Farmers who have used a three- or four-crop rotation system for more than 10 years are most likely to reap the benefits of improved soil health and higher yields, according to a survey of producers in eastern South Dakota. With fertilizer prices at an all-time high, this might be an opportune time for producers to consider adding oats, peas and spring or winter wheat to their rotations, according to associate professor Tong Wang of South Dakota State University’s Ness School of Management and Economics. Read more in this story from South Dakota State University.

In this video, Dr. Clain Jones, Extension Soil Fertility Specialist with the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences at Montana State University, discusses how such agricultural practices such as cropping systems, cover crops, and nutrient management affect soil health in semi-arid climates. Dr. Jones includes soil health parameters, including soil organic matter, pH, enzyme activities, nitrogen availability, and infiltration rates.

Farmers typically treat diseased plants with copper solutions, but some studies suggest that recruiting beneficial microbes may prevent P. syringae infection. Thus, creating reservoirs of helpful microbes in agricultural fields could be an important strategy for preventing disease. Read more in this article from the American Phytopathological Society.

In this video, Indiana farmer Rick Clark discusses challenges and successes of regenerating soil on 7,000 acres. He'll explain why you have to be ready to change at a moment's notice, challenges he's had with using cover crops over the past 12 years, and how he implements a 6 crop system.

Current evidence largely suggests cover crops do not raise yields or returns in the first years of adoption. It is unclear if they will raise returns or lower risk over time. Read more in this article from University of Illinois Farmdoc.

With water-level control structures for controlled drainage gaining popularity in farms, some questions about the management practice have surfaced, including this one: How can we effectively utilize both controlled drainage and winter crops? Read more in this article from Ohio's Country Journal.

The biggest flour miller in the U.S. is looking to shift 250,000 acres of wheat fields to using regenerative agriculture practices, including cover crops by the end of this year. Ardent Mills, the largest North American miller of wheat for flour, is based in Denver, Colo., and wants to improve soil health, water quality, and crop yields while simultaneously trying to keep climate change at bay.

Cover crops are widely seen as one of the most promising conservation practices, improving soil health while also removing carbon from the atmosphere. But while the number of Midwestern farmers planting cover crops has increased markedly in recent years, 2017 USDA Census data show only about 5% have adopted the conservation practice. Read more in this article from KMA Land.