Diversity
Soil Health: Principle 4 of 5 – Maximize Plant Diversity:
Our prairie soils were built under a widely diverse plant community. This plant community consisted of grasses, sedges, nitrogen fixing legumes, wildflowers, forbs, and more, all with different root types and depths. The prairie ecosystem didn’t just provide for the bison, deer and pronghorn, it also provided for the soil fungi, bacteria, and worms. So, it seems to make sense that if we want to build healthy soils, we need to feed the soil a healthy, diverse diet.
How do we maximize plant diversity?
If you currently graze perennial pasture that has never been sod-busted, you may have many of the original prairie plants already. To keep or increase the diversity of your plant community, proper grazing management is key. Change season of use yearly, stock properly, rotate regularly.
On the crop production side, try to imitate the native plant community, which consisted of warm and cool season grasses and broadleaves. This can be done through crop rotation and the use of cover crops. Examples of common crops in each category:
- Cool season grasses: oats, spring and winter wheat, rye
- Warm season grasses: corn, millet, sorghum, sudan
- Cool season broadleaf: peas, lentils, flax, canola
- Warm season broadleaf: soybean, sunflower, cowpea
If one or two of these crop types doesn’t fit into your operation, consider planting a cover crop mix with that crop type in the mix. By having all four categories in your rotation, you can help feed a more diverse soil microbiome.
When choosing species for your cover crop mix be sure to consider your other goals beyond feeding diverse soil life. For example:
- Utilizing excess moisture
- Forage for livestock
- Weed suppression
- Building organic matter
- Reducing compaction
- Fixing nitrogen.
News & Events
FFA Regional Land Judging Winners Receive Scholarships
SD FFA Foundation Rapid City (October 2026) – The South Dakota FFA Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of five $100 scholarships for students placing first in one of the five South Dakota Regional Land Evaluation Competitions this fall. 2026 scholarship...
Growing sunflowers for soil health and stability
By Stan Wise For an agricultural operation to thrive, producers must sometimes look at the big picture and make decisions to benefit the long-term success of their farm or ranch. Changes made on a farm now might take years to realize their positive effects, but those...
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,...