Strip-Till Soil Fumigation Matters

Reduced tillage systems have become a focal point throughout agriculture in recent years. The logic behind incorporating tillage reduction is clear, as there are many benefits associated for both the farmer and the land they tend.

  • Reduced soil erosion
  • Preserve soil structure
  • Lessen impact on soil microbiome
  • Reduced production costs
  • Better water management

With all that being said, tillage is also a critical component in the production system of many crops, especially potato. Two things can be right at one time, this is true of the importance of tillage in agriculture and the advantages of reduced tillage systems. It is important to remember that standard systems developed over time for a reason, because they were needed and effective. Conventional tillage provides:

  • improved aeriation
  • weed suppression
  • Incorporation of fertility and pest control products
  • Hard-pan improvements with deep tillage
  • Seedbed preparation

As with any decisions we make in agriculture, there is a push and pull relationship to anything we do. The intent should be to maximize advantages while limiting the disadvantages and result on a net gain in the end. A friend and colleague of mine in agriculture compared this to counting calories while looking at a menu in a restaurant. You can have tillage, but it comes at a cost. Portion sizes matter and if we want a large portion, what are you willing to give up to stay under the threshold?

A larger sector of agricultural producers are introducing reduced tillage into their cultural systems and TriEst Ag Group recognized the need to investigate the use of Chloropicrin in this manner. It’s important that we innovate and evolve alongside our customer base. Much like conventional tillage systems being a standard for a reason, there are principles to fumigation that are required by label to ensure proper handling and efficacy.

  • Soil properly prepared in seedbed condition and free of clods at time of application
  • Soil moisture at 50% or greater and soil temperatures less than 90 F at the time and depth of application
  • Application depth must be 12” from the nearest air to soil interface
  • Field residue must be managed, little crop residue on soil surface that can’t impact soil seal
  • For soil sealing, soil must be uniformly mixed to at least a depth of 3 inches to eliminate the chisel trace.  Following elimination of the chisel trace, the soil surface must be compacted or pressed to complete the seal

Similar to our customers, it’s quite the challenge to figure out how to accomplish reducing tillage and maintaining efficacy for growing a productive crop. Over the past three years, TriEst Ag Group has worked diligently with grower cooperators to develop equipment application options to achieve these goals. The result of these efforts is strip-till fumigation. As the name implies, with this method we are only applying tillage in the “strip” or area where fumigant is specifically being applied in the row. The equipment used for this process is really broken down into five steps:

  1. Large straight edge coulter (cutting coulter) that cuts through field debris in the center of the row
  2. Notched coulter (row cleanout) that grabs the cut field debris and throws it out of the strip
  3. Shank that is providing deep tillage to reduce compaction in the root zone and applying the fumigant product
  4. Set of wavy coulters (closing discs) that are pinching the soil behind the shank to shut down the chisel trace and eliminate any chimney effect
  5. Compacting wheel (several options pending the desired final surface) is sealing the tilled area after the shank trace has been closed

A lot of our development work has been focused on potato growing systems, so we will use that as an example. Potato is typically grown on 34″-40” row centers and our tillage/application strip is 12” wide, which encompasses the area the potatoes will be grown in. If we use a 36” row center example, 12” divided into 36” equals 33%, representing the percentage of land that is tilled. This effectively reduces tillage by 67% for our fumigation application.

The tillage reduction is magnified several times over when you consider the preparation tillage passes prior to the application that are also removed. The number of passes and costs associated are on a case-by-case basis, as all farming operations have different procedures. The previous crop is also very important in this discussion, due to the level of difficulty associated with heavier residue. A few good examples from potato growing systems would be:

  • Prior crop being soybeans or a small grain – one disc pass prior to application pass
  • Prior crop being corn – one disc-ripper pass followed by two disc passes prior to application pass

The impacts can be quite significant when you consider the cost and time savings of removing pre-tillage passes out of a production system. An added benefit to no pre-tillage is conserving moisture. Tillage opens the land to moisture loss and could impact fumigation viability, resulting in more lost time. Using an application with no pre-tillage requirement insulates that moisture and allows for a much longer application window in the Fall or Spring. Another key consideration pending the crop being grown is any tillage that is done after fumigation that may move or bring in untreated soil into the application strip. Like pre-tillage, there are many considerations here based on specific operations, but it must be accounted for to ensure efficacy and a quality end result.

In our next article, we will go through trial results in several geographies across the potato production regions in the United States and look at how strip-till fumigation performed when competing head-to-head against traditional grower standard application practices.

