This is the exclusive trailer for "Merit or Myth"; a soil health project that seeks to engage the South Dakota Farming Community in the pursuit of healthy, functioning soils. Featuring soil scientist Dr. Ray Weil along with South Dakota NRCS State Conservationist Jeff Zimprich, this piece gives a quick glance at the goals, methods, and mediums through which Merit or Myth will engage the SD farmer. Please join us in this exciting journey and follow along on our website (www.meritormyth.com), Facebook (www.facebook.com/meritormyth) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/meritormyth) as we determine once and for all what farming practices have "merit" and which are merely that of "myth". USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

Residue is Your Friend - Dwayne Beck This video is part of a series in the "Merit or Myth" South Dakota Soil Health Education Efforts. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

In this three minute video, we discuss the idea of residue with long term no-till farmer, Ralph Holzwarth who farms near Gettysburg South Dakota. While residue is considered a problem to many farmers, something that has to be plowed under, Ralph considers residue friend. Ralph also alludes to the growing season, and while in the early part of the season his corn may be behind, residue shines in the latter part of the season when water Is the most limiting factor to plant growth. Ralph discusses the long-0term benefit of residue that he has experience over the last 26 years and alludes to the soil’s increased available water capacity (typically about 19,000 gal per acre per % increase) that increased soil organic matter brings. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

With a PhD in ruminant nutrition, Al Miron knows that his littlest workers, the soil microbes, are always at work, like those in the rumen of a cow, consuming his residue. Al noticed a few years into his no-till journey that his residue was being consumed, leaving issue like planter plugging a distant memory. With the soil biology on Al’s farm as active as it is, he finds that its often difficult to retain residue through the entire growing season! www.meritormyth.com USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

Dick Nissen and his son Chris farm in Clay County, SD and encounter some of the typical east River conditions many farmers face especially in the spring. It turns out that Chris Nissen is a passionate soil health guy sometimes struggling to see why his neighbors spend as much as they do on inputs (including time for tillage) to raise the same crops and Chris and his dad do. Listen to Chris’s story and insights! www.meritormyth.com USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

In this video, Dr. Pete Sexton, SDSU farm manager at the Southeastern Research Station Beresford, SD discusses the pros and cons of no-till versus conventional till. Based on the data, it appears that over a several years average yields between the two systems are no different from each other and swings are often dependent on weather. What remains consistent is that costs for no-till production are always lower. This video will be followed by Dr. Sexton speaking about some of the nuts and bolts of a transition to no-till. Learn more about managing soil at www.MeritorMyth.com or visit the USDA Soil Information Center: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/soils/health/. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

In this second video of our time Dr. Pete Sexton, SDSU farm manager at the Southeastern Research Station Beresford, SD, Dr. Sexton walks us through some of the broad brush strokes of a change to no-till. While the overall cost of no-till is lower, the immediate impact being a reduction in tillage expens, there are things that one needs to pay attention to. Let’s face it, a change to no-till is not trivial! Dr. Sexton wants new no-tillers to learn from the experience they have had in Beresford namely: (1) a small increase in nitrogen demand as the soils adjust to no-till (more microbes in the soils), (2) a changed weed regime, and the importance of a good burn-down at or before planting. (3) ensuring that the combine is distributing residue properly and not leaving windrows and (4) ensuring the planter is set up for the no-till conditions. One somewhat less talked about benefit of no-till is this idea of trafficability – the experience in Beresford is that they are able to get in their no-till plots (right next to the tilled plots) sooner for field operations. An extreme example is the clip of Dick Nissen (Vermillion, SD) in his field (planted with soybeans) and a neighbor’s field. The neighbor was forced to prevent-plant because of a wet spring. Learn more about managing soil at www.MeritorMyth.com or visit the USDA Soil Information Center: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/.... USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

