Michael Thompson walks the same Kansas fields his great-great-grandfather broke in 1888, but his vision reaches far beyond tradition.

March is the humble clover’s time to shine. Symbolic of luck, the celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day, the welcoming of spring and 4-H enrollment time, clovers are featured prominently in our culture this time of year – and they become prominent in pastures, too.

Over time with many common farming practices, we start to lose some of those minerals to insolubility, erosion or crop exportation. As with sentences, a soil's integrity can deteriorate as these minerals are depleted, leading to reduced plant health, more pest pressure and overall harvest productivity decline.

Should growers be treating their fields more like golf courses? A common solution to this problem in golf courses is the application of products known as soil wetting agents that reduce the surface tension of soil.

When it comes to efficiency, it’s tough to beat soil testing. What else can you do for less than a dollar an acre that has such a large potential impact on crop yield, quality and farm profitability?

Interest in protecting soil integrity is not a new topic. Soil conservation came to the forefront after the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Since then, producers have recognized the importance of the macroorganisms and microorganisms that call the soil home, as well as their roles in producing healthy plants.