No till Soybeans emerging through corn stubble, Elizabethtown PA | Photo credit: Edwin Remsberg
Recently at the fifth annual Soil Health Summit in St. Louis January 15-16, the Soil Health Partnership shared key findings from four years of data showing that soil health efforts, such as cover crop adoption, reduced tillage, and advanced nutrient management, do indeed pay off.
The Soil Health Partnership is a farmer-led initiative administered by the National Corn Growers Association.
Key findings:
- Soil organic matter increased 0.33% to 0.50% on partner farms during the first few years in the program.
- By Year 3, SHP partner farms enjoyed a 5% improvement in aggregate stability in no-till plots.
- No statistical difference in corn or soybean yield in cover crop fields, compared to control fields, based on four years of yield data.