A decade or two ago, a saying went: “no-till, no yield”. Today, Dave Ollila, ag producer and SDSU Extension Sheep Field Specialist, says “no-till, no brainer” and that’s especially true for him where every drop of moisture counts. No-till allows Dave to keep undisturbed the root system he has worked so hard to develop below ground in his diversified operation. More roots, and always an above ground cover of either residue or a live plant canopy protects his soil, increases trafficability, reduces ponding, and ensures that every precious drop of rain falling goes into his soil. The take-home from this video is that while you need a sprayer and a drill to do no-till, no-till is not about the equipment, it’s about the mindset. While this video may not provide answers to “tell me what I need to do”, we’d like you to think on the mindset part and walk with us through the videos in this series and especially the next three where Dr. Randy Anderson walks us through the nuts and bolts of soil dynamics and how no-till systems can be the first step to regenerating soils. How about that for good news? Visit www.meritormyth.com or the NRCS Soil Health Information Center at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/soils/health/. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

We often find that producers who really “get” soil health have something in common, namely vision that seems to be intergenerational (see also our "One Minute with Dan Forgey” Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nvri-LBQ1O4&t=10s). While out in the field, we captured this gem as Dave, relaxed after an afternoon of shooting, just shared why he does what he does. Enjoy. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

This is the first part of a three part series in Dr. Anderson’s 10-minute talk on his spiral of regeneration. Dr. Randy Anderson, Research Agronomist with the USDA-ARS in Brookings, SD, shares with us his spiral of soil regeneration. The concept of the spiral had its genesis in Dr. Anderson’s work in no-till where he observed a number of interactive biological effects at work. We hope this and the next two videos in the series give you a much better grasp of what happens when you begin to disturb your soils less! USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

This is the second part of a three part series in Dr. Anderson’s 10-minute talk on his spiral of regeneration. Dr. Randy Anderson, Research Agronomist with the USDA-ARS in Brookings, SD, shares with us his spiral of soil regeneration. The concept of the spiral had its genesis in Dr. Anderson’s work in no-till where he observed a number of interactive biological effects at work. In this second video, Dr. Anderson walks us through the benefits to the farmer of regeneration that include better soil hydrology, better yields, better weed tolerance in crop plants and healthier plants. We hope this and the next two videos in the series give you a much better grasp of what happens when you begin to disturb your soils less! USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

This is the third part of a three part series in Dr. Anderson’s 10-minute talk on his spiral of regeneration. Dr. Randy Anderson, Research Agronomist with the USDA-ARS in Brookings, SD, shares with us his spiral of soil regeneration. The concept of the spiral had its genesis in Dr. Anderson’s work in no-till where he observed a number of interactive biological effects at work. In this third video, Dr. Anderson provides a real-life example of two winter wheat scenarios based on tillage and crop rotation. It’s often that the farmer’s eye test is all that needs to be done to see where the advantage is, no degree in agronomy required! We hope this and the next two videos in the series give you a much better grasp of what happens when you begin to disturb your soils less! Learn more about managing soil at www.MeritorMyth.com or visit the USDA Soil Information Center: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/.... USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

In this video, we recap the last 11 videos on our Merit or Myth Series that deal with residue and tillage. We sum up the information provided by our farmers and researchers, from West River to East River of South Dakota. As we consider the statement: “Farming without tillage and with surface residue is not only possible, it works!” we have to ask “Merit or Myth?”. It’s up to the viewer to decide. Learn more about managing soil at www.MeritorMyth.com or visit the USDA Soil Health Information Center: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/soils/health/. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

While soils are made up of solid materials (sand, silt, clay and organic materials), Dr. Tom Schumacher, SDSU (retired) shows us how important soil structure or soil architecture is for soil hydrologic function, i.e., making water infiltrate andkeeping water for the next crop. Natural soils have an architecture that includes a diversity of interconnected macropores, mesopores and micropores, when soil architecture is destroyed by tillage this is equivalent to a wrecking ball to a building, so while all of the components of the building/soil remain, it no longer functions as it was originally designed. Dr. Dwayne Beck finishes off the video by emphasizing that in natural systems, TILLAGE IS A CATASTROPHIC EVENT!. While in nature, we do see catastrophic events from time to time, tillage once or twice a year is catastrophic and will serve to continually degrade the very resource the farmer depends on. From a purely technical standpoint, Dr. Tom adds the following: “I was working on something that required a quantitative look at pore sizes and I noticed that I took liberties with my pore classification terminology used in the video. The point that I wanted to make is still valid that pores of different sizes are important for different functions. However I do not want to get you in trouble with “pore size taxonomists”. There are several classification systems for mesopores and micropores. To make a point I used my own classification tht does not match the commonly used Luxmore, 1981 classification of greater than 1 mm (1000 um) macropores; 10-1000 um mesopores; less than 10 um micorpores. Pores greater than 1 mm drain quickly, pores between 1000 um and 30 um drain more slowly but are usually empty at field capacity (around 3 days after being saturated), pores between either 30 and 10 um (depending on if sand or clay) and 3 um hold water that is easily available to crops, pores between 3 and 0.6 um hold water that is less available to the crop slowing growth, pores 0.6 to o.3 um hold water that is more difficult for plants likely resulting in stress, pores 0.3 to 0.2 um hold water that is difficult for crops to extract and will likely result in significant wilting but recovery at night under low transpiration., pores less than 0.2 um in diameter hold water unavailable to most crops, they wilt and do not recover. As you can see I oversimplified the terminology to make a point, and you may wish to clarify.” Learn more about Soil Health Merit or Myths at: www.meritormyth.com Facebook www.facebook.com/meritormyth Twitter www.twitter.com/meritormyth USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

