Shop talk highlights real-world conservation decisions

January 22, 2026 | Kriss Nelson

The discussion wasn’t a presentation or sales pitch. It was farmers sharing what’s working, what’s frustrating and what they’re changing as acres, costs and weather pressures keep piling up.

Hosted by Dean and Josh Sponheim on their farm near Nora Springs, along with business partner Rachel Amundson, the conversation went the way many farmer discussions do — standing around equipment, moving between the shop and the machine sheds, letting real experience guide the topics.

Rotation keeps coming up

One of the biggest shifts farmers talked about was moving beyond a straight corn-soybean rotation. The father-son duo explained how they are actively working toward a three-crop system.

“We’re still trying to increase our corn and bean yields by using a three crop rotation,” says Dean, describing a goal one-third of his acres planted with a small grain, one-third planted to corn and one-third planted to soybeans.

The appeal is for yield stability and what follows after a small grain year. The Sponheims referenced research showing anywhere from a 7 to a 10% increase in yield for corn and soybeans following small grains. But Dean and Josh were quick to note the logistical reality.

“You got to have a market for that small grain,” Josh says.

Dean says feeding livestock has helped make a three-crop rotation and cover crops pencil out for some operations. He says one neighboring farmer expanded oat acres significantly to feed cattle, while others noted growing demand for cover crop seed as another potential market. Even so, a limited market continues to limit how quickly small grains can be added to rotations.

Cover crops: benefits, limits and timing

Cover crops were a popular topic. Farmers shared both benefits and mistakes.

Several described how cereal rye has helped suppress weeds and disease.

“It really reduces our instances of white mold,” says Josh, pointing to changes in light interception and canopy conditions.

Others noted improved trafficability and soil structure. But farmers were candid about risks. Poor termination timing can create problems, especially in dry springs.

“If it’s looking dry, I would terminate cover crops as soon as you can,” Josh says. “Waiting too long can cost moisture when the crop needs it most.”

The takeaway wasn’t that cover crops are simple. It was that they require flexibility. As Dean put it, “You have to be able to pivot.”

Managing weeds, insects and disease differently

While cover crops helped with white mold, Josh acknowledged potential green bridge concerns and said fungicides are still necessary in high disease-pressure years.

“When southern rust came in your crop, you probably saw a response to applying a fungicide,” he says.

Dean says cereal rye comes with a built-in trade-off that is often misunderstood. In the spring, he sees rye’s natural suppressive effect as a benefit, not a liability.

“I really like the allelopathic effect in the spring,” Dean says, explaining that it helps hold back early season weeds.

Josh and Dean say that oftentimes what people confuse as an allelopathic effect in corn following rye is a lack of nitrogen. To help mitigate the effect of nitrogen efficiency and give their corn a boost, they band nitrogen and sulfur with the planter.

Dean told the group the allelopathic effect is mainly limited to small-seeded plants near the soil surface, not a large-seeded crop, such as corn planted at the proper depth. Because of that, he sees rye as a tool that can buy time until the cash crop takes over.

“Our intention was to use that effect to keep the weeds down until the corn canopy could provide shading,” he says.

In one system they tested, rye rows were left standing between corn rows to reduce early weed pressure before terminating the rye. The concept is still a work in progress.

“Theory is great. Practice is not perfected yet,” Dean says. “But understanding how rye works and what it actually affects helps farmers use it to their advantage rather than treating it as a risk.”

Economics drives nearly every decision

As the conversation continued, it kept circling back to cost.

“We spent yesterday for three hours with our economists doing what we call enterprise budget,” one farmer says. “We have to reduce inputs.”

Ideas ranged from reducing field passes to rethinking fertility strategies. One suggestion was strip-till systems which can allow producers to reduce fertility 25 to 30% on fields with adequate soil test levels, while cautioning against making that a long-term habit.

Seed decisions were also a part of the discussion. One farmer shared results from planting conventional corn.

“I am planning more acres of conventional corn with no traits, which was a $100 a bag cheaper,” he says. “The stuff without the traits was 4 or 5 bushels an acre better.”

While conventional seed may be a benefit to some, Dean cautioned that with cover crops in the mix, herbicide flexibility becomes critical.

“If you’re using cover crops you probably want to get it, at least the Roundup trait or Liberty trait of some sort for termination,” he says.

Learning by listening

Matt Reed farms near Dougherty and came to the shop talk looking for new ideas, even if he was not sure they would all fit his operation.

“I’m just looking for different ways to do things,” Reed says. “I haven’t really been around a lot of these conservation practices. I don’t know if all of it will ultimately be the solution for our operation, but you’ve got to learn about the alternatives.”

Reed says the informal shop-talk format gave him a chance to listen, ask questions and think through options without feeling like he was being sold on one approach.

“To make an informed decision, you have to research,” he says. “That’s a big deal.”

One of Reed’s biggest takeaways from the day was a better understanding of cover crops, especially how different species function below ground.

“A lot of what you hear about cover crops or no-till is the pushback,” Reed says. “Today I learned more about how different species interact with the soil and how cover crops work with the soil in general than what I knew before.”

Reed, who became an ISA member a year ago, says events like this highlight the value of the ISA’s work and its partnerships with farmers willing to host open conversations.

“The Iowa Soybean Association does a great job with research,” he says. “I haven’t gone to a lot of meetings in the past, but I’ve been really impressed.”

He said ISA’s research approach stands out because it looks beyond soybeans alone.

“They’re not just researching soybean-related things,” Reed says. “They’re researching corn, small grains and conservation. It’s very data-based, and that’s a great way of thinking.”

Written by Kriss Nelson.

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