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Soil Health: Local Impact. Global Solution.

A case for long-term support of the science and practicality of health A CRITICAL JUNCTURE

We are at a critical juncture in human history where we must address these challenges by transforming agriculture, and soil health is the framework to do just that.

2 VISION A world where farmers and ranchers grow quality , fiber, and fuel using soil health systems that sustain farms and rural communities, promote a stable and environment, and improve human health and well-being.

PROBLEM By 2050, our agricultural systems will need to support another 2 billion people. Yet, in the last century, have lost 40-60% of the basic building block that makes them productive (organic matter). The societal and environmental costs of soil loss and degradation in the United States alone are estimated to be as high as $85 billion every single year. Greenhouse gas emissions have reached the highest level ever recorded and are continuing to increase. Drought is expected to increase from impacting 1% of the world’s arable to over 30% by the end of the century due to climate change. Approximately 80% of our nation’s rivers and streams are currently impaired due to nutrient runoff and other contaminants.

We are at a critical juncture in human history where we must address these challenges by transforming agriculture, and soil health is the framework to do just that.

Research shows that improving soil health in agricultural systems increases carbon sequestration1-3, reduces greenhouse gas emissions4-6, increases drought resilience7-10, enhances quality11-13, boosts crop yield14-16, increases nutrient availability17-19, provides pollinator habitat20-21, and suppresses many diseases22-24. Yet today, less than 5% of cropland in the United States is managed using the basic soil health practice of cover cropping. Adoption is hindered by lack of information on the economic benefits of soil health practices; lack of a widely accepted, evidence-based approach to measure soil health; and a scarcity of locally relevant and mentoring networks for farmers.

SOLUTION The Soil Health Institute is implementing a comprehensive strategy to achieve on-farm and environmental benefits at scale (Fig. 1). The Soil Health Institute is uniquely positioned to implement this plan due to the collective experience, scientific knowledge, industry expertise, and proven track record of its leadership, team, governance, and supporting partners.

Figure 1. The comprehensive Education / Training Business Case strategy designed and used ● Basics ● Profitability Research and by the Soil Health Institute to Measurement ● Economic Risk ● Soil Health Benefits, Principles, Development Practices ● Key Indicators ● Drought Resilience increase adoption at scale. ● Decision Support Tools ● Interpretation ● Land Valuation ● Understand/Manage the ● Personalized Soil Health ● C Sequestration Potential ● Input Requirements Microbiome Management System for Farm ● Service Markets ● Decision Support Tools ● Other Resources for C Sequestration, Drought Resilience, etc. ● Optimize Nutrient Use M A Efficiency R K E ● Soil Health - Human T D Health Connections EM

A N PRODUCER D DECISION Communications and Consumer Education ● Environmental Benefits ● Productivity Benefits ADOPTION ● Food Nutrient Density Benefits Soil Health Management Systems that are Profitable, (as determined) Resilient, and Provide Ecosystem Services

Impact Assessment ● C Sequestration Policy ● ● Policy Evaluation ● Water Quantity ● Evidence-Based Information ● GHG Emissions ● Inform Policymakers ● Productivity

3 GOAL BY 2040

“The good news is there are so many win-win-wins. Very seldom in do we find win-win-win scenarios, truly. When we quit tilling, we build our organic matter, our production goes up, our costs go down, and we clean up the rivers, lakes, and oceans.” – Dan DeSutter, Farmer, Indiana

4 GOAL BY 2040 The Institute is dedicated to meeting the triple challenge of climate change, water quality, and food security by implementing a strategic approach for tackling the financial, technical, and educational barriers to adoption. Addressing these barriers will enable farmers and ranchers to:

Achieve net zero carbon emissions for the U.S. agriculture sector by 2040

This is the equivalent of taking nearly 1.5 billion passenger cars off the for one year. It is also the equivalent of not burning nearly 93 million railcars of coal.

Achieving this goal will also prevent at least 39 million pounds of nitrogen from entering our water and save over 11 million metric tons of soil from

These co-benefits accrue from adopting the same practices used to improve soil health (Fig. 2).

Figure 2. Annual rate of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 equivalent) in the U.S. agriculture sector (2017 data) compared to what can be achieved with adoption of prescribed grazing (PG) on grazing land, and adoption of nitrogen management (NM), cover crops (CC) and no-tillage (NT) on cropland.

