By Blake Jackson
Western Wisconsin’s Driftless Region, known for its steep hills and fertile farmland untouched by the last glacier, is at the center of a major soil health study aimed at improving dairy sustainability.
The region, home to nearly 2,000 dairy herds, is one of five U.S. dairy regions included in the Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration (DSWR) project.
The eight-year multistate initiative examines how soil health and manure management practices influence water quality, greenhouse gas emissions, forage productivity, and carbon storage.
The project is led by Dairy Management Inc. and the Soil Health Institute (SHI), along with seven universities and the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
Funding includes a $10 million contribution from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), supported by industry partners such as Newtrient, Nestlé, and Starbucks.
Researchers evaluated 57 fields across 31 dairy farms in the Driftless Region. Soil samples and farm management records were analyzed to measure soil organic carbon, aggregate stability, and carbon mineralization potential.
“The results show that growers in the Driftless Region improved their soil health by adopting management practices to reduce soil disturbance and maximize living roots,” said Dr. Mara Cloutier, a research soil scientist and program director at SHI.
The study found that rotationally grazed pastures had the healthiest soils, while row crop systems using cover crops and reduced tillage also showed measurable improvement.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville are also studying how cover crops and manure management affect water runoff and forage yields.
Dr. Dennis Busch, principal investigator for the extensive field trial at Platteville, noted that conservation practices can improve water quality but require flexibility.
“Generally speaking, yes, if we’re going to reduce our tillage and we're going to have cover crops, typically like on a single farm, ... you will improve your water quality outcomes,” Busch said.
However, Busch warned that conditions can vary dramatically by season. “So, I think ... managing these systems for soil health is really dynamic and you have to be adaptive.”
Driftless Region farmer Jack Herricks, who has practiced no-till farming since 1985, said protecting soil is a long-term investment.
“You’ve got to be willing to kind of step out of your comfort zone and try something different and try to improve how you do things and not be satisfied with the status quo.”
Photo Credit: dairy soil-and-water-regeneration
Categories: Wisconsin, Livestock