The wet harvest last fall and continued saturated soil conditions this past spring in many parts of the country created a scenario that left many farmers scratching their heads: “To till or not to till…that is the question.”

In a limited study, Louisiana State University researchers found that winter annuals incorporated into a bahiagrass pasture improved soil organic matter, while nitrate concentrations decreased, carbon concentrations stabilized, and soil microbial enzyme activity increased, suggesting a healthy soil environment, according to SSARE.

A synthesis of 89 studies across six continents has helped clarify which agricultural practices hold water when it comes to helping soils soak up precipitation — a factor critical to mitigating floods, outlasting drought, and stabilizing crop yields, according to the University of Nebraska.