Field Trials

Healthy soil is one major key to your success.

Regenerative agriculture practices create an abundant home for soil microbes. These microbes work synergistically with your cover crops and your commercial crops to:

Restore Your Soil’s Life
Increase Soil Fertility & Nutrient Availability
Improve Crop Health & Nutrient Density of Crops
Improve Rain Infiltration & Drought Resiliency & Reduce Flooding
Reduce Need for Fertilizers & Chemicals: Cleaner Water
Sequester Carbon & Mitigate Climate Change
Improve Profits & Increase Resiliency
Eliminate Erosion & Grow Topsoil

Regenerative agriculture improves profits and leads to higher soil organic matter and a healthier ecosystem on your operation. Regenerative agriculture can also mitigate climate change by sequestering the carbon equivalent of up to ten tons of CO2 per acre per year in your soil while holding more infiltrated water and repairing local and global water cycles.

We believe that the use of multi-species cover crops combined with Johnson-Su compost extract, together with other regenerative ag practices, can dramatically restore your soil’s life in one growing season. Johnson-Su compost extract provides hundreds of species of fungi and bacteria to repopulate your soil’s life.

We encourage field trials to gain experience and confidence before applying such practices wholesale across hundreds of acres.

We recommend utilizing Haney Tests and PLFA Tests to determine baseline fertility and biology. We recommend SAP Analysis to monitor nutrient uptake during the growing season. Regen Ag Lab in Nebraska does excellent quality Haney Tests and PLFA Tests. Other labs may also. We suggest comparing results from multiple labs before you finalize on one to use.

Order Johnson-Su Compost Here

The suggested trial rotations are designed to mimic Dr. Johnson’s trials in Arizona and Jay Young’s farm practices in Kansas wherein a multi-species cover crop grown for several months preceded the corn planting. Both obtained excellent yields with greatly reduced NPK, yielding increased profitability.

Johnson-Su Inoculant 2019 Corn Trial Yield & Profit Results

Conducted by Dr. David Johnson, New Mexico State University, on irrigated Arizona land which was previously conventionally farmed

Johnson-Su inoculant applied at 2 pounds/acre in furrow as the corn was planted with 20 gallons of water. The trial was preceded with multi-species cover crops.

Conduct a Free Field Trial on Your Farm

Try implementing a 1st year jump start to regenerative agriculture on a few acres on your farm.

Midwest Soil Restore will donate the Johnson-Su fungal rich inoculant.

What Would You Like to Trial on Your Farm?

Some trial options that might fit your farm (or others of your choice):

Corn/Soybean/Hybrid Rye Rotation (or other small grain)

Three year rotation, 90-140 bushel/acre hybrid rye as 3rd grain crop, with multiple multi-species covers as appropriate. Harvest rye, crimp, then seed a summer multi-species legume heavy cover crop. Apply reduced NPK on corn. Allows reduction or elimination of herbicides & pesticides. All plantings inoculated. Also a grazing option for this rotation after rye harvest. Options instead of hybrid rye: Oats, winter wheat, triticale.

60” Corn on Corn & Multi-Species Cover Crops

1st year: 60” corn with multi-species seeded between rows. Inoculate corn and multi-species, keep your typical NPK program.

2nd year: 60” corn but offset 30” from first year so as to be planting corn into what the prior year was a wide band of multi-species covers. Inoculate corn and multi-species. Reduce NPK substantially.

3rd year: Repeat 1st year, but with reduced NPK.

Corn/Hybrid Rye Rotation with Multi-Species Cover Crops

Start with 90-140 bushel/acre hybrid rye as 2rd grain crop. Harvest rye, crimp, then seed a summer multi-species legume heavy cover crop. Apply reduced NPK on corn. Allows reduction or elimination of herbicides & pesticides. All plantings inoculated.

Pasture Enhancement

Drill inoculated multi-species perennials into your existing grass pasture and/or apply Johnson-Su with a pasture aerator equipped with liquid fertilizer attachment.

Alfalfa Hay Feed Value Enhancement

Apply Johnson-Su with a pasture aerator equipped with liquid fertilizer attachment and/or apply as foliar at 3-4” stage.

Corn Yield Enhancement

Apply Johnson-Su as foliar at 3-4 leaf stage and/or at silking.

For More Information:

Contact Us

Field trials with $1,000 per year reimbursement from us

Trials are available to start in 2024, 5 acres each.

These trials are designed to mimic Dr. Johnson’s trials in Arizona and Jay Young’s farm practices in Kansas wherein a multi-species cover crop grown for several months preceeded the corn planting. Both obtained excellent yields with greatly reduced NPK, yielding increased profitability.

Start with land that has been conventionally farmed; or no-tilled with or without a 1-3 species cover crop history, organic or non-organic.

2 Year 60” Corn on Corn Rotation Option: Multi-species between rows
3 Year Rotation Option: Corn/Soybean/Small Grain
2 Year Rotation Option: Corn/Small Grain

Multi-Species Cover Crops seeded as appropriate (see rotation sheets below)

All plantings and seeding inoculated with Johnson-Su inoculant.

5 Acres, 5 sub trials in 1 acre plots (this may be modified per your views)

Corn fertilization 1 acre sub trials:

Your regular NPK fertilization program; no Johnson-Su inoculant

50# N, no P, no K; Johnson-Su inoculant
25# N, no P, no K; Johnson-Su inoculant
0# N, no P, no K; Johnson-Su inoculant
0# N, no P, no K; Johnson -Su inoculant & Johnson-Su foliar

You keep accurate written records.

Johnson-Su inoculant applied in furrow at 10 gallons/acre if you have liquid fertilizer equipment on your planter. Applied as wet seed coating a few hours prior to planting if you do not have liquid fertilizer equipment.

Johnson-Su inoculant is applied as wet seed coating a few hours prior to drilling of cover crops. You supply no till grain drill.

Midwest Soil Restore will compensate you $1000/year after annual harvest report.