Back in June, PCM released its 2026 Business Case for Conservation — 11 years of Illinois data on how tillage, nitrogen management, and cover crops affect farm profitability. That report told a clear story about the state’s highest-productivity soils. But not every Illinois field fits that description.

PCM is rounding out that picture with a companion analysis focused on Low-SPR fields (soils with an area-weighted Soil Productivity Rating below 135, as defined by University of Illinois Extension Bulletin 810). If your operation includes ground that didn’t quite fit the high-SPR story, this data was built for those fields.

What’s inside:

• No-Till is becoming the most popular choice for less productive ground for both corn and soybeans.
• The most profitable low-SPR corn fields consistently applied nitrogen more conservatively and with fewer trips through the field.
• Cover crop strategies that don’t impact yield—and how to make them pencil out.
• Which practices show up most often among PCM’s most profitable low-SPR corn and soybean fields?

Farmers know their fields best, and no two fields perform the same way. This breakdown gives you a way to think about strategy field by field instead of applying one approach across your whole operation. Whether your ground leans high-SPR, low-SPR, or a mix of both, PCM’s data can help you dial into the best practices for each field.

Want to see what this data means for your own fields? Consider enrolling in PCM! Participation is free, and there is no requirement to change your farming practices. Imagine what an annual field-by-field profitability analysis could do for your farm!