Dr. Tom Schumacher, Retired, SDSU, walks us through the experimental setup he used with large rainfall simulators, the type developed for the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), on three different farming systems. The data Dr. Tom discusses is based on experimental runs conducted four years after this land was taken out of CRP and then continuously treated with a moldboard plow, a chisel plow and no-till. With the use of TDR probes that sense moisture at 10 cm (4inches) and 40 cm (16 inches), Dr. Tom shows what happens to soil moisture at 4 and 16 inches in the moldboard plow treatment and what the runoff consequences are and he briefly compares them to the other two treatments. In the next video we will continue as Dr. Tom walks us through the no-till and chisel plow treatments. References to this work can be found at: Lindstrom, M. J., Schumacher, T. E., & Blecha, M. L. (1994). Management considerations for returning CRP lands to crop production. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 49(5), 420-425. Schumacher, T., Lindstrom, M., Blecha, M., Cogo, N., Clay, D., & Bleakley, B. (1995). Soil management after CRP contracts expire. In Clean Water Clean Environment 21st Century Conference Proceedings. Lindstrom, M. J., Schumacher, T. E., Cogo, N. P., & Blecha, M. L. (1998). Tillage effects on water runoff and soil erosion after sod. Journal of soil and water conservation, 53(1), 59-63. Dr. Schumacher is working with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service on South Dakota's Merit or Myth. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

Dr. Tom Schumacher, SDSU, (Retired) walks us through the experimental setup he used with large rainfall simulators, the type developed for the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), on three different tillage systems. The data Dr. Tom discusses is based on experimental runs conducted four years after this land was taken out of CRP and then continuously treated with a moldboard plow, a chisel plow and no-till. With the use of TDR probes that sense moisture at 10 cm (4inches) and 40 cm (16 inches). In this video, Dr. Tom discusses how much quicker water infiltrates into the no-till system and explains why that is. The chisel plw treatment discussed at the end is somewhat in between the no-till and moldboard plow treatments – notice the chisel plow surface still gets saturated and water has a tough time getting into the soil profile at 16” showing a 50-minute delay. References to this work can be found at: Lindstrom, M. J., Schumacher, T. E., & Blecha, M. L. (1994). Management considerations for returning CRP lands to crop production. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 49(5), 420-425. Schumacher, T., Lindstrom, M., Blecha, M., Cogo, N., Clay, D., & Bleakley, B. (1995). Soil management after CRP contracts expire. In Clean Water Clean Environment 21st Century Conference Proceedings. Lindstrom, M. J., Schumacher, T. E., Cogo, N. P., & Blecha, M. L. (1998). Tillage effects on water runoff and soil erosion after sod. Journal of soil and water conservation, 53(1), 59-63. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

Influence of Tillage, Cover Crops and Manure on Infiltration with Al Miron and Anthony Bly When SDSU Extension’s Anthony Bly and farmer, or shall we say citizen scientist, Al Miron get together, you can be sure good things will happen. This spring (2017) Al and Anthony looked at the influence of tillage, cover crops and manure on infiltration in a number of fields in Minnehaha County, SD. They compared soils in two long term (9 year) no-till fields, two conventionally tilled fields that had not been tilled for a year and one field that was deep tilled in the fall and then again tilled with a field cultivator in the spring. Al and Anthony did 4 repetitions at each site and came up with some interesting results as concerns the effect of cover crops and tillage. The “aha” moment experienced by the grower who loaned the team some tilled land to do the study on is important as his paradigm was “more tillage = less infiltration”. As this farmer saw the results, especially of the 5th (double-tilled) field, he was sold on the idea of changing his farming system pretty quickly! USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

