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 dry conditions early in the production season, we are seeing more Palmer amaranth and waterhemp escapes in no-till soybean fields this year.

Cover crops are gaining more interest among Midwestern corn and soybean growers looking to improve soil quality, combat compaction, eliminate erosion and maximize soil nutrients.

The Haney test is intended to select robust soil biological activity even if the overall percent organic matter isn’t great. But it’s an open question of what “enough” biological activity is, so interpreting tests like the Haney can be difficult.