5 WHAT IT WILL TAKE

“I think people are starting to become aware that something is wrong with our environment, the planet, and where we’re living. If we don’t start taking care of it now, then it’s not going to get any better.” – Mimo Davis, Farmer, Missouri

6 WHAT IT WILL TAKE To achieve these goals, the Soil Health Institute and its partners will provide the following for farmers, ranchers, businesses, policymakers, scientists, and consumers: ■ Widely applicable soil health assessment program; ■ Authoritative assessment of soil health baselines and outcomes; ■ Technology for rapid and inexpensive measurement; ■ Realistic soil carbon sequestration potential quantified for each agricultural soil; ■ Evidence of how soil health practices impact profitability; ■ Incorporation of soil health onto the balance sheet in terms of financial risk and land valuation; ■  markets that pay farmers for the environmental benefits accrued through adopting soil health systems; ■ Soil health management training for crop advisors, agricultural retailers, and farmers; ■ Effective communities of practice and farmer-to-farmer networks; ■ Evaluation of soil health impacts on nutritional quality of food; ■ Assessment of chemical inputs, tillage, and other management practices on soil health in organic, regenerative, and conventional systems; ■ Microbiome research that helps farmers implement practices that naturally suppress plant diseases, reduce inputs, and improve soil health; ■ Models and tools that quantify the impact of soil health on carbon sequestration, water quantity, water quality, and greenhouse gas emissions; ■ Evidence-based policies pertaining to soil health; ■ An up-to-date catalog of legislative, academic, state agency, and nonprofit programs to improve soil health; ■ Curation and maintenance of soil health educational materials such as the Living Soil documentary, high school and college soil health lesson plans, soil health resources, events, news, and educational resources; and ■ Online searchable catalog of publicly available soil health information.

Soil health unites farmers, ranchers, policymakers, and businesses at a critical time. Through these projects, the Soil Health Institute is contributing to a stable climate, clean water, sufficient habitat for and pollinators, and a secure food supply for a growing population.

7 WITH YOUR SUPPORT

“Soil health is the foundation for .” – Cristine Morgan, Ph.D. Chief Scientific Officer, Soil Health Institute

8 COST Soil is conservatively estimated to provide $11 trillion annually in global ecosystem services. In 2015 dollars, this value is approximately 65% of US Gross Domestic Product, and 35 times the global commodity value of wheat and corn combined. If we assume a 5% return on soil ecosystem services, we can estimate the total capital value of soil stock is $228 trillion. An investment in the health and vitality of our soil is a worthwhile investment in the health and vitality of our society and our environment for current and future generations.

As a nonprofit organization, the Soil Health Institute is conducting this work for the common good in the pre-competitive space: benefiting farmers, ranchers, the public, and the natural resources upon which we all depend.

The Soil Health Institute’s team holds PhDs in soil science, agronomy, microbiology, agricultural economics, and related fields. Its partners include over 100 public and private organizations who provide technical, educational, and financial support to advance soil health.

To achieve foundational and lasting impact on climate change, water quality, and food security at scale, the Soil Health Institute needs to raise $75M by 2023. This goal is ambitious and attainable with your support.

WHY NOW The well-founded science behind soil health is creating a surge in landowner, farmer, and rancher interest in soil health management systems. Food and beverage companies, environmental organizations, and conservation- minded individuals are recognizing that soil health is the foundation for regenerative and . It is the responsibility of the Soil Health Institute and its partners to address society’s need for food, fiber, and fuel; farmers’ need for resources, networks, and technical support; and current and future generations’ need for environmental quality at a global scale. If we do not act in a coordinated and strategic way to improve the health of our global soils, future generations will face unconscionable costs.

The impact of your gift to the Soil Health Institute achieves a world where farmers and ranchers grow nutritious food, quality fiber, and biofuel using profitable systems that sustain farms and rural communities, improve human health and well-being, and promote a stable climate and quality environment (Fig. 3).

Figure 3. The impact of your contribution for achieving widespread environmental, nutritional, and economic benefits for current and future generations.