Until then you may want to watch some of our videos on equipment or harvest trials. Or you can reach out to talk to your local sales representative here.

Alabama Cucumber Field – Fumigation Tutorial
New York Potato Harvest Trial Digs

The Badger Common’Tater: An Interview with Josh Mays of TriEst Ag Group

Today, we’re absolutely thrilled to share some news with you. The July issue of the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association’s The Badger Common’Tater features a wonderful, in-depth interview with our own Corporate Agronomist, Josh Mays! This entertaining conversation delves into Josh’s background, why he joined the company, the innovative techniques that TriEst uses, and a detailed conversation about chloropicrin-based products in crop protection.

Don’t Miss the July Crop Protection Issue by the WPVGA The Badger Common’Tater.

If you’re curious to learn more about Josh Mays and the dedicated work happening at TriEst Ag Group, be sure to grab a copy of The Badger Common‘Tater’s July Crop Protection issue. You can find the article on their website here: JULY 2023 ISSUE of the Badger Common’Tater

This interview is a must-read for farmers, industry professionals, and anyone passionate about the future of agriculture.

Potato School On Demand

The 3rd annual TriCal Group Potato School was a success! We hope you were able to attend the live event that happened on Tuesday, December 13th and interact with our amazing lineup of speakers. If you weren’t able to attend or would like to revisit some of the great content from the school you can now. We have all of the presentations on video available for viewing ON DEMAND today.

Go to https://strikefumigants.com/potato-school-on-demand/ today and sign-up to view them.

PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE:

Dr. Gary Secor
North Dakota State University Professor Plant Pathology Department:
AN OVERVIEW OF SOIL BORNE DISEASES IN POTATOES, WITH A FOCUS ON THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECT OF FUSARIUM AND RHIZOCTONIA

Dr. Steve Culman
Washington State University’s Soil Health Endowed Chair:
HOW TO OPTIMIZE CROP SUSTAINABILITY AND REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN POTATO SYSTEMS

Dr. Chad Hutchinson
TriCal Group Global Director Potato Research and Market Support:
FUNCTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY: USING THE STRIKE SYSTEM TO REACH BOTH YOUR FINANCIAL AND REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE GOALS

Grower Panel
Josh Dreise, Fair Valley Produce – Fresh Market Potatoes
Nathan McClain, Floydd Farms – Processing Potatoes

Dr. Randy Huckaba
Teleos Ag Solutions Director of Product R&D:
TELONE™ by Teleos SOIL FUMIGANT FLEXIBILITY IN POTATO PRODUCTION

Jonathan Vink
Sales And Service at Douglas Agricultural Services Inc.:
THE STRIKE SYSTEM – HOW TO GET STRIKE IN THE GROUND: EQUIPMENT, SOIL PREPARATION, AND NUTS & BOLTS OF SOIL FUMIGATION LOGISTICS

Potato School Coming December 13

Register Now for: POTATO SCHOOL
Tuesday, December 13, Register online:
Potato School – Eventbrite

It is FREE and will be a VIRTUAL ONLINE EVENT.
Come join us for a robust day of learning and discussion. We have an excellent line-up of speakers planned.

Who you will hear and what you will learn:

  • Dr. Steve Culman

    Washington State University’s Soil Health Endowed Chair:
    HOW TO OPTIMIZE CROP SUSTAINABILITY AND REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN POTATO SYSTEMS

  • Dr. Gary Secor

    North Dakota State University Professor Plant Pathology Department:
    AN OVERVIEW OF SOIL BORNE DISEASES IN POTATOES, WITH A FOCUS ON THE DETRIMENTAL IMPACT AND MANAGEMENT OF FUSARIUM AND RHIZOCTONIA

  • Dr. Chad Hutchinson

    TriCal Group Global Director Potato Research and Market Support:
    FUNCTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY: USING THE STRIKE SYSTEM TO REACH BOTH YOUR FINANCIAL AND REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE GOALS

  • Grower Panel
  • Dr. Randy Huckaba

    Teleos Ag Solutions Director of Product R&D:
    TELONE ™ by Teleos SOIL FUMIGANT FLEXIBILITY IN POTATO PRODUCTION

  • Jonathan Vink

    Sales And Service at Douglas Agricultural Services Inc.:
    THE STRIKE SYSTEM – HOW TO GET STRIKE IN THE GROUND: EQUIPMENT, SOIL PREPARATION, AND NUTS & BOLTS OF SOIL FUMIGATION LOGISTICS

*Additional Speakers To Be Added!
CEU Credits have been be applied for and will be offered.