Welcome to CTIC's
Farmers for Soil Health Program
At the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), we are proud partners in the Farmers for Soil Health Program, a collaborative effort initiated by the National Corn Growers Association, United Soybean Board, and the National Pork Board. Our mission is to drive positive change in agriculture, one field at a time.
About Farmers for Soil Health
Farmers for Soil Health ( ... more. |
Welcome to CTIC's Farmers for Soil Health Program
At the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), we are proud partners in the Farmers for Soil Health program, a collaborative effort initiated by the National Corn Growers Association, United Soybean Board, and the National Pork Board. Our mission is to drive positive change in agriculture, one field at a time.
About Farmers for Soil Health
Farmers for Soil Health ( ... more. |
Conservation Technology Information Center Announces Creation of Cover Crop Coaches Program and Hires Dan Coffman as Minnesota Soil Health Specialist
WEST LAFAYETTE, NOVEMBER 16, 2023- Thanks to a generous grant from General Mills, a global food company deeply committed to regenerative agriculture, the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) is excited to announce the creation of their farmer-led Cover Crop Coaches program.
This new program aims to further support farmers across Minnesot ... more. |
CTIC Hires Catie Geib as New Soil Health Specialist in Wisconsin and Announces Cover Crop Webinar Series
WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana, September 6, 2023 –Soil health specialist Catie Geib has joined the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), a 41-year-old conservation agriculture non-profit, to provide technical support to Wisconsin farmers under the Farmers for Soil Health (FSH) program.
The Farmers for Soil Health ... more. |
New PED Talks Video Series Digs into Soil Health
West Lafayette, Ind., Oct. 29, 2019 -- A series of 10-to-15-minute, science-centered “PED Talks” on soil health has been posted on YouTube. Soil peds are aggregated particles of sand, silt, clay and organic matter. Like their namesake, PED Talks combine soil-related topics including explanations of soil health, how we can improve it, and the progress that’s being ma ... more. |
New PED Talks Video Series Digs into Soil Health
West Lafayette, Ind., Oct. 29, 2019 -- A series of 10-to-15-minute, science-centered “PED Talks” on soil health has been posted on YouTube. Soil peds are aggregated particles of sand, silt, clay and organic matter. Like their namesake, PED Talks combine soil-related topics including explanations of soil health, how we can improve it, and the progress that’s being ma ... more. |
... Hall of Fame by inducting three charter members: founder and long-time board member Dick Foell, former CTIC natural resources specialist Dan Towery, and former CTIC executive director Karen Scanlon.
On September 13, we got back on the bus after three years (!) to visit the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Henry White Farm for talks on cover crops, prairie strips, pollinators and soil health. At lunch, Louis Aspey of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service filled in the group on the massive and exciting opportunities facing the agency and its partners in helping farmers adopt climate-smart agricultural practices.
A unique afternoon program of panel discussions at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center engaged guests in talks on up-to-the-minute innovations in soil ... more. |
FromSioux Falls, South Dakota, we'll travel to innovative farms that showcase the best practices in conservation agriculture.
May 6, 2025: Optional Workshops, Banquet
May 7, 2025: Conservation in Action Tour, Closing Reception
More information coming soon!
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... also visited several countries in Asia and Europe on her way back to the U.S.
Her most recent work includes farm broadcasting and podcasting, as well as writing for several state and national publications.
Along with her husband, active sheepdog, and many barn cats, Elise raises sheep, Christmas trees, goats, and llamas on her family’s farm.
Teagan Duffy
WI Soil Health Specialist
Teagan was raised in south-eastern Wisconsin where her love for the land began with a childhood filled with time spent outdoors hiking, camping, and kayaking. She went on to get a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
In August 2024, Teagan joined the CTIC as the Wisconsin Soil Health Specialist for the Farmers for S ... more. |
At CTIC it is our mission to champion, promote and provide information on sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable.
CTIC is proud to be a clearinghouse of information on conservation agriculture. CTIC continues to advance practical systems that improve soil health and water quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance resilience to intensifying climate change, and deliver other environmental benefits. We also vow to connect stakeholders committed to improving the sustainability of American agriculture, including reducing agriculture’s greenhouse gas footprint, and serve as an unbiased source of information for the trends in adoption of conservat ... more. |
Introduction
CTIC has partnered since 2010with Regrow and The Nature Conservancy on the development, testing and application of the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), an automated system to map tillage, residue cover, winter cover, and soil health practices using remote sensing data. The latest version of the OpTIS data are available below for Croplands. With this latest update (April 2024), the partners are now also releasing analogous data for Grasslands. All pages include charts and maps to further enhance identification of trends and opportunities to promote the adoption of conservation practices. As with previous releases, all data ar ... more. |
Join us for a free field day on Wednesday, August 21, right after Dakotafest!