9 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

“Science is informed by what is possible to measure and it takes a great leap forward when we can measure something new.” – Nature, 2017

10 ACCOMPLISHMENTS The Soil Health Institute (www.soilhealthinstitute.org) was established in 2015 by the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation and the Farm Foundation to safeguard and enhance the vitality and productivity of soil through scientific research and adoption. Since that time, the Institute has made significant progress in several strategic areas:

Strategic Planning: ■ Developed a comprehensive Theory of Change and corresponding Action Plan to advance the science and adoption of soil health systems for environmental and production benefits at scale.

Business Case for Farmers: ■ Assessing the value of soil health systems on profitability, economic risk, and productivity on 125 farms and 124 research sites across North America. (Partners include National Association of Conservation Districts, USDA, many land grant universities, and others. Funders include USDA and Cargill.)

■ Providing scientific advisory leadership of the newly launched Ecosystem Services Market Consortium designed to provide financial incentives for farmers and ranchers for the ecosystem services they provide by improving soil health. (Initiated by the Noble Research Institute and now supported by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and many others.)

Soil Health Measurement: ■ Provided scientific leadership for identifying effective soil health measurements and methods.

■ Established over 100 partnerships across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to evaluate 31 soil health measurements on 124 long-term research sites. This is the most unique and comprehensive soil health database in the world that will allow Institute scientists and partners to develop and implement a widely applicable soil health evaluation program in 2020. (Funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, General Mills, and the McKnight Foundation.)

Farmer Education and Training: ■ Implemented a soil health training program for farmers, establishing local learning networks co-led by farmer mentors and technical specialists continuously engaged to assist with adoption. The program launched in NC, GA, and AR in 2019, while expanding to MS, TX, and CA in 2020. (Funded by Wrangler, VF Foundation, and the Walmart Foundation.)

Research and Development: ■ Developing a Decision Support Tool for farmers that will allow them to select management practices to achieve a targeted increase in available water holding capacity and therefore drought resilience in their soils. The tool will be completed and field-validated in 2020. (Funded by United Soybean Board.)

■ Provided multi-disciplinary scientific leadership resulting in identification of 10 priorities for understanding the relationships between soil health and human health (conference report). Currently pursuing the soil health – food nutritional quality/quantity relationship.

■ Developed the Soil Health Research Tool, an on-line database of over 13,000 soil health references from scientific and popular press articles.

11 WHY NOW

“It’s tough to change, but neighbors see that it is beneficial and that’s why you see more and more farmers using cover crops. We see the benefits of cover crops year after year.” – Jesse Sanchez, Farmer, California

12 Quantifying Impacts: ■ Evaluated the relationships between soil health and water quality at 10 field sites in the Mississippi River Basin. (Funded by Walton Family Foundation.)

■ Evaluating impacts of soil health system adoption on profitability, carbon sequestration, water quantity, greenhouse gas emissions, and productivity. These impacts will inform policy, increase consumer demand, and increase farmer and rancher adoption of soil health systems. (Funded by Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and General Mills.)

Policy: ■ Developed a catalog of over 280 state level agency, legislative, and NGO programs and policies pertaining to soil health.

■ Provided evidence-based information to policymakers, including a 2018 congressional briefing on soil health during the 2018 Farm Bill deliberations.

■ Conducted an impact analysis of the 2018 Farm Bill on soil health (report) describing 60 provisions found important to soil health. (Partnered with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.)

■ Assessed Soil Health Adoption Based on the Census of Agriculture from 2012 to 2017. (Partnered with USDA-SARE and University of Missouri.)

Education: ■ Produced the Living Soil documentary describing how innovative farmers across the U.S. are using soil health practices to improve their economic situation and benefit the environment (viewed over 250,000 times).

■ Developed and released lesson plans for High School and College levels to accompany the Living Soil documentary.

■ Developed catalog of over 40 on-line soil health resources for K-12 curricula. Integrating those soil health resources into K-12 educational programs.

■ Developed and providing up-to-date Resources page for farmers and consumers on soil health practices, economics, ecosystem services, measurement, policy, research, climate change, communications, and others.

■ Developed and providing “Soil Health 360” to help keep farmers and consumers updated on the latest news, blogs, press releases, website posts, and other information on soil health.

