These numbers can have a direct affect on our nitrogen use and can help us be better managers in the context of overall soil health. There’s more to it than just understanding the C:N of a particular cash crop or cover crop residue. That’s where microbes come in to play. Read more in this article from Lancaster Farming.

Soil is a natural resource that supports human civilization and plays a vital role in global food security. So, while we may not be ranchers, crop growers or researchers, we all have a vested interest in soil — especially soil health. Read more in this article from the Las Cruces Sun News.

Nationwide, there has been a major trend in soil test results — a drop in potassium. Andy Wycislo, an agronomist who works with Waypoint Analytical, said there is no identified root cause for why potassium levels are dropping over the last few years, and while some other nutrients have seen decreases over the past couple of years, this one stands out. Read more in this article from the Rock Island Argus Dispatch.

Cover crops have proven benefits for soil health. A recent Iowa Soybean Association study shows that cover crops can also reduce the input costs associated with growing crops. Read more in this article from the Environmental Defense Fund.

Michigan State University Environmental Management Extension Educator Sarah Fronczak explains how cover crops retain nutrients in the soil, when liquid manure should be applied, the benefits of applying manure in the fall, and more.

This year’s cover crop of barley and wheat is designed to put nutrients back into this plot of Western Oklahoma soil. Picking through a small box full of small seeds, farmer Jimmy Emmons points out, “There’s squash in here. There’s peas in here.” Read more in this article from Oklahoma News 4.

The Haney soil health test, named for USDA scientist Rick Haney, includes more than a dozen different soil test values. These include standard macro- and micro-nutrients for plant consumption, but what’s different about the Haney test is that it also estimates nutrients for microbial consumption, focusing on how much carbon (C ) and nitrogen (N) is in the soil. Read more in this article from University of Minnesota Extension.

Major farm and livestock groups held a press conference in February to project a united voice on an issue they’ve long avoided. The coalition leaders said they wanted to join the fight against climate change rather than remain cast as villains avoiding the responsibility. Read more in this article from Roll Call.

A five-year study by a New Mexico State University researcher found that integrating cover crops, such as legumes and grasses, into existing cropping systems can increase the biological health of soils on hot and dry semiarid lands. Read more in this article from the Las Cruces Sun News.

Interest in no-till and cover crops has been on the rise among South Dakota (S.D.) crop producers. In 2019, half of S.D. crop ground was under no-till management and about 900,000 acres were planted to cover crops (U S.D.S-NRCS). Read more in this article from South Dakota State University Extension.