While research showing that tillage actually reduces infiltration into the soil, and that cover crops actually enhance infiltration is proven, the refrain of “it won’t work here” is nevertheless often heard when it comes to applying soil health principles. This is not unique to South Dakota, soil health, nor to farming, but this phenomenon is common. In Merit or Myth’s final video on soil water movement, we are giving a perspective from three producers, one from way East River, one from the center of the state and one from way West River. Our point is: these principles work across landscapes and indeed across the state of South Dakota. As Doug Sieck says in the video, “we need to stop making excuses for why it won’t work here” and rather say “how can we make it work here”? Join the revolution! www.meritormyth.com USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

We introduce the idea of weeds, and touch on how the production agricultural model views weeds. As the first in the Merit or Myth series on weeds, we’d like to introduce an alternative way of viewing weeds namely, to understand their ecological role as the “scabs” or “ambulance workers” of the land. The natural job of a weed is to cover disturbed soils and through tillage and monocultures, we create ideal environments for weeds. With the ecological way of thinking of weeds and by using a systems approach to our farming systems we can, according to Dr. Dwayne Beck, outsmart them. Rather than wage a full-on chemical warfare with weeds (and do everything the same) we can use natural systems to perform a little ecological ju-jitsu on weeds and not only reduce their populations but save on herbicide costs. Take a peek at this 2 minute video that sets us up for a three part series with the ARS’s (Brookings, SD) Dr. Randy Anderson. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

In a world where technology offers a quick fix to our weed problems, but inevitably leaves us with unintended consequences, the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Brookings, SD, Dr. Randy Anderson offers an approach to weed science that says "wait a minute", what are we doing? in our systems to encourage or reduce weed proliferation before we consider which herbicide to use? To begin to grapple with this question, we have to understand the fate of the weed seed. Dr. Anderson considers weed seed when on the surface of the soil and when buried. Join us in this, the first of three discussions as Dr. Anderson shows us how we can use natural systems to reduce weed populations and save on herbicides. As Dr. Anderson says, "A key point is when you leave the weed seeds on the soil surface you enhance these fates [predation, environmental exposure, natural death]. in other words, predation is much greater if insects can reach the seeds -if they are buried in the soil, the insects do not process the soil looking for weed seeds so therefore tillage actually protects seeds. Almost all studies with weeds seeds have shown that when you bury them in soil the weed seeds live longer and survive longer." USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

In our previous video, Dr. Randy Anderson walked us through the various fates of the weed seed in conventional and no-till fields. In this video, the theory comes alive as he discusses the results of a three year study he did in comparing conventional and no-till weed seedling emergence. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

In our previous videos, Dr. Anderson showed us how (1) no-till reduces weed prevalence and (2) how he verified this idea experimentally. In this third video, Dr. Anderson discusses why rotating cool season crops into our warm season rotations are so beneficial to weed control. Dr. Anderson demonstrates how through the synergistic effects of no-till combined with diverse rotations, one can reduce weed pressure by a factor of eight before the first drop of herbicide is used. We recommend you view the first two videos(“Fate of the Weed Seed in Conventional and NoTill Soil” and “Seedling Emergence in Conventional and No-Till Fields” with Dr. Anderson. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

In this, the final video on weeds, we spent a little time with no-tillers Matt Bainbridge, Al Miron and Ralph Holzwarth and got them to tell their stories about how their no-till, diverse rotation systems were doing with weeds, and how this affected some of their costs to cope with weeds. The message we received from them is consistent with our previous videos namely that with low-disturbance (i.e., no-till) systems, especially when combined with diverse rotations, weed control can actually improve and costs for weed control can be lower than in conventional tillage systems. Visit www.meritormyth.com or the NRCS Soil Health Information Center at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/soils/health/. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