With your support, we can expand these achievements to meet the food security and nutritional needs of a growing population while arresting climate change and improving environmental quality for generations to come.

13 SOIL HEALTH INSTITUTE LEADERSHIP and TEAM

Dr. Wayne Honeycutt is the President and CEO of the Soil Health Institute, where he leads the Institute’s programs to safeguard and enhance the vitality and productivity of soils. He previously served for five years as the Deputy Chief for Science and Technology with USDA-NRCS in Washington, DC. Honeycutt served as a Research Soil Scientist for 14 years and as a Research Leader for 10 years with the USDA-ARS New England Plant, Soil, and Water Laboratory, where he led and conducted interdisciplinary research on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling as well as sustainable cropping systems development. In those roles he led national research teams for predicting nutrient availability, developed procedures adopted by ARS for enhancing national research coordination, and received regional and national awards for technology transfer. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry and Master’s degree in Soil Science from the University of Kentucky, and a Ph.D. in Soil Genesis from Colorado State University. He was the 2018 recipient of the Hugh Hammond Bennett Award, the highest honor bestowed on an individual by the Soil and Society.

Dr. Cristine Morgan is Chief Scientific Officer of the Soil Health Institute. Her duties include leading the scientific research and coordinating projects carried out at various institutions that advance soil health science. Prior to joining the Institute, Dr. Morgan was Professor of Soil Science at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. Dr. Morgan serves on the board of directors for the Soil Science Society of America, is an editor in chief at the global soil science journal, Geoderma, and participates in committees for the International Union of Soil Sciences. Dr. Morgan earned her B.S. degree in Plant and Environmental Soil Sciences from Texas A&M University, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Soil Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Soil Science Department.

Mr. Sheldon Jones is the Chief Operating Officer of the Soil Health Institute. Prior to joining SHI, Jones served as Vice President at the Farm Foundation, NFP, from 2008 to 2016, where he oversaw the Foundation’s financial operations and project management activities. His public service experience involved service as deputy commissioner of the Colorado Department of Agriculture, 2004- 2008. From 2002 until 2004, he was executive vice president of the Agri-Business Council of Arizona, the agricultural water and power membership organization. From 1997 until 2002, he was director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture. During his term, he was active in the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, serving as president of the organization in 2002.

Dr. Dianna Bagnall serves as Research Soil Scientist for SHI. From 2014 to 2016, she served as a project manager for AgriLife Research’s Corporate Relations Office, developing proposals and managing projects. She managed sponsored research projects in soil and crop science, renewable , and agricultural engineering. In 2016, she joined the newly established Soil Security Team at Texas A&M University composed of soil scientists, economists, and sociologists. Her Ph.D. research received departmental and international recognition and included on-farm soil health assessments, qualitative analysis of farmer interviews, and development of novel scanning methodology. Dr. Bagnall received an M.S. in Soil Science at Texas A&M University in 2014 working on a National Science Foundation project. The research used both modeling and field experiments to investigate water movement on shrink-swell soils in Texas.

Mr. Byron Rath is the Sustainability Specialist for the Soil Health Institute. His duties include working with the Institute’s partners and stakeholders to help them achieve their goals through soil health. Prior to joining the Soil Health Institute, Mr. Rath taught Geography at the American Community School at Beirut in Lebanon, and worked for CCS, a global fundraising consulting and management firm that provides development services and strategic consulting to nonprofit organizations worldwide. He

14 graduated from Middlebury College with a BA in English and Geography. He is proficient in written and spoken Arabic.

Ms. Camille Hesterberg is a content strategist and social and public health advocate serving as the Communications and Administrative Specialist to promote conversations about soil health and the Soil Health Institute’s work. Prior to joining the team, Ms. Hesterberg served in a communications role for a private sector consulting firm. She has prior experience working in non-profits, think tanks, and educational institutions. Ms. Hesterberg has a master’s degree from Central European University, where she received a fellowship to study International Public Policy. Her bachelor’s degree is in Global Studies with minors in Spanish and Economics.

Dr. Archie Flanders is the Agricultural Economist for the Soil Health Institute. Previously, Dr. Flanders served as a faculty member at the University of Georgia and the University of Arkansas. He is a member of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association as well as the Southern Agricultural Economics Association. He received his B.S.A. in General Agriculture, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Georgia.

