Soil Health Q & A
Browse by Topic
Browse by Resource Type
Winter Grazing of Cover Crops
Question: How many acres of cover crop does a cow-calf pair need to make it through a typical winter? -From South-Central Kansas Answers: Assuming a fall calving operation, a 1300 lb cow and about 3600…
Cover Crop Challenges
A mix of spring forage barely, Indian mustard, black oats, winter peas, and crimson clover was planted on April 1. Cows were put on it May 7 and pulled around June 21. At that time,…
New ground: Where to start the regeneration process?
If you were getting a new piece of ground that had been conventionally tilled the last 16 years, where would you start the regeneration process? I can’t soil test yet, but know that it hasn’t…
Grazing Cover Crops: Winter Wheat vs Rye?
How can we work in cover crops following corn and soybean harvest that will get enough growth to be worthwhile? Is winter wheat better than rye? Question submitted from southeast Nebraska.
Why is soil health important?
Answer from Nick Guetterman, Bucyrus, KS: Healthy soil grows healthy crops. Healthy Soils can receive and store more water and nutrients. Water infiltrates healthy soil at a much faster rate so less water runs off…
How can I tell if my soil is healthy?
Answer from Nick Guetterman, Bucyrus, KS: My first simple gauge to tell if my soil is healthy is to look at soil organic matter content compared to organic matter in similar soils that are in…
What drove you to make a change on your land?
Answer from Nick Guetterman, Bucyrus, KS: No-till was adopted on our farm because of the amount of soil erosion from excessive rainfall. We were not able to keep up with terrace and waterway maintenance. Our…
Where do I start? How do I find a mentor? Is there funding available to help me make changes?
Answer from Nick Guetterman, Bucyrus, KS: There are many resources available to learn about soil health practices. No-till on the Plains and The No-till farmer magazine are a couple examples. They both hold annual conferences…