Soil Health
Whether crops, rocks, fossils or Native American artifacts, Terry Springer is a farmer possessed by his dirt.
Mike McGregor commands a chicken litter operation with military precision. “Growers that have used litter for years don’t continue because it doesn’t pay; they’re still putting it on because it brings results,” he says.
Mikey Taylor’s 110-acre block of cover crops has attracted pickers from multiple states and yielded a bounty of blessing.
Cover crops are a bustling industry within agriculture, but, the cover crop drumbeat is also met with skepticism or opposition, and some producers point toward the fallacy of blanket acceptance.
When farmland draws a premium, you’d expect the soil to be in good shape, right? More landowners are considering fertility clauses in their farm leases to ensure tenants don’t suck the soil dry.
The nitrogen-fixing power of soybeans is a dream for corn and other crops – but what if you could harness that power through microbes? Sound Agriculture is introducing SOURCE that claims to do just that.
With renewed focus on no-till and reduced tillage, how can you experience the greatest financial and positive environmental impact? Do you have to cut back on tillage every acre to maximize the benefits?
In a matter of a few short years, you can undo more than 100 years of work. How? For each 1” of topsoil that is eroded, it takes at least 100 years to regenerate.
Larry Thorndyke works to improve his farm so this excited sixth-generation boy can farm the same land his grandfather, and grandfather’s father farmed.
Cornell scientists are developing worm-like, soil-swimming robots to drill into the dirt—and unlock a treasure trove of data on root growth and more.