Dr John Shanahan, Project Manager-Agronomy, manages the day-to-day activities of the Soil Health Institute’s Economic Assessment of Soil Health practices, a project made possible by the generosity of Cargill. Dr.​ Shanahan’s 37-year career in the Agronomy field has spanned both public and private sectors with roles as Director of Agronomy at Fortigen fertilizer company, Agronomy Research Manager at DuPont Pioneer (now Corteva Agriscience), Research Agronomist at USDA-ARS, and Professor at Colorado State University. Dr. Shanahan has served the tri-societies (American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society and Soil Science Society) as elected division chair, ASA board rep, and chair of the ASA finance committee. He has also been named an ASA fellow and received the ASA Werner L. Nelson Award for Diagnosis of Yield-Limiting Factors. Dr. Shanahan received his B.S. in Agronomy from University of Nebraska, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Agronomy from Colorado State University.

NORTH AMERICAN PROJECT TO EVALUATE SOIL HEALTH MEASUREMENTS Dr. Paul Tracy, Project Manager Soil Science/Agronomy, manages the day-to-day activities of the Soil Health Institute’s North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements. Dr. Tracy also leads SHI’s soil health indicators assessment project in Mexico. Dr. Tracy’s 32-year career has spanned both public and private sectors with roles as the Director of Agronomy, Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies; Professional Agronomist, Pacific Northwest WinField Solutions; Director of Agronomy Services, MFA Incorporated; and Assistant/Associate Professor, University of Missouri. Dr. Tracy was elected Chairman to both the Missouri and International Certified Crop Advisor Boards and received the 2015 American Society of Agronomy, Agronomic Achievement/Agronomic Industrial Award. He has a B.S. in Agriculture (Soils Option) from Montana State University, an M.S. in from the University of Idaho, and a Ph.D. in Agronomy/Soil Science from Colorado State University.

Dr. Michael Cope serves as the Soil Health Institute’s Statistician and Database Manager. Most recently, Dr. Cope served as a statistical and research analyst at Clemson University. His expertise includes analysis of large and assorted data. He is skilled in Python Programming, Soil Science, Geographic Information Systems, Ecological Modeling, and Cloud Computing. Dr. Cope received his B.S. in Environmental Studies from Brevard College and his Ph.D. in Resources from Clemson University.

15 Dr. G. Mac Bean, Project Scientist, serves as the soil health indicators assessment project lead scientist for Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia. He also leads the team for soil health in soil and genesis. Dr. Bean is a member of the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, the Soil Science Society of America, and the International Society of Precision Agriculture. He received his B.S. in , Systems, and Technology from Brigham Young University-Idaho, his M.S. in Plant Science and his Ph.D. in Soil Science from the University of Missouri.

Dr. Shannon Cappellazzi, Project Scientist, serves as the soil health indicators assessment project lead scientist for the western United States and also leads the team for soil health in pastures and for SHI. Dr. Cappellazzi most recently served as Manager at the Oregon State University Central Analytical Laboratory. Earlier in her career, she was the Equestrian Manager for Wheelbarrow Creek Ranch and an agricultural commodities trader for Wilbur-Ellis Company. Dr. Cappellazzi is a member of the Soil Science Society of America and serves as a board member of the Oregon Society of Soil Scientists. She received her B.S. in Animal Science and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Soil Science from Oregon State University.

Dr. Kelsey L.H. Greub, Project Scientist, serves as the soil health indicators assessment project lead scientist for the southern United States. Most recently, Dr. Greub was a graduate research assistant at the University of Arkansas conducting research on recycling nutrients using cover crops in row crop systems. She also has served as a graduate research assistant at Auburn University conducting research on the long- and short-term effects of cover cropping on physical and chemical soil properties in a peanut-cotton rotation. As a Lloyd Noble Scholar in Agriculture (Noble Foundation), she conducted research on blackberry management in . Dr. Greub has certification as an Associate Professional Soil Scientist. Dr. Greub is a member of the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, the Soil Science Society of America, and the Soil and Water Conservation Society. She received her B.S. in Agronomy from Texas A&M University, her M.S. in Plant Science from Auburn University, and her Ph.D. in Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences ( emphasis) from the University of Arkansas.