Edinger Family Farm
25287 397thAve.
Mt. Vernon, SD 57363
4 - 8 p.m.
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CTIC Presents: Farmers for Soil Health webinars
Termination and Management of Cover Crops
in the North Central States
February 6, 2024
Description: Featured speakers:
Colin Geppert, a farmer in South Dakota
Dr. Erin Silva of University of Wisconsin
Myron Sylling, a farmer in Minnesota
Join the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) and Farmers for Soil Health on Tuesday, February 6 at 10:00 ... more. |
... Enhancement Program (CREP)
Demonstration Projects
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Grazing and Rangeland
Hypoxia
Know Your Watershed
Leadership
Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI)
No-Till
National Aquatic Resource Survey (NARS)
National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI)
Nutrient Management
Operational Tillage Assessment System (OpTIS)
Pasture
Ridge Till
Soil Health
Strip Till
Tours
Training
Water Quality
Watershed Groups Watershed Implementation and Innovation Network (WIIN)
Weed Management
Wetlands
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CTIC has partnered with Regrowand The Nature Conservancy on the development, testing and application of the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), an automated system to map tillage, residue cover, winter cover, and soil health practices using remote sensing data. While OpTIS calculations are performed at the farm-field scale using publicly available data, the privacy of individual producers is fully protected by reporting only spatially-aggregated results at regional and watershed scales.
OpTIS-based data are currently available for the years 2015 through 2021. TheVersion 4.0 dataset released in September 2023 ... more. |
... to publicize industry initiatives in safety and environmental stewardship.
Indigo Agriculture
www.indigoag.com
Alongside growers and buyers, we are building a system responsive to demands for high quality and sustainably produced food and fiber. Indigo develops microbial and digital technologies that improve grower profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health. These technologies underpin its pioneering business model, which spans agriculture’s full value chain.
Silver Member
Agri Drain Corporation
www.agridrain.com
Agri Drain Corporation is an American company focused on manufacturing and distributing high-quality, durable products for the land improvement and water management industry.
Agricultural Ret ... more. |
... Conservancy, the Conservation Technology Information Center, and Regrow Agriculture share the latest expansion of the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) data. Guest speakers include: Linda Prokopy, Ph.D., Purdue University; Margaret Jodlowski, Ph.D., Ohio State University; and Ian Crawford, Sustainability Manager, Simplot Agribusiness.
OpTIS and DNDC:
Mining Diamonds from
Soil Carbon Data
October 16, 2020
Description: View the hour-long webinar recording from Oct. 16, 2020. This is the second webinar in our OpTIS series. This webinar focuses on how a variety of users are employing the DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model with data from the OpTIS tool to estimate the influence of soil-health-building practices on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. Run th ... more. |
... are available for soil carbon changes and GHG emissions. The soil and GHG outcomes (methane, as well as indirect and direct nitrous oxide) are based on the use of the practice-adoption data as input to the DNDC model. Data are currently available for the years 2015-2021.
The Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) model was used to simulate carbon and nitrogen soil dynamics as a function of the soil health management practices monitored by OpTIS (crop diversity, conservation tillage, and cover crops). As with previous releases, all data are undergoing various forms of peer review and may be updated in the future. If you see a region that is "grayed-out," that means there were insufficient data available for the DNDC model to be run.
Explore the Cropland DNDC Modeling Results
... more. |
Explore The Data
Croplands
Remote sensing-derived, CONUS-wide cropland data for mapping tillage, residue cover, winter cover, and soil health practices. Data are currently available for the years 2015 through 2021.
The available data include the level of adoption of cover crops and conservation tillage practices, as well as soil and GHG outcomes based on the use of this practice-adoption data as input to the DNDC model. Access to these conservation practice data by crop rotation is available to registered users.
Learn More
Data ... more. |
DNDC: The Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) model was used to simulate carbon and nitrogen soil dynamics as a function of the soil health management practices monitored by OpTIS (crop diversity, conservation tillage, and cover crops).
DNDC performs process-based simulations of nitrogen and carbon dynamics in agroecosystems. Based on environmental drivers (inputs like soil characteristics, temperature and precipitation data, crop characteristics, and crop management) the model predicts crop growth and yield, soil organi ... more. |
... goals of the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force. Private-sector players throughout agri-food system supply chains can better understand market trends in the adoption of cover crops and specific tillage systems that impact environmental sustainability, such as GHG emissions and soil carbon sequestration. Conservation organizations can better understand where efforts are most needed to improve soil health and water quality outcomes.
ViewOpTIS Data
Regrowprovides OpTIS-based data services to clients seeking to understand the adoption of conservation practices at a range of scales, from sub-field to regional. Please contact Regrow for more information.
