Experts and farmers weigh in on how to protect profitability during a time of tightening margins. BY KRISS NELSON
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rop management includes a wide array of aspects, including cultural practices, agronomic inputs and the environment. “It is important to think about your farm as a web of interactions, and a change in a practice may have a ripple effect or unintended consequence in other areas,” says Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) Research Agronomist Alex Schaffer. Consider ISA District 7 Director Lee Brooke’s farmland in southwest Iowa. It’s benefited from no-till since 1995. “No-till has been a godsend for us on our highly erodible soils,” says Brooke, who farms near Clarinda. Terraces and cover crops also work in tandem with no-till to maximize the benefits.” Because those soils tend to be prone to washing, no-till and other conservation efforts Brooke has implemented have helped to stabilize the soil and he has noticed a significant change in his soil’s ability to conserve moisture. “Our soils are prone to washing, but we’ve been able to conserve moisture,” Brooke says.
Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) District 7 Director Lee Brooke on his farm near Clarinda. 8 | FEBRUARY 2024 | IASOYBEANS.COM