Dr. Daniel Liptzin, Project Scientist, serves as the soil health indicators assessment project lead scientist for the High Plains. Dr. Liptzin recently served as a Senior Instructor at the University of Colorado, Denver, where he taught courses in biogeochemistry, environmental science, and climate. His research interests include exploring human effects on the nitrogen cycle, interactions among elemental cycles, redox-sensitive biogeochemistry, and ecosystem processes in seasonally snow- covered . Dr. Liptzin is a member of the American Geophysical Union and an investigator at the Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research Site in Colorado. He received his B.S. from Yale University, MES from the University of Pennsylvania, and Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Dr. Charlotte Norris, Project Scientist, serves as the soil health indicators assessment project lead scientist for Canada. Dr. Norris has collaborated on research determining best management practices for intensive vegetable production, assessing the effects of agricultural crops on soil health, and evaluating the effects of forest harvesting practices on . She also has investigated indicators of soil quality in reclaimed forest ecosystems. Dr. Norris holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Victoria and received her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Soil Science from the University of Alberta. She is a registered Professional Agrologist.

16 Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Rieke, Project Scientist, serves as the soil health indicators assessment project lead scientist for the northern Midwest and northeastern United States. She also leads the assessment of microbial population dynamics using genomic tools to identify microbial soil health indicators. Most recently, Dr. Rieke served as a postdoctoral research associate, Iowa State University Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. Dr. Rieke is a member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. She received her B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech, her M.S. in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and her Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering from Iowa State University.

HEALTHY SOILS FOR SUSTAINABLE COTTON Mr. David Lamm, Project Manager, spearheads soil health training and education programs for the Soil Health Institute’s Healthy Soils for Sustainable Cotton. For 40 years, Mr. Lamm served in various positions within USDA-NRCS, including District Conservationist for the Ft. Wayne Field Office, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs in Georgia, and Team Leader for the National Soil Health and Sustainability Team. He assisted with the USDA-NRCS Organic Agriculture and Sustainable Ag effort and worked with program policy, particularly for the Conservation Security Program. Mr. Lamm earned his B.S. in Natural Resources from Ball State University in 1978.

SOIL HEALTH INSTITUTE PARTNERS

Support Research Application The Samuel Roberts Noble American Society of Agronomy Conservation Technology Foundation Information Center Crop Science Society of America The Walton Family Foundation Field to Market Soil Science Society of America General Mills National Association of Datu Research Conservation Districts Foundation for Food and Soil Health Partnership Agriculture Research Soil and Water University of Missouri– Conservation Society McKnight Foundation Sustainable Agriculture The Nature Conservancy VF Foundation Research & Education The Fertilizer Institute The Walmart Foundation USDA Agricultural Research Service USDA Natural Resources Cargill Conservation Service Wrangler FoodShot Global Patagonia 4 per 1000 Initiative

