Teaming Up to Revive Soil Health

University of Minnesota Twin Cities scientists and partners are working with 40 organic vegetable producers to implement cover crops in their high tunnel systems and improve soil health for long-term productivity.

High tunnels are covered structures used by farmers to extend farming seasons. Cover crops are plants that are grown in the off-season to enhance soil quality, and in this experiment, they are being chosen for their nitrogen-fixing qualities.

“Because there are more crops being planted for longer periods of time [in high tunnels], the soils can degrade more rapidly,” says Julie Grossman, associate dean of undergraduate programs, horticulture professor, and soil scientist at the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. “We're trying to find ways to alleviate those negative pressures, and even enhance soil quality … by using cover crops.”