kAm%96 D@:= 7@@5 H63 DE2CED H:E9 A=2?ED[ H9:49 7:I 42C3@? 5:@I:56 7C@> E96 2E>@DA96C6 :?E@ @C82?:4 42C3@? 4@>A@F?5D] |:4C@36D 2?5 8C2K6CD[ =:<6 62CE9H@C>D[ 62E E92E @C82?:4 42C3@? 2?5 C6DA:C6 42C3@? 5:@I:56 E96>D6=G6D] ~E96C =2C86C @C82?:D>D 24E 2D AC652E@CD]k^Am
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kF=mk=:m$@:= 3:@=@8J 5@6D?’E DE@A] %96 w2?6J >62DFC6D >:4C@3:2==J 2G2:=23=6 A@@=D @7 42C3@? 2?5 ?:EC@86? 2D H6== 2D >:4C@3:2= C6DA:C2E:@? A@E6?E:2= :? 2 =23 :?4F32E:@?] %9@D6 2C6 ;FDE D?2AD9@ED @7 @C82?:4 >2EE6C A@@=D 2?5 7=FI6D] %9@D6 A@@=D 2C6 4@?DE2?E=J 36:?8 C6A=6?:D965 3J A=2?E C@@E 6IF52E6D 2?5 5625 >:4C@3:2= 46==D] xE’D =:23=6 E@ 492?86 C2A:5=J] $@ =@@< 7@C EC6?5D[ ?@E 23D@=FE6 G2=F6D]k^=:mk=:m#6DA:C2E:@? 5@6D?’E 5:776C6?E:2E6 36EH66? 7@@5 D@FC46 2?5 >:4C@3:2= 42A24:EJ] q@E9 2C6 8@@5 E9:?8D[ 3FE 2 9:89 D@:= C6DA:C2E:@? G2=F6 4@F=5 36 5F6 E@ =@ED @7 D:>A=6 42C3@? D@FC46D 7@C >:4C@36D @C 2 =2C86 >:4C@3:2= A@AF=2E:@?] '2=F6D H:== E6?5 E@ 36 8C62E6C :? 9:896C @C82?:4 >2EE6C D@:=D 2?5 27E6C 76CE:=:K6C 2AA=:42E:@? DE:>F=2E6D >:4C@3:2= 24E:G:EJ]k^=:mk=:mw2?6J 76CE:=:K6C C64@>>6?52E:@?D 92G6 ?@E 366? E6DE65 2?5 42=:3C2E65 7@C 2 A2CE:4F=2C DE2E6] %9@FD2?5D @7 C6D62C49 A=@ED 92G6 8@?6 :?E@ &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:??6D@E2 C64@>>6?52E:@?D 7@C 76CE:=:K6C 2AA=:42E:@?D] %96C6 2C6 @?=J A6C92AD 2 76H 5@K6? E6DE A=@ED 6I2>:?:?8 w2?6J 76CE:=:K6C C64@>>6?52E:@?D[ 2?5 ?@?6 2C6 :? |:??6D@E2] !=FD w2?6J E6DED 5@?’E 42AEFC6 E96 E@E2= D@:= ?FEC:6?E A@@= 3642FD6 E96J @?=J D2>A=6 E96 E@A D:I :?496D]k^=:mk=:ms@?’E 32?< @? E96 ?:EC@86? C6=62D6 G2=F6] %92E :D 32D65 @? 2? “2G6C286” 7@FC E:>6D A6C D62D@? H96? DF77:4:6?E C2:?72== H:== C6=62D6 ?:EC@86?] pD 6G6CJ@?6 H9@ 92D 72C>65 E9C@F89 E96 A2DE 4@FA=6 @7 J62CD <?@HD[ E96 2G6C286 D62D@? :D AC@323=J ?@E C6=6G2?E E@ >2?J D62D@?D]k^=:mk=:mr92?86D :? D@:= 3:@=@8:42= E6DED 42? E2<6 2 =@?8 E:>6] s6DA:E6 >2?J 4=2:>D @7 C2A:5 @C82?:4 >2EE6C :?4C62D6D[ E6DED 5@?’E 2=H2JD C67=64E >2?286>6?E 492?86D] !2J 2EE6?E:@? E@ A=2?E 962=E9[ H2E6C :?7:=EC2E:@?[ 2?5 D@:= DECF4EFC6 2?5 C6E6?E:@?] x7 E96C6’D :>AC@G6>6?ED :? E9@D6 7F?4E:@?D[ 5@?’E H@CCJ E@@ >F49 23@FE E96 E6DED] x7 4FC:@FD 23@FE D@:= 3:@=@8J[ D2>A=6 6G6CJ 76H J62CD 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6[ F?56C E96 D2>6 4@?5:E:@?D 2?5 =@@< 7@C EC6?5D[ ?@E 23D@=FE6 G2=F6D] r@>A2C6 E@ 2 ?62C3J F?5:DEFC365 2C62 7@C E96 36DE 36?49>2C< @7 2 D@:=’D A@E6?E:2=]k^=:mk^F=m
Anna Cates is a soil-health specialist for the University of Minnesota-Extension. A version of this blog post originally appeared on The Farmer's website and in the March 2020 print edition of The Farmer magazine.
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