Description: In this video, the USDA-NRCS’s (Brookings, SD) Eric Barsness and SDSU’s Anthony Bly discusses and experiment the NRCS conducted in Vermillion SD on a conventionally tilled and a long-term no-tilled field. Eric buried two temperature probes at 2” and the probes were able to record temperatures every 15 minutes over the entire growing season of 2016. This test is a nice example of how no-till and conventional till fields perform side by side and also show that, while there may be differences in the heat units (or growing degree days) at the beginning of the growing season, by the end of the season each crop received the same number of heat units. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

In our previous video we saw that by the end of the season, there is no difference in the number of heat units seen by a conventional versus a no-till soil. In fact any differences in cumulative heat units between the two systems disappears by the first week of July. In this video, SDSU’s Anthony Bly explains how that happens by examining the side-by-side temperature comparisons between a no-till, and conventional till system near Vermillion, South Dakota. In the latter part of the season (after July 1), we also see that in no-till soils maximum temperatures are consistently cooler and minimum temperatures are consistently warner than conventional till soils. The NRCS Eric Barsness discusses this and tells us why it’s a good thing. Visit www.meritormyth.com or the National Soil Health Information Center at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/soils/health/. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

The growing season of 2016 was a warm one even though it started out cool and wet, and by the end of the year, the number of heat units or growing degree days for 2016 was 216 above the norm. The take-home from this particular chart was that ambient (or air) temperatures have by a far greater influence on soil temperatures at planting than any other management factor, further rendering the till/no-till issue as it relates to soil temperature at planting a non-issue. In this, the final video on weeds, we spent a little time with no-tillers Matt Bainbridge, Al Miron and Ralph Holzwarth and got them to tell their stories about how their no-till, diverse rotation systems were doing with weeds, and how this affected some of their costs to cope with weeds. The message we received from them is consistent with our previous videos namely that with low-disturbance (i.e., no-till) systems, especially when combined with diverse rotations, weed control can actually improve and costs for weed control can be lower than in conventional tillage systems. Visit www.meritormyth.com or the NRCS Soil Health Information Center at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/soils/health/. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

In the previous three videos we have looked at and discussed some soil temperature data from the 2016 growing season in Vermillion, SD. In this video we speak to some long-term no-till farmers from Crooks in the east to Box Elder in the west of South Dakota and guage their opinions. While all recognize that residue may reduce soil temperatures in the spring, they also recognize that early growth in the spring is not a good yield predictor. As we have heard Al Miron and Ralph Holtzwarth say: “you don’t harvest your corn in June!”. Ultimately one of the main benefits of residue farmers value in the summer is its ability to keep the soil moister for longer. In a dry year, this property is critical. Bottom line is that for these farmers, cooler spring soil temperatures are a non-issue in terms of their yield. Visit www.meritormyth.com or the NRCS Soil Health Information Center at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/soils/health/. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

At Merit or Myth, we have found that getting farmers to talk about money can be tricky, so we were particularly grateful to find that Bryan and Nick Jorgensen were willing to talk dollars and cents with us! This is the first in a 5 part series on the money side of soil health and, as all will understand, the particulars will apply to the Jorgensen Land and Cattle operation while the principles can be applied universally. A generation or two ago, the Jorgensen cropping system was conventional till wheat with summer fallow, clearly this has changed and they grow a diverse rotation that includes corn, soybeans, small grains and multiple species cover crops today. Jorgensen land and Cattle is also diversified and their wildlife/hunting component and livestock/grazing component are intimately connected to their cropping component (see the Jorgensen Land and Cattle Partnership logo at http://www.jorgensenfarms.com/ to see that their diverse land ethic is embedded in the logo!). When discussing economics, it is important to provide context and Bryan provides context to the discussion of the next four videos by allowing us to look into the way he and the folks at Jorgensen Land and cattle think. Bryan describes himself as a market maker and not a market taker, and in this video, Bryan alludes to an excellent teacher and indeed, collaborator in the operation, namely the Native Prairie. Watch this video (just under 3 minutes) where Bryan sets the scene for some of the analyses his son Nick provides us in subsequent videos. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

