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Strips of Prairie Alongside Crops Can Save the Soil

As Dr. Lisa Schulte Moore said in an NBC News story, the simple act of planting strips of prairie alongside corn, wheat, soybeans and more can reduce soil erosion by 95%.

Not only can prairie roots protect the soil, they also reduce fertilizer runoff by 90%. Plus, bees and butterflies flourish, buzzing among the prairie flowers. Pheasants and other birds enjoy their new habitat.

High school seniors want their photos taken among the pretty flowers.

It’s wonderful to see Iowa farmers planting prairie. Let’s get to the point where planting prairie is common across the Midwest (even if in strips), where more bees are buzzing and monarchs are floating on the breeze, where the soil is rich and healthy.

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Trending Video

Supplemental Nitrogen on Soybeans: Can Early Nitrogen Increase Yield?

Video: Supplemental Nitrogen on Soybeans: Can Early Nitrogen Increase Yield?

Can supplemental nitrogen help soybeans reach higher yield potential? Technical Agronomist Tim Sickman walks through an ongoing trial at the Nutrien Innovation Farm in Owensboro, Kentucky, exploring whether a modest amount of nitrogen applied at planting can support higher-yielding soybean environments.

The trial compares 30 pounds of supplemental nitrogen across both 15- and 30-inch rows, along with treatments that include sulfur and micronutrients. Similar trials conducted in 2024 and 2025 delivered a six- to seven-bushel yield response, prompting the team to expand the research this season.

Early observations show that treated soybeans are slightly taller and averaging about two additional nodes on the main stem. These added nodes could create more opportunities for blooms and pods, but the true results will come at harvest when the team evaluates pod development, seed fill and final yield.

In This Video:

Why high-yield soybeans may need supplemental nitrogen

Results from the 2024 and 2025 trials

Nitrogen treatments in 15- and 30-inch rows

Fertilizer placement and application methods

Differences in plant height and node counts

Potential effects on pod development and yield