17 REFERENCES

1. Terra, J.A., D.W. Reeves, J.N. Shaw, and R.J. Raper. 2005. Impacts by 75%. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 35:837-846. of landscape attributes on carbon sequestration during the transition 15. Martinez E., J.P. Fuentes, V. Pino, P. Silva, and E. Acevedo. 2013. from conventional to conservation management practices on a Chemical and biological properties as affected by no tillage and Coastal Plain field. J. Conserv. 60:438-446. conventional tillage systems in an irrigated Haploxeroll of Central 2. Varvel, G.E., and W.W. Wilhelm. 2010. Long-term soil organic Chile. Soil Tillage Res. 126:238–245. carbon as affected by tillage and cropping systems. Soil Sci. Soc. 16. CTIC. 2017. Report of the 2016-17 National Cover Crop Survey. Am. J. 74:915-921. Joint publication of the Conservation Technology Information Center, 3. Dendooven, L., L. Patino-Zuniga, N. Verhulst, M. Luna-Guido, the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and R. Marsch, and B. Govaerts. 2012. Global warming potential Education Program, and the American Seed Trade Association. of agricultural systems with contrasting tillage and residue West Lafayette, IN. (https://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/From- management in the central highland of Mexico. Agric. Ecosyst. the-Field/North-Central-SARE-From-the-Field/2017-Cover-Crop- Environ. 152:50-58. Survey-Analysis) 4. Omonode, R.A., D.R. Smith, A. Gal, and T.J. Vyn. 2011. Soil nitrous 17. Chaparro, J.M., A.M. Sheflin, D.K. Manter, and J.M. Vivanco. 2012. oxide emissions in corn following three decades of tillage and Manipulating the soil microbiome to increase soil health and plant rotation treatments. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 75:152-163. fertility. Biol. Fert. Soil 48:489-499. 5. Ussiri, D.A.N., and R. Lal. 2009. Long-term tillage effects on soil 18. Honeycutt, C.W., T.S. Griffin, and Z. He. 2005. Manure nitrogen carbon storage and carbon dioxide emissions in continuous corn availability: Dairy manure in northeast and central U.S. soils. Biol. cropping systems from an in Ohio. Soil Tillage Res. 104:39-47. Agric. Hort. 23:199-214. 6. Sainju, U.M., J.D. Jabro, T. Caesar-TonThat. 2010. Tillage, cropping 19. Honeycutt, C.W., J.F. Hunt, T.S. Griffin, Z. He, and R.P. Larkin. 2011. sequence, and nitrogen fertilization effects on dryland soil carbon Determinants and processes of manure nitrogen availability. p. dioxide emission and carbon content. J. Environ. Qual. 39:935-945. 201-224. In Z. He (ed.) Environmental Chemistry of Animal Manure. Nova Science Publishers, New York. 7. Blanco-Canqui, H., M.M. Mikha, D.R. Presley, and M.M. Claassen. 2011. Addition of cover crops enhances no-till potential for 20. USDA Sustainable Agriculture, Research and Education. 2015. improving soil physical properties. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 75:1471- Cover cropping for pollinators and beneficial insects. (https://www. 1482. sare.org/Learning-Center/Bulletins/Cover-Cropping-for-Pollinators- and-Beneficial-Insects/) 8. Olness, A., and D. Archer. 2005. Effect of organic carbon on available water in soil. Soil Sci. 170:90-101. 21. Mader, E., M. Shepherd, M. Vaughan, S.H. Black, and G. LeBuhn. 2011. Attracting native pollinators. The Xerces Society, Storey 9. Steele, M.K., F.J. Coale, and R.L. Hill. 2012. Winter annual cover Publishing, North Adams, MA. crop impacts on no-till soil physical properties and organic matter. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 76:2164-2173. 22. Larkin, R.P. 2015. Soil health paradigms and implications for disease management. Ann. Rev. Phytopath. 53:199-221. 10. Hudson, B.D. 1994. and available water capacity. J. Soil Water Cons. 49:189-194. 23. Larkin, R.P., and C.W. Honeycutt. 2006. Effects of different 3-year cropping systems on soil microbial communities and Rhizoctonia 11. Tonitto, C., M.B. David, and L.E. Drinkwater. 2006. Replacing bare diseases of potato. Phytopath. 96:68-79. fallows with cover crops in fertilizer-intensive cropping systems: a meta-analysis of crop yield and N dynamics. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 24. Peters, R.D., et al. 2003. Developing disease-suppressive soils 112:58-72. through and tillage management practices. Soil Tillage Res. 72:181–192. 12. Kaspar, T.C., D.B. Jaynes, T.B. Parkin, and T.B. Moorman. 2007. Rye cover crop and gamagrass strip effects on NO3 concentration and load in tile drainage. J. Environ. Qual. 36:1503-1511. Photo Credits Jim Richardson – Cover, Page 2, Page 10, Page 13 13. Yoo, K.H., J.T. Touchton, and R.H. Walker. 1988. Runoff, sediment Tiny Attic Productions – Page 4, Page 5, Page 12 and nutrient losses from various tillage systems of cotton. Soil USDA / NRCS – Page 8 Tillage Res. 12:13-24. Shannon Cappellazzi – Page 17 and Page 18 14. Islam, R., D.C. Glenney, and G. Lazarovits. 2015. No-till strip row Sustainable Agriculture Coalition – Page 19 farming using yearly -soybean rotation increases yield of maize Getty Images – Page 20

18 TO LEARN MORE

For more information, please contact Byron Rath: [email protected] 919.230.0343.

The Soil Health Institute is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit and your donation is tax deductible.

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