▶ Watch: Impacts of Cereal Rye as a Cover Crop Depending on Farm Goals
The webinar speakers will share data that compares cover crop seeding rate to find what rate is needed for water quality and soil health benefits.
Articles
▶ Watch: Finding the N Rate: Balancing Yield, Profitability, and Water Quality
Can we find a nitrogen rate that balances yield, profitability, and water quality?
▶ Watch: Reducing Phosphorus Losses by Pushing Beyond the Basics
This webinar shares research on how phosphorus interacts in the environment, especially at the shallow top two inches of soil.
▶ Watch: Diving Deeper into Tile Drainage: Installation and Conservation Practice Considerations
Dive deeper into tile and learn data on how bioreactors and other conservation practices impact nutrient losses, and learn what to consider when choosing practices for your operation.
▶ Watch: Economic and Water Quality Opportunities Through Grazing Dairy Heifers
This webinar discusses how to raise dairy heifers on well managed pastures to improve soil health, water quality, and biodiversity.
2025 Discovery Farms Year in Review
In 2025, Discovery Farms completed two projects, added one, and hosted many outreach events to share their data.
Diving Deep Into Plant Available Water
Filled to Capacity Crunch the Numbers What Determines Availability References How much can we influence the plant available water in soils? Let’s break down what plant available water is and how it can be improved. Plant available water is the maximum amount of water a plant can extract from the soil. It can also be […]
Research and Real-World Experience Drive Conservation Decisions at the WWASH Conference
Farmers played a key role in shaping the agenda at the 2025 Wisconsin Water and Soil Health Conference, which emphasized real-world experience, and highlighted farmer-led experimentation paired with measured on-farm research to advance soil health, water quality, and farm profitability across Wisconsin.
Quantifying Nitrate Leaching from Agricultural Soils
There are several common ways to quantify nitrate leaching. Each method has different benefits and tradeoffs in terms of data accuracy, equipment needed, and time and labor requirements.
Phosphorus Losses Checked by Layered Practices and Careful Timing: A Discovery Farms Project
Discovery Farms project finds that layering practices and implementing them at specific times can reduce phosphorus loss and positively impact water quality.
▶ Nitrogen Leaching: Trends, Risks and Regional Insights
Lindsey Hartfiel explores how nitrogen moves through soil and water systems, the impact of agricultural practices, and the importance of data-driven decision-making to mitigate nitrogen leaching.
▶ How Does Nitrate Leaching Respond to Nitrogen Inputs from Fertilizer and Manure?
Dr. Steven Hall, assistant professor and extension cropping systems and water quality specialist, explores how nitrate leaching responds to nitrogen inputs from both synthetic fertilizer and manure in Wisconsin cropping systems.