In this video Nick Jorgensen provides a simple calculation related to equipment costs based on what Jorgensen land and cattle may have done 30 years ago in a wheat – fallow system compared to today. By not operating tillage equipment and running a sprayer the Jorgensens are saving between $25 and $45 in reduced equipment costs. Keep in mind that Nick wisely provides a range because even in the case of one operation things change (number of tillage passes, number of spray passes, unit costs for equipment etc.), but the principles don’t change. Your operation may also vary, but the bottom line is that just on equipment costs alone by going no till, your equipment input costs (capital, maintenance, fuel) will go down. While one may argue the amounts and the range, the direction of input costs is pretty certain - they go down. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

In our previous video of the Jorgensen Land and Cattle Economics Case Study, Nick Jorgensen discussed some of the savings they were able to realize in their long-term, no-till fields where typically Organic Matter measured over three percent. What the Jorgensen land and cattle operation was able to do in this analysis was save about $50 an acre on N and P2O5 fertilizer and exceed the 168 bushel yield goal by 8 bushels. All of this begins with no-till and other tools like diverse rotations, cover crops and in the case of the Jorgensens, the inclusion of grazing livestock into the system as they try as far as possible to imitate some of the processes on the Native Prairie. Keep in mind we are not advocating that viewers go out and immediately cut back on fertilizer, but we do want to open the idea up that when we build our soils, we not only have the potential to save on tillage costs, fertilizer, chemical and other inputs. When we let soils function the way that natural systems do, we save on inputs and in the Jorgensen’s case, they were able to do this without decreasing production. Our next video in this series poses the question “how long can they keep this up?”, the answer would be “longer than you’d think!” USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

The standard narrative when one quits the application of synthetic fertilizer is that you would be mining your soils. This may be true for soils that are degraded, probably tilled, and being managed in a undiversified rotation. But what about regenerative soils? Are we still mining them? The Jorgensen Land and Cattle operation went 100% no-till in 1991 and since then, have diversified their rotations and cattle are not only being used for aftermath grazing, but they are also grazing the cover crops. In this episode, Bryan talks about how long they have cut application of dry P to the soil’s surface and what has happened to their soil test P levels as well as what they observe. The idea that plants can access pools of nutrient that cannot be detected by the soil test is not necessarily a new one, but to many with conventional agronomic training, this idea is a little scary, yet this case study is but one situation in South Dakota where farmers are thinking outside the box and saving one inputs, and, oh by the way, improving their environmental performance. Good for the farmer, good for the land, that’s what we love at merit or Myth! Click here to go to the series of Merit or Myth on YouTube. www.FaceBook.com/meritormyth www.twitter.com/meritormyth Learn more about managing soil at http://www.MeritorMyth.com or visit the USDA Soil Health Information Center at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/soils/health/. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.

Click here to go to the series of Merit or Myth on YouTube. www.FaceBook.com/meritormyth www.twitter.com/meritormyth Learn more about managing soil at http://www.MeritorMyth.com or visit the USDA Soil Health Information Center at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/soils/health/. Economics: Jorgensen Land and Cattle Case Study Part 5 of 5 One may take the view that soils are a static, medium to grow plants and place nutrients. If one holds this static view of soils, what the Jorgensens have been able to achieve would simply not make sense; at best it would appear anomalous. If one holds the view that soils are living, dynamic ecosystems that can improve good management, then what the Jorgensens have seen is consistent with that view of soils. One measure that the Jorgensens have monitored over the last 15 years (they have been full no-tilled since 1991) is soil organic matter and the organic matter of their lands has steadily increased to mimic, and in some cases exceed what they see in the native prairie. And Jorgensen Land and cattle is benefiting in spades in both tangible financial and in intangible ways. Their case is not an anomaly, in other words, the principles that the Jorgensens apply are universal – and wherever you farm in South Dakota, or for that matter, elsewhere, you can build your soils too! If you have not already done so, we invite you to watch all of the Jorgensen Land and Cattle case study videos in the Merit or Myth’s playlist on South Dakota NRCS’s YouTube channel. Principles of soil health are: 1. Limit disturbance (this would include the tool of no-till) 2. Keep the soil covered, either by residue or a canopy 3. Keep a live root in the soil as many days of the year as possible – when you don’t have a cash crop, use a cover crop to maintain that live root 4. Add diversity – this can be done with cash crops (e.g., small grains added to a corn-soybean rotation) and cover crops – if you use a 5 to seven way mix in your cover crop, your diversity inex goes way up. USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender.