The Soil Health and Agriculture Research Extension (SHARE) Farm project started with the original location in Mooreton, ND (2013) and expanded to a second location in Logan Center, ND (2019). Each site is unique in soil type, crop rotation and climatic challenges. Both SHARE Farms provide opportunities for field-scale, long-term research associated with goals originally assigned to the project by commodity council members. Field-scale research means that cooperating farmers are heavily involved in each project, using their equipment to seed and manage and harvest the location. Research is then conducted by NDSU, within this framework, using sampling and analytical approaches suited to the field variability associated with the projects. Long-term sites have high value when assessing how a combination of soil health management approaches can be used to achieve on-farm goals. After all, soil health does not change quickly and issues, such as salinity found at both sites, can take time to remediate. Multiple faculty members from NDSU's main campus and Research Extension Centers have come together to assess systems at each SHARE Farm location. This allows us to make science-based recommendations to farmers interested in adopting soil health building practices that can be relatively high risk and require specification to each system. This proposal includes research for both locations and is accompanied by an Extension proposal to the education/outreach committee.

1. Evaluate field-scale soil moisture and temperature under no-till and conventional tillage practices (Daigh)
2. Evaluate field-scale cover crop establishment in each part of the rotation, yield and soil dynamics under (a) no-till/cover crop and (b) conventional tillage/no cover crop treatments (Berti, Ostlie, Endres, Wick)
3. Evaluate changes in soil health properties under (a) no-till/cover crop and (b) conventional tillage/no cover crop treatments (Casey, Gasch)

1. Data-supported information to be shared using Extension media development
(print and online) and activities (field days, workshops, Café Talks)
2. Academic publications and presentations (state, regional and national meetings)

Updated November 30, 2021:
SOIL HEALTH & AGRICULTURE RESEARCH EXTENSION (SHARE) FARM RESEARCH PROJECTS IN MOORETON, ND & LOGAN CENTER, ND

2021 Mid-Year Report to the North Dakota Soybean Council

Abbey Wick, Caley Gasch, Aaron Daigh, Marisol Berti, Frank Casey, Greg Endres, Mike Ostlie, and Naeem Kalwar; North Dakota State University

Objectives of the Research
The Soil Health and Agriculture Research Extension (SHARE) Farm project started with the original location in Mooreton, ND (2013) and expanded to a second location in Logan Center, ND (2019). Each site is unique in soil type, crop rotation, and climatic challenges. Both SHARE Farms provide opportunities for field-scale, long-term research. Field-scale research means cooperating farmers are heavily involved in each project, using their equipment to seed, manage and harvest the location. Research is then conducted by NDSU to meet the following objectives:
1. Evaluate field-scale soil moisture and temperature under no-till and conventional tillage practices
2. Evaluate field-scale cover crop establishment in each part of the rotation, yield, and soil dynamics under (a) no-till/cover crop and (b) conventional tillage/no cover crop treatments
3. Evaluate changes in soil properties under (a) no-till/cover crop and (b) conventional tillage/no cover crop treatments.

Completed Work
Work at the Mooreton site will be completed in 2022, at the conclusion of two full corn-soybean-wheat cropping rotations. At this site, conservation tillage, no-tillage, and cover crop practices have been evaluated over tile-drained and undrained portions of the field. The Logan Center site will be entering its fourth year of monitoring in the spring of 2022. Conservation tillage, no-tillage, and cover crop practices at Logan Center are being evaluated under a pinto bean-corn-soybean-wheat rotation. Throughout the six cropping years at Mooreton and three at Logan Center, data relating to soil temperature, moisture, fertility, and salinity have been monitored. Productivity and quality of the grain crops have been tracked across all tillage and cover crop treatments. Additionally, stand establishment and biomass production of the cover crop mixes have been monitored. Also, to determine the efficacy of tile drainage at the Mooreton site, wells were installed to monitor water level and dissolved nutrients.

Preliminary Results
Over the past years, soil health changes at the Mooreton site have been observed; it is expected these improvements in soil structure, drainage, and the reduction of salinity will continue and be shown in the final year of soil sample analysis. Based on these experiences, it is expected the Logan Center soils will improve in structure and salinity reduction as well. Although more data will be collected in the coming years from the Logan Center Site, several conclusions can be, tentatively, drawn from the SHARE Farm projects:
1. Tile-drainage can help to reduce soil salinity.
2. Soil temperature is, on average, lower and has less daily fluctuation in no-tilled as compared to conventionally tilled systems.
3. No-till systems help to increase soil volumetric water content under most conditions.
4. No-till systems have a slightly lower or non-significant yield differences compared to conventionally tilled systems.

Work to be Completed
All soil, water, and crop sampling has been completed at the Mooreton site; however, the samples will be processed over the winter of 2021/2022 with final results available following data analysis. In-field monitoring at the Logan Center site will continue this spring to track soil moisture and temperature fluctuations across the conservation and no-tillage treatments. Crop productivity and changes in soil health, fertility, and salinity will continue to be monitored as well. As the data collection continues and results from lab analyses are received, data from both the Mooreton and Logan Center site will be analyzed to draw conclusion relating to the impact of tillage, cover crops, and tile drainage on soil health, fertility, total crop productivity, and crop production economics.

For updates on the SHARE Farm project, and other soil health news, visit the NDSU Soil Health webpage (NDSU.edu/soilhealth) or follow Abbey Wick on Twitter (@NDSUsoilhealth).

View uploaded report

Information regarding soil health building practices can be found on social media and in many of the farm magazines. It's difficult to sift through information that can be predominately observation-based (and very specific to famers operations who are sharing the information) to find approaches suited to broad-scale agriculture in North Dakota. Science-based, university-vetted information can reduce the risk associated with on-farm adoption of practices. NDSU recommendations on which practices to use in combination to achieve farmer specific goals can increase the chance of a successful outcome for soybean growers.