At Sandborn Farms in Portland, Michigan, a drone recently swept low over cornfields, delivering fertilizer only where data showed it was needed most. This careful approach not only saves money and boosts yields but also helps protect air, water, and soil by avoiding unnecessary fertilizer use.

This practice, called precision conservation, expands on precision agriculture by placing ecological benefits—such as creating habitat for pollinators—at the center of farming decisions. Leading the effort is Professor Bruno Basso of Michigan State University, whose research helps farmers identify consistently unproductive patches of land. Instead of adding more fertilizer to these areas, he encourages farmers to scale back or repurpose them for conservation.

Basso’s work, based on years of satellite imagery across the Corn Belt, shows how removing chronically low-yield land can improve farm profits while reducing greenhouse gases and water pollution. Farmers like Jeff Sandborn, who partners with Basso, have already seen success—setting aside acres for wildlife, cutting fertilizer costs, and even improving crop performance elsewhere in the field.