VanAgen, B., S. Albarenque, T. Tadiello, N. Millar, R. F. Price, and B. Basso. 2026. Regenerative practices increase crop yield stability in the Upper US Midwest. Agronomy Journal 118:e70365.

Combining regenerative agriculture (RA) practices, such as cover cropping and no-till, is increasingly promoted as a strategy to enhance soil health and climate resilience. However, their long-term impacts on crop yield and yield stability remain uncertain. In this study, we assessed how RA practices influence sub-field spatial variability of crop yield. We use yield stability zone categories (high, medium, low, or unstable) across 10 commercial farm fields in Michigan over a long period of time, 6–9 years before RA were implemented and 9–10 years after RA were implemented. We found that RA practices did not statistically impact maize (Zea mays L.; +9%) or soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.; –3%) yields, but RA increased whole field yield stability (decrease of CV from 27% to 17%) and the proportion of high-yielding zones within the fields (+28%) due to the conversion of a substantial portion (21%) of prior unstable yielding areas of the field. Our results suggest that combining RA practices, such as no-till and cover crops, can improve crop productivity and yield stability through the conversion of unstable zones into more stable areas of crop production, benefiting long-term soil health and broader environmental goals in the Upper US Midwest.

DOI: 10.1002/agj2.70365

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• LTAR Research Context Info related to LTAR
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