25 Like Us on Facebook: BetterFarmingON Better Farming | November 2023 Research studies have shown that if we want to increase yields, we need to increase biomass production. e two go hand in hand. With higher biomass and subsequent grain production goes higher seasonal evapotranspiration. is is where root structure and development come into play. Yes, there are di erences in hybrid genetics when it comes to roots. Soybean roots are important as well. Oddly enough we have root scores for corn but not soybeans. Something we should explore as an industry to further develop soybean yields. Improving soil health, structure and organic matter will also go a long way to helping corn/soybeans explore all the soil zone for water and nutrients. It is the ne root hairs that accept water and nutrients. Root hairs live only about ve days and then replenish. Ensuring adequate soil moisture and sound soil health is key. Let us do a deeper dive, looking at a variety of management practices you can incorporate to increase yields as it pertains to “drought proo ng” your crops. Soil fertility Potash (K) plays an important role in the opening and closing of stomates which helps regulate plant temperatures and water loss. Most potassium and phosphorus move into the plant through di usion, moving from areas of high concentration to low. Having adequate soil K levels will mean higher K movement potentially existing in the eld to help regulate the plant during stress periods. Organic matter Improving soil organic matter and soil health will assist with deeper rooting depths and water-holding capacity. Increasing organic matter from two to three per cent, as an example, will allow the soil to hold about 3,400 gallons per acre on a silt loam soil, according to the University of Nebraska. at equates to over 1/10th of an inch of rain. Studies have shown that available water is double at soil organic matters of 4.5 per cent compared to 1.5 per cent (Hudson, B.D. Soil organic matter and available water, J. Soil Water Conserv. 49(2): 189-194). at may not seem like a lot initially. But over subsequent rainfalls and during critical water shortages it can add up. Cover crops assist in adding organic matter back to the soil while improving soil tilth and aggregate stability. Crop rotation Dr. Dave Hooker at Ridgetown College has conducted some unique long-term crop rotation studies. Overall results showed that crop rotations utilizing a corn-soybean-winter wheat rotation had greater yields increases than a corn-soybean rotation, especially during hot/dry summers or during seasonal trends when water availability was decreased. Controlled drainage More interest from growers is occurring, looking at utilizing controlled drainage during critical periods to improve water availability. ese lowcost methods can improve root zone moisture. Constant monitoring is needed, especially during heavy rainfall patterns, to avoid “drowning” the crop. Added to this reduced tillage, striptill/no-till experienced larger yield di erences in drier summers as well. In summary, we have no control over the weather. We can however control crop management, species diversity and other factors to improve soil water holding capacity which will lead to higher yields in the future. ese gains are incremental and do not happen overnight or even over a single cropping season, for that matter. Sitting down and producing a long-term farm eld and sub eld plan is needed to achieve the goals described above. Doing so will mean your valuable soil acts like a sponge, dripping with moisture when really needed! BF PAUL HERMANS Paul Hermans, CCA-ON is an area agronomist in Eastern Ontario with Corteva Agriscience. Soil as a Sponge Corn plants exhibiting leaf rolling due to drought stress. Paul Hermans photo
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