It’s been said, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” For strip-tillers, getting an accurate read on soil health is key to prescribing the right remedy for nutrient-deficient areas. Dr. Kristen Veum, research soil scientist with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Columbia, Mo., has studied assessment of soil quality in agro-ecosystems, development and refinement of soil quality indicators and application of sensor technology for soil quality assessment.

Soil health is rooted in a comprehensive farm management strategy. Knowing how to utilize natural soil heal stimulants to maximize crop production is an objective of Aaron Hird, Nebraska's NRCS state soil health specialist. Hird shares soil health principals promoted by the NRCS including the use of dual purpose cover crops for grazing as well as other opportunities to enhance a strip-till system.

Building biological diversity is an objective many strip-tillers seek when developing a comprehensive system. This starts from the ground up, investing in the soil as a living resource to support crop growth.

Jay Fuhrer of the NRCS explains why soil armor, minimizing soil disturbance, plant diversity, continual live plant roots and livestock integration are all key to soil health.

In this episode of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Blu-Jet, we welcome conservation agronomist Ray Archuleta for part 2 of his discussion on how strip-tillers can increase soil health and reduce chemical dependencies by embracing the concept that the plant and the soil are one.

In this episode of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Blu-Jet, we welcome conservation agronomist Ray Archuleta for part 1 of a 2-part discussion on how strip-tillers can increase soil health and reduce chemical dependencies by embracing the concept that the plant and the soil are one.

In this episode of the Strip-Till Farmer podcast, brought to you by Thurston Mfg., we welcome Rhizoterra Inc. soil scientist Jill Clapperton to share her experience-based advice for improving soil health.