A soil health discovery that the Cotter family made decades ago set them on the path to becoming Minnesota’s 2025 Leopold Conservation Award recipient.

As water resources become increasingly scarce in southern Idaho, producers are looking for forage options that make the most of limited irrigation. One strategy gaining traction is planting fall-seeded annual cereals for forage.

North Carolina State University, Texas A&M University and Iowa State University are partnering with the USDA NRCS and developing technology to help curb weed growth. 

The Idaho Barley Commission Endowed Barley Agronomy program has been researching sustainable barley and wheat production strategies, focusing on nutrient management practices for improved yield, quality, and soil and water health in both irrigated and dryland settings.

Seed treatments of years past were very broad spectrum against a whole swath of diseases. While this was somewhat effective, it is nothing like the prescriptions sold today.

“No-till is not an end-all-fix-all but it is a good tool. Just like anything else, you need to use all your tools and need to manage on different levels and pay attention to different things.”