PCM data: A case for conservation

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Eleven years of on-farm data puts some proof in the pudding in terms of what conservation practices can do for a farming operation.

Precision Conservation Management released results of its program that has tracked pass-by-pass field records across hundreds of thousands of Illinois acres since the 2015 growing season, including from the 2025 growing season.

A key takeaway from PCM’s 11 years is that yield and profitability are not the same. Data show the most profitable fields in the program are not the highest-yielding, but they are the most efficient.

“In the 2025 PCM dataset of more than 440,000 acres, 68% of the high-productivity corn acres received more than 200 pounds per acre, and yet the most profitable cornfields in our dataset applied under 200 pounds per acre. They outperformed fields with 200 or more pounds per acre by a whopping $65 per acre. That was made just by reducing nitrogen fertilizer rates,” said Laura Gentry, Illinois Corn Growers Association director of water quality research and University of Illinois adjunct faculty.

“This isn’t just a 2025 story, either. Across all 11 years of the PCM dataset, the most profitable nitrogen rate has always been below 200 pounds per acre every year.”

From 2015 to 2025 in Illinois, the 151- to 175-pound range had the highest returns five years, the 150 or less range had the highest returns three years and the 176 to 200 rate range had the highest in three years.

On the other end of the balance sheet, the 150 or under rate had the lowest returns in five of those 11 years, the 225 or above rate saw the lowest return in three years, the 151 to 175 rate had the lowest return in two of the 11 years, the 201 to 225 rate had the lowest return one year and the 176 to 200 range did not have the lowest return in any year.

“Now, if you’re trying to win a yield contest, those higher rates do produce more bushels. So, go for it, but if you’re trying to protect your margins and stay in business, cornfields with more conservation nitrogen fertilizer rates are netting more money. That’s because the extra nitrogen that you’re applying isn’t coming back in yield. It’s going into the ground, into the water and into your cost columns,” Gentry said in a U of I farmdoc video.

“Farmers can’t control the price of nitrogen fertilizer, but you can control how much you buy and apply, because in 2026 your nitrogen rate isn’t just an agronomic decision, it might be the most important financial decision that you make all year.

“PCM’s data was designed to help you optimize your in-field management decisions to be most profitable. If you do decide to reduce your nitrogen rate, PCM offers some incentive payments from our supply chain partners that make the economics of this even more attractive.”

Here’s what the data says across the three core practice areas:

Tillage

• Across 11 years of data, less tillage consistently means lower costs and stronger returns. One pass of light tillage was the most profitable class for corn and soybean fields. In this current low-price/high-cost climate, no-till has become more profitable than ever for corn production on highly productive soils.

• Heavier tillage systems — two or more tillage passes — carry higher power costs and usually do not produce enough extra bushels to pay for the higher fuel and equipment costs.

• In a survey this past winter, 52% of PCM farmers who don’t already use reduced tillage say they are likely to reduce or eliminate tillage passes.

• Farmers using no-till, strip-till, or one light pass are also eligible for conservation payments through PCM partners, making these practices even more attractive.

Nitrogen

• In every single year of PCM’s 11-year dataset, the most profitable nitrogen rate has been below 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre total.

• In low-profitability years especially, leaner nitrogen rates are one of the strongest tools available to protect margins.

• In a recent survey, 79% of PCM farmers who don’t already use Maximum Return to Nitrogen rates say they are likely to adopt them.

Cover Crops

• Cover crops do carry a modest yield drag on average, but when farmers take advantage of available incentive payments, profitability can often be maintained while soil health and water quality improve.

• Overwintering species like cereal rye are the most popular choice ahead of soybeans; winter terminal species like oats and radish performed slightly better ahead of corn.

• 63% of PCM farmers who don’t already use cover crops across their whole operation say they are likely to try or expand cover crop use.

PCM Enrollment

In 2025, 434 farmers were enrolled in PCM’s free program that included 6,460 fields for a total of 444,775 acres.

“Eleven years ago, PCM set out to prove that conservation and profitability can coexist, and our data has done exactly that,” Greg Goodwin, PCM director, said in the report.

“I’m proud of the robust, farmer-driven dataset we’ve built together, one that now clearly shows which practices protect our water and soil while keeping farms financially sustainable for years to come.

“This year, I’m especially excited that PCM has expanded our reach in Nebraska and western Illinois. That growth means more farmers have access to the tools and expertise PCM provides, and it means our dataset will continue to get stronger. The work our farmers and specialists do every day is building something that benefits agriculture well beyond our own field boundaries.”

About PCM

PCM’s data book, a publication detailing 11 years of real field data, can be downloaded free at precisionconservation.org.

PCM is fully funded through program partnerships, meaning there is no cost to enroll. Farmers who sign up also receive a $750 sign-up bonus, over two years, and an annual field-by-field profitability and environmental analysis each February.

Information for farmers to enroll in PCM is also available on the website.

PCM is a farmer-led program developed by IL Corn with more than 30 partners representing all parts of the agricultural supply chain. The program was created to identify, quantify and address risks to farmers associated with adopting conservation practices.