How does OpTIS Work?
OpTIS produces spatially comprehensive maps of tilla ... more. |
... provided a very different perspective," says Dr. Rob Myers of SARE, lead researcher on the 2022-2023 National Cover Crop Survey Report.
"What the survey showed is that cover crop incentive payments are an important factor in encouraging and helping farmers to transition into cover cropping, but once they see the soil health improvements and other cover crop benefits, most stick with cover crop planting long after the incentives end," Myers notes. "Insights like these make the National Cover Crop Survey such a valuable tool in understanding the impacts of cover crops, the motivations of users and non-users, and needs for additional information and incentives."
Users and Non-Users
... more. |
... level. CTIC members have access to customized data formats, and finer granularity can be arranged through Regrow via its Sustainability Insights platform.
“Since its introduction in 2019, OpTIS has provided agronomists, researchers, agribusiness professionals, conservation groups, policy makers and more with a cost-effective and efficient way to measure adoption trends of soil health practices and their impact on the environment over large geographies and many years,” says Shamitha Keerthi, science director for The Nature Conservancy's North America Regenerative Crop System Strategy. “We are constantly learning how these data can be used to drive conservation practice adoption, assess environmental outcomes, and track the impacts of policy.”
... more. |
... 2022, the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) celebrated 40 years of Conservation in Action. That's four decades of bringing a wide range of people to the table to advance conservation agriculture...from our early projects promoting no-till to our current programs that help farmers, conservationists, agribusiness professionals, academics and policymakers protect soil health, water quality and the atmosphere.
In 2023, CTIC will continue that legacy as the trusted source for data on conservation farming practices, the coordinator of demonstration projects, a builder of local capacity, and a partner in developing high-impact education on conservation systems.
We’re going to keep our boots on the ground and our hands in the soil as we con ... more. |
... with CTIC
In 2022, the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) celebrated 40 years of Conservation in Action. That's four decades of bringing a wide range of people to the table to advance conservation agriculture...from our early projects promoting no-till to our current programs that help farmers, conservationists, agribusiness professionals, academics and policymakers protect soil health, water quality and the atmosphere.In 2023, CTIC will continue that legacy as the trusted source for data on conservation farming practices, the coordinator of demonstration projects, a builder of local capacity, and a partner in developing high-impact education on conservation systems.We’re going to keep our boots on the ground and our hands in the soil as we continue to be at the forefront ... more. |
... a community of people who care about the future of food and the planet, Wolfe's Neck Center aims to help make agriculture a solution to climate change. To learn more about Wolfe’s Neck Center, click here.
Led by Wolfe’s Neck Center, Open Technology Ecosystem for Agricultural Management (OpenTEAM), is a farmer-driven, collaborative community committed to improving soil health and advancing agriculture’s ability to become a solution to climate change through the codevelopment of an interoperable suite of tools. By acting as a convener, technology steward, and facilitator, OpenTEAM is increasing the integrity, interoperability, and knowledge shared across the agricultural technology landscape for a more sustainable technology ecosystem. To learn more about OpenTEA ... more. |
... a community of people who care about the future of food and the planet, Wolfe's Neck Center aims to help make agriculture a solution to climate change. To learn more about Wolfe’s Neck Center, click here.
Led by Wolfe’s Neck Center, Open Technology Ecosystem for Agricultural Management (OpenTEAM), is a farmer-driven, collaborative community committed to improving soil health and advancing agriculture’s ability to become a solution to climate change through the codevelopment of an interoperable suite of tools. By acting as a convener, technology steward, and facilitator, OpenTEAM is increasing the integrity, interoperability, and knowledge shared across the agricultural technology landscape for a more sustainable technology ecosystem. To learn more about OpenTEA ... more. |
... CTIC Events:
August 11: Veggies, Pollinators and More!
Soil and Water Conservation Society Hoosier Chapter
Teter Organic Farm, Noblesville, IN
10:00 am-3:00 pm
Join us for an informative field day that will include a tour of Teter Organic Farm with farm manager Katy Rogers; hands-on learning with director Ellie Blaine of the Urban Soil Health Program; and insight into pollinator habitat opportunities by Mike Smith of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.
Register online by August 8 to secure one of the limited spaces in this free program.
Presented by the SWCS-Hoosier Chapter with support from USDA-NRCS, the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSI) and CTIC.
August 23: Drainage Wa ... more. |
... promoteconservation agriculture—is just as relevant and engaging as it was in 1982," says Schmidt. "Conservation farming remains a dynamic, exciting, hot-button topicwith a significant societal impact within the farm community and well beyond it. Like CTIC,conservationhas grown to encompass the latest science around carbon capture, soil health, remote sensing,andmore."
