FAIRMONT — Today is Earth Day and it is an important day for many. The annual event, first held on April 22, 1970, focuses on environmental protection. One of many ways farmers take an active roll in caring for the environment is to focus on good soil health.

Rochelle Krusemark of Trimont is on the United Soybean Board’s (USB) Executive Committee, and she shares some information on USB efforts to do just that.

“The checkoff focuses its investments on projects that give farmers the tools and resources they need to be resilient while striving toward profitability and sustainability,” she said. “[The] United Soybean Board is refining key partnerships to advance soil science. The U.S. soy industry strives to be a global leader on sustainability and soil health initiatives.”

Information provided by Krusemark shares that the USB funds research on soil health that includes literature reviews and pilot projects related to soybean farming, to inform farmers on best practices and provide tools for management decisions.

“This includes investments specifically in sustainability (or regenerative practices) such as cover crop integration and no-till techniques that benefit the environment and soybean farmers’ bottom lines while also building more resilient farms,” she said.

“Regenerative agriculture is a term developed to describe a farming system using ecological principles that not just maintain, but continuously improve the health and vitality of soil, water and biodiversity, thus enhancing ecosystem services long term.”

According to the USB, soybeans are planted in continuous rotation with corn and other crops, contributing to increased pest control and disease prevention. Soybeans replenish vital nutrients in the soil to allow for more precise application of chemical fertilizers. Soybean farmers use several conservation practices such as no-till, grass filter strips, cover crops and drainage water management to manage one of their most precious resources — water.

While innovation in seed technology, equipment design and precision planting strategies abound, the industry is also moving to aggregate measures of the beneficial effects of innovative soil management strategies. Healthy soil fights flooding and drought by more effectively allowing rainwater infiltration and gently releasing it to plants as they need it. Maintained soil often needs fewer inputs such as fertilizers and other treatments.

Farmers plant approximately 94 percent of U.S. soybean acreage with seed enhanced by biotechnology, according to the USDA. These crops make weed control more effective and less costly. Because of biotechnology, U.S. soybean farmers can reduce reliance on tillage for weed control, increasing conservation tillage and reducing the number of trips through the field. These measures lead to sustainable results such as reduced fuel use, fewer emissions, less soil compaction and less soil and water runoff.

By 2025, U.S. soybean farmers aim to:

— Reduce land use impact by 10 percent.

— Reduce soil erosion an additional 25 percent.

— Increase energy use efficiency by 10 percent.

— Reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent.

As of 2020, considerable progress has been made toward these goals. The land use goal was already exceeded in 2015; however, the industry continues to improve. The goal of reducing soil erosion is at the halfway mark, and energy goals have been exceeded. For greenhouse gas emissions, efficiency has already made great progress, and the industry is still working toward the total goal.

The checkoff partners with organizations such as the U.S. Farmer and Ranchers in Action (USFRA), the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and The Seam to support research in carbon sequestration, gene editing, pesticide resistance management, traceability through blockchain and agriculture technology.