When it comes to soil health, it can be easy to embrace an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. Strip-tillers are accustomed to taking a systematic approach to consistently produce a high-quality crop.

But in some cases, looks can be deceiving and it’s important to understand how soil function is a catalyst for successful cover cropping, residue management and water infiltration. Stephanie McLain, Indiana NRCS soil health specialist, notes that farmers need to dig into the dirty details of their soil health and be proactive managers of soil function.

McLain offers advice for knowing how to analyze and activate soil function, utilizing 8 assessment tools including corn residue breakdown, nutrient cycling and earthworm activity.

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The 2019 National Strip-Tillage Conference Video Replay is brought to you by Ingersoll Tillage Group.