In this edition:

• Sixty years of crop diversification with perennials improves yields more than no-tillage in Ohio grain cropping systems
• Conservation Tillage Practices on GHG Emissions, Soil Health and Overall Agricultural Sustainability
• Long-term continuous no-till corn-soybean systems: Examining soil carbon sequestration and nitrogen accumulation across various pools
• Assessing the agricultural, environmental, and economic effects of crop diversity management: A comprehensive review on crop rotation and cover crop practices
• Cover Crops Optimize Soil Fertility and Soybean Productivity in the Cerrado of MATOPIBA, Brazil
• Short-term no-tillage improves soil water retention and maintains soil aeration at high moisture conditions despite reduced macroporosity
• Tillage Radish as Cover Crop Improves Soil Health Indicators Depending on Pedoclimatic Conditions.

While strip-till is an established practice in some parts of North America, individual objectives can vary by farm. Some seek improved fertilizer placement, while others have soil health improvement goals or yield consistency. But for Nathan Ensby and Trent Stainlay, both from New South Wales, Australia, a driving motivation for strip-till in their region is moisture retention and seedbed preparation.

Michigan State University Extension explains how applying compost can help increase the soil’s organic matter content, which in turn increases its water-holding capacity.