Soil Health Monitoring Site

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The Goodhue Paired Cover Crop Demonstration is a long-term project focused on measuring the effects of soil health practices on subsurface nitrate-nitrogen loss under a range of climatic conditions. Practices being evaluated include cover crops and no-till or reduced tillage systems.

Soil health practices are management strategies that help maintain or improve the soil’s ability to function as a living ecosystem. These practices support plant growth, reduce erosion, improve nutrient cycling, increase water infiltration, reduce input costs, and improve the long-term resiliency of working lands.

The study field is located five miles west of Goodhue, Minnesota in Goodhue County. Water from this field flows toward Hay Creek, a high value trout stream, which then flows to the Mississippi River.

Instrumentation at each plot:

The monitoring system measures water flow and nitrate levels from the tile drainage system, along with soil temperature and moisture conditions at different depths in the field.

In addition, the EAST plot has a weather station that measures:

Total rainfall
Wind direction and speed
Air temperature
Humidity
Solar radiation

PHASE I: CALIBRATION (2023-2027)

During a four-year period, farming and nitrogen management practices remained the same on both the west and east plots.

Made sure that flow and nitrate values are being measured accurately.
Field management consists of a corn/soybean rotation using minimum tillage practices.
Urea nitrogen applied in the spring preceding corn is typically split applied at a rate of 160 lb N/ac.

PHASE II: TREATMENT (2027-)

After the calibration period, one of the randomly selected plots will have soil health practices implemented. Some of these practices may include cover crops and No-till.

Nitrate loss will be compared to the plot without cover crops.
Field management remain the same in Phase I and Phase II.

Project Partners