Understand how this option fits into a rental agreement
As landowners prioritize conservation, they are putting their wishes in writing. Around 95% of non-operating landowners agree or strongly agree they consider soil quality in land management decisions, according to a report from The Nature Conservancy.
As a result, more landowners are considering fertility clauses in their farmland leases to ensure tenants maintain and improve soil health.
“When we see a clause to maintain fertility in the lease, it usually comes from landlords who are involved in the stewardship of their land,” says Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.
The Questions to Ask
If you’re seeking new land, a fertility clause could reassure you’re not walking into train-wreck soil conditions; however, be sure to ask questions about the soil test used as a basis of the fertility clause. Ferrie suggests:
- Who took the test?
- How did they pull the test?
- When did they pull the test?
- What lab or extraction method was used?
“We could send a crew out and grid the same field, and send it to Lab A, and we could send a second crew an hour later to zone sample, and send it to Lab B, and the results would not look alike,” Ferrie says. “Now, imagine a different crew pulling soil tests at the end of a three-year lease at a different time of year and sending it to a different lab.”
The tests could show big swings in phosphorus, potassium and organic matter on paper that didn’t really happen in the field. Ferrie says there are techniques and procedures that might cause such swings, but it’s hard to explain to an upset landlord.
“You can end up with a landlord who is mad because organic matter dropped from 4.2 to 2.4, and he’s convinced the farmer destroyed his soil health,” Ferrie says. “That kind of swing between labs and organic matter calculations is very possible. Cutting organic matter in half in three years is impossible — no matter how bad of a farmer you are.”
Soil Test Suggestions
Before signing that lease, Ferrie suggests asking if it’s acceptable to use your own soil test to be used as the starting point. Either hire a company with tried-and-true methods, or perform the test yourself. Then, give your base soil test to the landowner for them to compare and do the same process at the end of the lease.
“We can’t mix and match labs with these leases; it causes heartache,” Ferrie says.
