Soil Residue Cover Examples
The following are examples of different levels of residue soil cover. The percentage of soil cover in each photo is estimated.
No-till corn residue 100% soil cover
No-till corn residue, 90% soil cover
No-till corn residue, 75% soil cover
No till corn residue, 50% soil cover
No till corn residue, 10% soil cover
No till wheat residue, 95% soil cover
Tilled wheat residue, 50% soil cover
Tilled soybean residue with emerging cereal rye, 25% soil cover
Soybean residue with emerging cover crop, 80% soil cover
Tilled corn residue, 15% soil cover
Tilled soybean residue, 15% soil cover
Tilled soybean residue, 5% soil cover
Tilled corn residue, 15% soil cover
Tilled corn residue, 20% soil cover
Tilled corn residue, 10% soil cover
Tilled corn residue, 5% soil cover
Tilled wheat residue, 20% soil cover
Soil Health School
The 2026 Soil Health School is set for September 15-17 near Twin Brooks and Marvin, SD.
Small Scale Ag
Soil Health School
The 2026 Small Scale Ag Soil Health School is set for Aug. 28 in Huron, SD.
News & Events
Test grain for nitrates before using it as forage
By Stan Wise With the vast majority of South Dakota in a drought and experiencing high temperatures, grain producers are having to make some tough decisions about their crops. Will those grains produce enough yield to make harvesting them a financially viable option,...
Darling Creek Ranch Named 2026 SD Leopold Award Winner
Sand County Foundation Dan and Sharon Anderson’s Darling Creek Ranch has been selected as the 2026 South Dakota Leopold Conservation Award® recipient. The $10,000 award honors ranchers, farmers, and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil...
Building operational resilience with soil health
By Stan Wise South Dakota Soil Health Coalition PIERRE, SD – Resilience. It’s one of the prizes that keeps conservation-minded land managers striving for improved soil health. Operational resilience in the face of floods, market fluctuations, rising input costs,...