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Poll Shows 82% of People Support Incentives to Farmers for Soil Health

Poll Shows 82% of People Support Incentives to Farmers for Soil Health

By Lara Bryant and Matthew Kaplan

According to a new study from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, two-thirds of Americans worry about the effects of climate change, and a similar percentage say climate change already is affecting our weather. But when asked what should be done about global warming, Americans are more sharply divided. That is, except on one point: 82% -- including majorities across the political spectrum -- endorse federal funding to help farmers improve practices to protect and restore the soil so it absorbs and stores more carbon. In fact, planting cover crops and similar measures were the most popular among the 20 global warming solutions that Yale researchers polled more than 1,000 Americans on earlier this year. 

Congress must listen. Coming on top of recent polling by National Wildlife Federation showing that 78% of farmers supportthe concept of a cover crop incentive, the Yale poll is the clearest evidence yet that large majorities of Americans want the farm bill to include an incentive for farmers to plant crops in the off season to prevent erosion and enrich soil quality. 

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Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.