Regenerative Agriculture

Research: Corn doesn’t get much nitrogen from fertilizer application

Recent research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reveals that tweaking fertilizer applications on corn doesn’t improve uptake efficiency by much. About 67% of the nitrogen in corn comes from naturally occurring sources in the soil, the study found. The evidence repeated itself in four studies from 2019 to 2023, done by the Department of Natural […]

Millet for the Midwest: drought-resistant grain could ease climate challenge

Though not a popular grain in the U.S.—it’s mostly grown in Africa and Asia—ancient millet varieties could offer significant benefits to alleviate climate impacts. A drought-resistant crop requiring less water, varieties including Japanese millet, pearl millet, foxtail millet, and proso millet can serve as cover crops and a versatile rotation crop. Millets are more resistant […]

As climate change threatens farming, incentives for cover crops could help

By Grace van Deelen Once a farmer understands how ecosystems function, planting cover crops is an obvious choice. At least, that’s what North Dakota farmer Gabe Brown believes. For nearly three decades, Brown has been planting his cash crops (barley, oats, wheat, rye, and others) alongside cover crops—plants that are not for sale but instead […]

PepsiCo invests $216 million in regenerative agriculture projects

PepsiCo announced a $216 million investment in partnerships with three farmer-facing organizations—Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI), Soil and Water Outcomes Fund (SWOF), and the IL Corn Growers Association (ICGA)—to facilitate adoption of regenerative agriculture practices across the U.S. The project hopes to revitalize over three million acres and generate reduction of three million tons of greenhouse gas emissions […]

Idaho farm to demonstrate regenerative potato growing

A fourth-generation Idaho farmer is breaking new ground by experimenting with a new way to raise the state’s flagship crop—potatoes. Partnering with the Nature Conservancy, Ladd Wahlen is putting regenerative agriculture practices to the test on his potato acres, motivated by long-term benefits for his land. “I want my soil to be healthy and I […]