Overcoming climate smart adoption barriers by demonstrating the value in combining no-tillage, cover crops, and enhanced N management into a single system.

No-tillage and cover crop adoption are often very low when full season crops are grown in subhumid frigid soil because planting delays can reduce yields. Integrating no-tillage, with cover crops and enhanced nutrient management can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the return on investment. Combining these three components shorten the time to spring planting by warming and drying the surface soil. However, because these changes also affect soil microbial activity and N availability, the N management must also be modified. The failure to address the three-components simultaneous can contribute to yield reduction. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to demonstrate the importance combining the three legs of the stool, no-tillage, cover crops, and enhanced N management into a common system. This project will help producers overcome adoption barriers and it will build on an existing farmer network.