We often assume crops need every pound of nitrogen we apply. But decades of field data suggest otherwise—much of what plants use is already being supplied by the soil itself. The real question isn’t how much nitrogen to add, but how much is already there.decisions in ways we don’t fully understand. In this guest piece, Jim Martindale explores how soil disturbance, temperature, and terminology influence corn root development, challenging us to rethink how we define and evaluat

Confusion around tillage terminology especially the modern use of “vertical tillage” may be shaping farmer decisions in ways we don’t fully understand. In this guest piece, Jim Martindale explores how soil disturbance, temperature, and terminology influence corn root development, challenging us to rethink how we define and evaluate tillage systems.

As fertilizer shortages and rising fuel costs disrupt farms across the country, this story from South Dakota raises a bigger question: how dependent is modern agriculture on systems beyond its control—and what happens when they fail?