They say history repeats itself—it sure seems that way when it comes to the end of the year and global temperature records. But cover crops and no-till could be part of the solution.

Nutrient runoff from agricultural production is a significant source of water pollution in the U.S., and climate change that produces extreme weather events is likely to exacerbate the problem. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looks at how extreme rainfall impacts runoff and suggests possible mitigation strategies.

Weeks of 100-plus-F temperatures in the West in 2023 made headlines in the U.S., but Europe had a super-heated summer, too. Likewise, flooding swamped farmers in the U.S. Northeast and in Germany over the summer. The rising severity of weather and climate impacts on the global food system became the focus of a panel held at Agritechnica 2023 in Hanover, Germany.

Farmers are becoming more open to acknowledging that carbon emissions and climate change are becoming a problem, according to Iowa State University researcher J. Arbuckle. And it’s a good thing they’re willing to talk about it, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that without cutting carbon emissions, growers will face increasing weather challenges, including severe storms, droughts, floods and pest migrations — problems that could be a major hit to the bottom line.

The record wet year in 2019 left many acres in South Dakota unsuitable for planting, but on Doug Sieck's cropland near Selby, South Dakota, he was able to plant every acre he wanted to. He attributes that to decades of no till management and the years of cover cropping that have helped build healthy soil. Read more in this article from the Aberdeen News.