Dealing with slugs can be a real nuisance for many growers. Dr. John Tooker, Penn State University, discusses how seed treatments influence predator populations in the field, how soybean yields respond when slugs are present in fields with both treated and untreated seed, why predator populations are important in your fields and more.

Self-titled “soil health farmer” Chad Christianson is not unlike other farmers when he says soil health practices have to “pay their way.” He realizes that rent is high and taxes are not cheap. Read more in this article from the Rock Island Dispatch-Argus.

Trey Hill led a small group of fellow farmers to a field outside his office in Rock Hall on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It was a cloudy February day, but the ground was alive with color — purple and red turnip tops mixing exuberantly with green rye, vetch and clover, and beneath it all, rich brown soil. Read more in this article from GreenBiz.

Retired engineer Bob Recker is an expert on wide row corn. In this week’s podcast, Recker explains why dedicating half of your corn growing space can triple your bottom line with little impact on corn yields, how 60-inch corn rows can improve soil health and water quality, why research and development are happening every day on the farm, and more. (Courtesy of Cover Crop Innovators) Editor’s note: For clarification, there has been no research stating that using 60 inch wide corn rows adds significant financial benefit.

By definition, anything that was or is alive is considered organic matter because it contains carbon-based compounds. This article covers some of the considerations around using organic soil amendments. The most common types of soil organic amendments are manure, compost, and crop residue (including cover crops). Read more in this article from Organic Farmer.

Slug populations increase during mild winters and flourish during wet springs, especially in no-till or cover crop fields. Scouting shows that slug populations are increasing and may be an issue this year. Read more in this article from Ohio's Country Journal.

Almost half of all Indiana farmland isn’t owned by the farmer who works it — it’s rented out. In the same way people who rent apartments are unlikely to invest in them, studies show farmers who rent land are less likely to do conservation practices. Read more in this story from Indiana Public Media.

A group of California organic farmers is sharing information about their efforts to combine reduced tillage with the use of cover crops, which they have been planting on their vegetable farms for decades to protect soil while adding carbon and diversity to their production systems. "Every one of the pioneering farmers has seen tremendous benefits from the practices," said Jeff Mitchell, UC Cooperative Extension vegetable crops specialist.