Soil-water management and protecting the soil surface from erosion are key to improving sustainability in row-crop production, but conservation practices should not impede yields. The proposed project would strengthen an unprecedented collaboration between Grand Farm, NDSU, The North Dakota Soybean Council, and a start-up company, Susterre. Susterre has developed a planter modification system that uses high pressure water jets to cut through crop residue or compacted soil immediately ahead of the seed. This system allows for good seed-soil contact and consistent planting depth even in heavy residues. Our research proposal is to compare water-jet planter technology to a more traditional no-till planter in varying levels of corn residue. In order to provide consistent and high residue levels, we will augment the residue levels by transferring residue from the field adjacent to our trial. We hypothesize that the water-jet planting technology will improve emergence rates and produce a more consistent soybean stand, which has potential to impact end of season yield. There are no “must do” approaches when it comes to soil health and climate-smart practices, but this technology may be one reliable method for reducing tillage and improving residue management in the RRV. This trial was supported by the NDSC in 2024, and our preliminary results confirm that heavy corn residue can impede soybean yields with a typical no till planter. More data is needed to confirm whether Susterre’s technology is the best option to reduce that risk of no-till soybean production.