Soil Health Practices – Effects on Farm Profitability

Practices to improve soil health, such as no-till and cover crops have been touted for their environmental benefits. But from a business perspective, questions about their impact on profitability have dogged adoption. A new survey by the Soil Health Institute (SHI), with funding from Cargill, found these practices are good for business.

See image from the Soil Health Institute below for the Key Findings of the survey.

Given the current adoption rates of no-till (37%) and cover crops (5%) in the U.S., the study indicates that many other farmers may improve their profitability by adopting soil health management systems. Soil and Water Conservation Districts throughout Minnesota promote soil health programs. In some cases, financial assistance is available locally or through the US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to implement them.

The full SHI report is available online: www.soilhealthinstitute.org 

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