As higher-yielding hybrids, no-till practices and continuous corn continue to increase residue levels, farmers are facing growing challenges that can narrow planting windows, reduce operational efficiency and hinder profit potential.

Adding sugar increases microbial growth, creating population booms that will momentarily increase mineralization, but then immediately immobilize residual nitrogen.

Jodi DeJong-Hughes, a soil health and tillage educator with the University of Minnesota, says it's important to build up carbon organic matter in fields to maintain healthy, sustainable soils.

A common question when incorporating cover crops into a production system is, will the cover crop interfere with the performance of residual herbicides included with the burndown treatment? This article from Iowa State University Extension will discuss the fate of residual herbicides applied to crop residue and living cover crops, and how this may influence herbicide effectiveness.