Soil Health Incentives Offered in Wilkin County

When completing fall tillage, you think about next years seed bed prep, ditching, what crop will be there next year and what nutrients will be needed to accomplish yield goals. But what about your soil health? Have you noticed worms or grubs moving around in your soil profile? Is your organic matter high enough to aid in breaking down nutrients and converting them to readily available plant food? These important soil characteristics, along with other nutrients are essential to helping you meet next year’s yield goal. If you are lacking in soil health, you can pour all the nutrients you want into your soil but not see a return in crop production. If you have saline, compacted, frequent drown out spots or preventive plant acres you could probably use a boost in your soil health.

The Wilkin SWCD acquired funding from Wilkin County and the Buffalo Red River Watershed District to assist farmers with their soil health needs by incorporating a cost share payment per acre for cover crops along with a soil health analysis. The soil health analysis will look at the soils biological, chemical and physical conditions. Follow up soil assessments will be conducted annually giving us the opportunity to watch the soil has it transitions.

If you would like to discuss options about cover crops or improving soil health, please contact us.