Editor’s Note: Jay Fuhrer, retired NRCS soil health specialist and conservationist at the Menoken Farm demonstration farm in Menoken, N.D., wrote the 5 principles of soil health. In this series, Fuhrer explains each principle and provides an on-farm example of the theory in practice. In the second installment of this series, Fuhrer examines soil health principle 2: minimizing soil disturbance.

Driving through a landscape allows you to observe fields with and without soil disturbance. Physical disturbance or tillage is the easiest to see. Biological soil disturbance or limited photosynthetic time and limited plant diversity, along with chemical soil disturbance or pesticide use, are more difficult to see. Let’s look at a few terms listed below in a rough chronological order to better understand U.S. agriculture, and yes, they do overlap. These last 80 years will vary from region to region and even from farm to farm within the U.S.

1. Tillage

Tillage is as old as crop production and is well recorded in historical documents. Now we fast forward to the present and ask ourselves a simple question. How much soil loss can we tolerate per acre or per bushel? For myself, as a long-time conservationist, the answer is zero. The reasons listed for tillage are lengthy, but they usually have little to do with managing wind and water erosion, water quality and quantity, building soil aggregates, or carbon. Early best management practices for erosion control consisted of strip cropping, contour cropping, windbreaks, terraces, diversions, and waterways to name a few. These were attempts to slow soil degradation with narrow fields and structural practices. Basically, treating symptoms instead of the problem. For example, installing a waterway to heal water erosion vs. improving the drainage area infiltration. That said, it was the early start of natural resource conservation. Biological disturbance was lower during this period, as we had more plant diversity, perennials and livestock on the landscape. Chemical disturbance was lower during this period, too, but was starting to increase. Overall soil degradation was significant during this time.

2. Conservation Tillage

This agricultural term was commonly used for decades. Usually, this effort consisted of tillage implements that left more residue on the soil surface and used less plowing. Field size expanded, and tractor speeds increased. Biological disturbance increased due to a loss of plant diversity, perennials and livestock, resulting in less photosynthesis and less plant exudate diversity. Chemical disturbance increased also with more fertilizer and pesticide use. However, it was a step in the right direction from the viewpoint of emphasizing the importance of conservation. Soil degradation slows but continues.


“In the last 7 years, we haven’t used any fungicides and insecticides…”


3. No-Till 

We started to see a significant drop in erosion and related natural resource concerns with no-till. My first monitored soil organic matter gain was recorded in an early 1990s no-till cropping system, and more farms soon followed. Thanks to the work of scientists like No-Till Legend Dr. Dwayne Beck, retired research manager at Dakota Lakes Research Farm in Pierre, S.D., we also started to understand that no-till systems are designed to work with diversified crop rotations. While physical disturbance decreased, biological and chemical disturbance continued to increase. Simplified crop rotations used chemical disturbance to offset limited plant diversity. Now conservation was partnered with the no-till planting concept. Another step in the right direction.

4. Soil Health 

Dynamic soil properties became important indicators of soil health. For example, soil aggregates, infiltration, soil organic matter, water and nutrient holding capacity, and bulk density. Plant physiology helped further unravel the carbon cycle. Soil demonstrations like slake, wind erosion model and the rainfall simulator were commonplace. Again, physical disturbance decreased, and biological disturbance decreased with the use of cover crops, which returned photosynthesis activity and plant diversity. Meanwhile, chemical disturbance continued to increase. Now conservation was partnered with soil health.

5. Regeneration 

Greenhouse gases — carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide — are in the forefront. Soil health principles are used to rebuild our soils. We’re focusing on carbon, the food, for example, and asking if more carbon is coming into our systems than is leaving. Understanding an overall balance is needed to regenerate or rebuild a soil. More emphasis is placed on nutrient density, both in crop production and grass-finishing meat proteins. Realizing that Agriculture is an extraction business and asking what we are willing to do to offset nutrient export. Physical disturbance improves, biological disturbance improves, and chemical disturbance has improved with some pesticide use reduction.

Saeman-Bosch Farm Timeline

Mid-1990s: Sweep openers

Late 1990s: Minimum till points 

2006: Jeremy Saeman starts farming full time

2007: Cover Crop Plot partner with the Burleigh County Soil Conservation District

2008: Attended a No-Till Legend Phil Needham management session in Jamestown, N.D.

2008: Starting using a no-till drill and planter

2008: Added biological amendments 

2008: Rotational grazing system is installed, eventually increasing the herd from 120 to 400 mother cows, utilizing native rangeland, crop aftermath and cover crops

2013: Jason Bosch starts farming full time

2013: All acres seeded no-till

2014: Added humic acid as a soil amendment

2018: Integrate forage cover crops, usually as 4-8-way mixes

2018: Last use of fungicides and insecticides

2018: Saeman joins Burleigh County Soil Conservation District board of supervisors 

2019: Attended 2 Holistic Management International courses

2020: Planting green with soybean and pinto beans into a standing cover crop, such as cereal rye

2020: Fertility management moved from anhydrous to slow-release nitrogen foliar applications with sugar

2023: Host site for Crops-Covers-Cows soil health event 

2024: Plant diversity emphasis

Minimal Disturbance in Practice

The Saeman-Bosch Farm is located in northern Burleigh County, near Wing, N.D. The farm was originally operated by Jeremy Saeman’s parents, Doris and the late James Saeman. Jeremy grew up on this farm and eventually joined full time.

“My parents let me experiment when farming, and now my partner lets me experiment,” Saeman says, referring to Jason Bosch.

“I’m not opposed to new things,” Bosch says. “We just try it out on a small scale and then observe it.” 

What do these comments mean for minimizing soil disturbance? The physical disturbance component has lessened over time. Saeman and Bosch went from full tillage with shank seeding openers initially to disc openers with minimum soil disturbance, as illustrated in the farm’s chronological timeline.


“Soil health principles are used to rebuild our soils…”


The biological disturbance component has improved by adding additional photosynthetic time and plant diversity. The farm’s plant diversity increased and now consists of oat, wheat, barley, soybean, sunflower, corn, flax, yellow pea, pinto bean, annual and biennial cover crops, and alfalfa/hay. They utilize all four crop types, warm-season grass and broadleaf, and cool season grass and broadleaf. The chemical disturbance component has improved by addressing pesticide use.

“We always have been very minimal use of fungicides and insecticides, and in the last 7 years, we haven’t used any,” Saeman says. 

Herbicides are used prudently and are reduced when conditions allow.

Soil Health Principle No. 1: Soil Armor

Jay Fuhrer says covering bare soils with soil armor sets the stage for additional improvements to soil. Click here to read his deep dive into soil health principle no. 1, soil armor.

In addition to addressing the principle of minimizing soil disturbance, the farm has worked hard to add the remaining 4 soil health principles over time — armor, diversity, continual live plants and livestock integration. Saeman attended two Holistic Management International courses to further aid with the goal of using the principles in a systems approach. Over time, Saeman and Bosch made several observations, including wind and water erosion has been significantly reduced, bird populations are rebounding, worm populations in the soil have increased, expired CRP is converted without tillage and strongly supports soil life, wildlife numbers have increased, and rotational grazing has allowed grass banking for early spring. In addition, Saeman says there was no more rock picking when they stopped tilling.

Going forward, what does the future hold? Saeman and Bosch’s comments included more emphasis on biologicals, worm castings and carbon, while continuing to reduce inputs. They both agree it is important to continue installing water pipelines and tanks, allowing for more livestock integration for both the grasslands and the cropland.