Iowa state university - Articles

Research Confirms the Soil Health Benefits of Cover Crops

By Sarah Hill posted on September 2, 2020

Without the soil, no farming would exist. Growers should be fixated with maximizing every inch of soil and improving the various factors that impact soil health.

Soil: Water Reservoir for Crop Production

August 24, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Ohio's Country Journal

Dr. Elwyn Taylor, Iowa State University climatologist reported that 200-bushel corn needs 19 to 23 inches of water during the growing season. For 200-bushel corn at 75 degree F (soil temperature), corn needs 1-acre inch of water per week, doubling to 2 inches at 85 degrees F, and doubling again to 4 inches at 95 degrees F. Read more in this article from Ohio's Country Journal.

[Video] The Other Soil Carbon

July 8, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Soil is an organic reservoir for carbon, but carbon is subject to loss, according to Mark Rasmussen, Director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture with Iowa State University. Decades of conventional farming have depleted soil carbon levels. In this video, Rasmussen discusses the many forms of carbonate, what Iceland is doing to store carbon long-term in the soil, and more.

Dig Into Soil Organic Matter

July 3, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Lincoln Journal Star

Steven Hall is dedicated to exploring how farmers can get the most out of their soil. Hall, an assistant professor with the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at Iowa State University, runs a biogeochemistry lab where students look at the different factors that can effect soil health. Read more in this article from the Lincoln Journal Star.

Iowa Study Finds Cover Crops Don't Impact Carbon Absorption in Soil

December 13, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Iowa State Daily

A recent study found cover crops do not have a significant effect on soil’s ability to absorb and store carbon. The scientists conducted the study to discover whether or not cover crops actually improved the soil’s capacity to contain and store away carbon and to research further into the effect of cover crops and perennial plants on the microbial activity of surrounding crops.

Using Cover Crops Leads to Significant Gains in Water Quality

November 11, 2019 | Posted in Soil Health

The ability of cover crops to stimulate microbes deep in the soil of farm fields leads to significant gains in water quality but does not necessarily increase the capacity of soil to store carbon, according to a recently published study from Iowa State University scientists. The study, published in the academic journal Global Change Biology Bioenergy, analyzed soil samples that had undergone a wide range of long-term treatments.

Cover Crops May Have Value as Cattle Feed

August 9, 2019 | Posted in Grazing

Source: Feedstuffs

Cover crops are known to protect soil and water quality, but they also can offer valuable livestock feed, according to Iowa State University research. Find out more in this article from Feedstuffs.