Let’s kick things off at the University of Wisconsin, where they’re on Year 34 of the Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial (WISCT). The purpose is to evaluate a broad range of ag systems common to the Midwest and see how they stack up to each other in terms of yield and economic returns.

WISCT manager Gregg Sanford says no-till has proven to be one of the most resilient systems in drought years, but not shocking to many of you, he also says no-till is at its best when it’s paired with something else like livestock and cover crops.

“We do see the lack of tillage slowing carbon loss, stabilizing carbon. But when it’s happening, it’s happening because it’s a combination of no-till and a grassland system or no-till and a perennial system. Our no-till corn and soybeans are phenomenally productive, very stable with respect to climate. We’re still seeing carbon loss in some of these systems, which is a disappointing finding. We’re doing a lot of research right now to look at soil health, deep soil carbon, microbial community composition in no-till grain systems, where we’ve got that no-till component to produce grain, but we’re combining it with greater degree of living covers or reintegration of livestock.”

Watch the full version of this episode of Conservation Ag Update.