Soil Health on Utah's Farms and Ranches

The term soil health has gained popularity in agriculture due to prolonged droughts, rising food costs, and the growing public concern for sustainable and organic practices. Soil health practices can offer solutions to all of these pressures. This thesis provides Utah's farmers and ranchers with quantifiable data on implementing soil health practices in Utah's unique climate. It presents the first two years of on-farm trial results on yield and quality after implementing various soil health practices on five categories of crops: corn, mixed hay, alfalfa, produce, and dryland grain. Over a two-year period, none of the soil health practices resulted in a statistically significant yield reduction across any site, indicating that these approaches can be implemented without short-term yield penalties and lays the groundwork for longer-term evaluation of their benefits. In addition, this thesis also presents a guide for growers for interseeding cover crops into corn based on regional research. Interseeding is most effective when done between the V4–V6 corn growth stages. To increase the interseeded cover crop biomass, wider corn row spacing could be used because it improves light availability for cover crop growth, but it also may reduce corn yield. Reducing corn planting density can improve conditions for interseeded cover crops without impacting corn yield. Drilling cover crops with high-clearance or modified equipment often resulted in the best cover crop establishment and fall biomass. Proper timing and type of irrigation significantly affects cover crop success. Extra water may be needed post-harvest to promote fall cover crop growth and maximize benefits. Multiple studies from Utah, Idaho, and other states show that interseeded cover crops have no significant negative impact on corn grain or silage yield, provided nutrient requirements are met. While cover crops carry upfront costs, they can become profitable especially when grazed by livestock.