Alleviation of cold, wet, compacted soils is of great importance for earlier planting that can lead to improved yield in short growing season environments. Strip‐till adoption in corn (Zea mays L.) has increased as a sustainable means to improve soil conditions and yield; however, the response of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] to strip‐till has been less consistent. This study aims to: (i) quantify the effect of strip‐till, row spacing (soybean only), crop rotation (corn only), fertilizer placement, and in‐furrow fungicide application on corn and soybean plant population, canopy coverage, and grain or seed yield, (ii) evaluate the effect of strip‐till on soil temperature and penetration resistance, and (iii) determine best management recommendations for strip‐till use in Wisconsin corn and soybean production systems. A small‐plot experiment was conducted in Arlington, WI, during the 2016, 2017, and 2018 growing seasons. In soybean, banded fertilizer resulted in 0.3 Mg ha–1 (6.5%) greater yield than surface‐applied fertilizer. Greatest soybean seed yield was obtained by combining strip‐till, in‐furrow fungicide, and 38‐cm row spacing. In corn, strip‐till yielded 0.8 Mg ha–1 (5.7%) greater than no‐till and banded fertilizer yielded 0.7 Mg ha–1 (4.9%) higher than surface‐applied fertilizer. In soybean, yields in strip‐till were generally equivalent to no‐till and yield benefits associated with strip‐till were dependent on other management factors. In corn, banded fertilizer, strip‐till, and the corn in corn–soybean (CS) rotation with in‐furrow fungicide resulted in greatest yields. Strip‐till was a beneficial soil management tool for improving grain yield in Wisconsin.

Core Ideas A reduction in penetration resistance was observed in the rooting zone of fall and spring strip‐till rows compared with no‐till rows. Spring strip‐till reduced penetration resistance at more depths than fall strip‐till. There was no yield response of strip‐till compared with no‐till in the small‐plot study. There was no difference in plant population or yield between strip‐till or no‐till in the on‐farm study. The perceived yield deficit normally associated with 30‐in row spacing was reduced with the use of strip‐till. Alleviation of cold, wet, compacted soil is a major concern for Wisconsin soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] growers because of the narrow harvest and planting windows in spring and fall. Strip‐till, which combines benefits of intensive tillage in crop rows and no‐till between crop rows, has emerged as a viable conservation tillage option to alleviate these issues while maintaining soil structure and health. Though strip‐till's yield response in corn (Zea mays L.) is well documented, soybean's yield response has been studied less. This study aims to: (i) quantify the effect of no‐till and strip‐till timing, crop row spacing, and fertilizer placement on soybean plant population, canopy coverage, and seed yield; (ii) evaluate no‐till and strip‐till timing and/or crop row spacing on soil temperature and penetration resistance; and (iii) determine the best management recommendations for strip‐till use in Wisconsin soybean production systems. A small‐plot experiment was conducted in Arlington, WI, during the 2016, 2017, and 2018 growing seasons and an on‐farm experiment was conducted in Sharon, WI, during the 2016 and 2017 growing seasons. In the small‐plot trial, 15‐inch spring strip‐till (66.5 bu acre‐1) yielded 6.7% more than 15‐inch fall strip‐till (62.0 bu acre‐1). There was no difference in yield between the 15‐inch and 30‐inch row spacings across all tillage treatments. Plant population in the small‐plot trial was 17,000 plants acre‐1 (15.5%) greater at the 30‐inch row spacing than at the 15‐inch row spacing. In the on‐farm trial, no differences were observed among treatment combinations. Overall, results suggested that there were no differences in yield when comparing strip‐till and no‐till for soybean production.

Alleviation of cold, wet, and compacted soils is of great importance for earlier planting that can lead to improved yield in short growing season environments. Strip‐till adoption in corn has increased as a sustainable means to improve soil conditions and yield; however, the response of soybean to strip‐till has been less consistent. The objectives of this research were to (1) quantify the effect of strip‐till, row spacing (soybean only), crop rotation (corn only), fertilizer placement, and in‐furrow fungicide on corn and soybean plant population, canopy coverage, and grain or seed yield; (2) evaluate strip‐till, row spacing, fertilizer placement, and in‐furrow fungicide on soil temperature and penetration resistance; and (3) determine best management recommendations for strip‐till use in Wisconsin corn and soybean production systems. Earn 0.5 CEUs in Soil & Water Management by reading this article and taking the quiz at http://www.certifiedcropadviser.org/education/classroom/classes/798.