Agricultural producers often base their land management decisions on the living things they can see above the ground – crops, livestock, forage, weeds, insects, wildlife, etc. However, new research is showing they should also consider life found in the soil.

Due to the high cost and limited availability of commercial fertilizers over the past few years, we have largely focused on recycling valuable nutrients from crop residue. However, there are lots of other benefits from accelerating your residue decay program, including faster soil organic matter formation, fewer problems with planting and emergence, and improved weed and disease control.

No-tillers discuss the recent dust storm in Illinois, and what could have been done to prevent it.