Do you use sand bedding on your dairy farm? While it keeps your cows comfortable, what is it actually doing to your fields? Dr. Francisco Arriaga—Professor in the Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences and State Specialist with the UW Division of Extension—joins us to discuss how sand buildup alters soil texture, health, and physical properties over time. Depending on how much sand you use, you might be modifying your land much faster than you think. Tune in to find out what this means for your farm's future.

Dr. Chris Baxter, a Professor of Soil & Crop Science at UW-Platteville and an Extension Specialist, is here to share some interesting findings from a soil health study. This study was part of a project started back in 2018, and it was carried out by the UW-Weeds Team under the guidance of Dr. Rodrigo Werle. The main focus was to see how cereal rye can help keep weeds at bay, especially those pesky ones like waterhemp. The study provided great chance to see how using cover crops over multiple years can make a difference in soil health. Tune in to hear what Dr. Baxter and his colleagues have discovered from this study.

Recommended Resources:

UW Crops and Soils Division of Extension: https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/ - search "cover crops"

Chris' email: baxterch@uwplatt.edu

Wisconsin Cropping Systems Weed Science: https://wiscweeds.info/

Dr. Dane Elmquist, Conservation Cropping Outreach Specialist at UW-Madison Extension, shares some really interesting insights about how slugs, beneficial insects, and their interactions play out in no-till and cover crop systems. He's currently working on research at three Dane Demo Farms, keeping a close eye on pests and beneficial insects in the cover crop termination plots all across the county. Tune in to learn more about this pest management approach and how neonicotinoids can effect it's outcome.

Recommended resources:

UW Crops and Soils Division of Extension: https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/

Dane's email: dane.elmquist@wisc.edu

Pest Management in Wisconsin Field Crops (A3646): https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/files/2025/01/A3646_2025_web.pdf

Clean Wisconsin Neonicotinoid Workgroup: https://www.cleanwisconsin.org/neonics/