A study found that crop rotations, in isolation from other management factors, can increase the functions performed by soil microbial communities that benefit plant growth.

Michael Berry, senior marketing manager for Verdesian Life Sciences, discusses the advantages of using Avail phosphorus fertilizer enhancer and NutriSphere-N nitrogen fertilizer manager in a no-till system.

Erosion (sheet, rill or gully) and soil surface sealing are visual examples that indicate poor soil health.

No-till practices are used on less than .05% of Minnesota farm fields, but those who have bought in to the practice are finding success.

Do you ever wonder how much moisture you really can store for your crop? It all depends on your soil, says Penn State Extension.

Jack Estes of Estes Brothers Farms talks about the family's experience with long-term no-till, including the benefits of improved soil structure, timesaving and higher organic matter levels, as well as how cover crops are further helping in areas that typically wash. He also explains how zone sampling showed the pH variability in their fields from previous tobacco crops, and why he's now premixing his AMS before spraying.

To really understand subtle changes in our planet — like moisture held in the topmost earth layer — and their impacts on agriculture and the environment, scientists have to know what is going on in our soils.