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?

Salinity often triggers a simple response: draw a line around the affected area, take it out of production, and manage it separately. While this can address visible symptoms—like white crusts and poor crop performance—it doesn’t solve the underlying issue. As NRCS Resource Conservationist Shane Jordan says, “You can box it out if you want—but it just keeps moving.” That’s because salinity isn’t the beginning of the problem; it’s where the system finally shows stress. When wat