The Conservation Technology Information Center brings together farmers, crop advisers, policymakers, agribusiness leaders, conservation personnel, researchers and othersinterested in systems that help make farmers more economically and environmentally sustainable. Current projectsinclude:
•The Operational Tillage Informati ... more. |
... promoteconservation agriculture—is just as relevant and engaging as it was in 1982," says Schmidt. "Conservation farming remains a dynamic, exciting, hot-button topicwith a significant societal impact within the farm community and well beyond it. Like CTIC,conservationhas grown to encompass the latest science around carbon capture, soil health, remote sensing,andmore."
The Conservation Technology Information Center brings together farmers, crop advisers, policymakers, agribusiness leaders, conservation personnel, researchers and othersinterested in systems that help make farmers more economically and environmentally sustainable. Current projectsinclude:
•The Operational Tillage Informati ... more. |
... looking back at the evolution of the organization—and of conservation agriculture in America—and looking forward to the next 40 years of the organization's mission.
Over the years, CTIC has progressed from a strong focus on no-till and reduced tillage to a broader approach to economic and environmental sustainability that grew to include water and air quality, soil health, and climate-smart agriculture. Through it all, CTIC has been a clearinghouse for information and a hub for bringing a wide range of people together to share insights and ideas on making conservation farming systems more successful.
The 40th Anniversary celebration will kick off at the CTIC Conservation in Action Tour in September. For opportunities to sponsor 40th Anniversary celebr ... more. |
... Technology Information Center (CTIC), will pay farmers in the project area $5 to $10 per acre in 2022 to reduce P loads using practices such as no-till or cover crops.
"The PLUS-UP program will provide a financial incentive for conservation practices that help farmers reduce phosphorus loading in the Lake Erie watershed, keep their nutrients where their crops can use them, and build soil health," says Hans Kok, CTIC program director. "Bayer Crop Science has purchased phosphorus credits to provide these PLUS-UP incentives, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has supported the development of a market mechanism that could be sustainable well into the future."
Through educational materials, workshops, and one-on-one training, CTIC, the Bayer Carbon Progr ... more. |
... to release an expanded data set from our Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS). In addition to expanding the geography and adding another year of data, we are fine-tuning it to make OpTIS data a mainstay of evaluating changes in tillage and cover crop practices across a growing expanse of the Corn Belt.
We are constantly finding new ways to share information on cover crops, soil health, conservation practices from deep in the field to the edges of fields, as well as how conservation systems affect nitrogen and carbon cycles. Whether it's through webinars, online outlets or appropriately distanced live events, we will use all the tools at our disposal to keep people informed and engaged.
And we are always exploring the big questions around conservation farming p ... more. |
Working closely with US EPA, CTIC is taking the agency's three-day National Recreational Water Quality Workshop virtual this year. Click here for the agenda.
The workshop provides a nationwide forum for recreational water quality managers, stakeholders, researchers and public health officials at all levels to share information and ideas about implementing successful recreational water quality programs. The program will focus on fecal contamination and harmful algal blooms (HABs).
Pre-recorded presentations will be available for viewing beginning March 15, 2021 on the CTIC website, and viewers can submit questions through a comment box after each present ... more. |
Modeling Environmental Dynamics with DNDC and OpTIS Data, Oct 16, 11am EDT
The Nature Conservancy, CTIC and Dagan would like to invite you to the second webinar in our OpTIS series—this one on how a variety of users are employing the DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model and OpTIS to estimate the influence of soil health practices on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. The one-hour webinar will be held Friday, October 16, at 11:00 am EDT.
When the OpTIS data set—a ground-validated analysis of conservation adoption that spans 2006 to 2018 across most of the Corn Belt—is run through the DNDC model, it provides an outstanding depth of insight on the environmental effects of conservation farming practic ... more. |
... representing every state, was the first by SARE, CTIC and ASTA to include detailed exploration of planting green—a tactic employed by 52% of the respondents—as well as crop insurance use among cover croppers and the impact of cover crops on the profitability of horticultural operations.
Many U.S. farmers have turned to cover crops as part of their strategy to improve soil health while reducing input costs and maintaining yields, stated Mike Smith, who managed the national survey for CTIC. Survey participants averaged 465 acres in cover crops in 2019, an increase of 38% in four years. The USDA Census of Agriculture found a 50% increase in cover crop acreage over the five-year period between 2012 and 2017.
“Farmers are using cover crops for a varie ... more. |
2020 Conservation In Action Tour- In Person EventPostponed
Join us virtually!
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, CTIC's 2020 Conservation in Action Tour has been postponed to 2021. We will instead host a virtual event in collaboration with the American Society of Agronomy's Sustainable Agronomy Conference on August 20, 2020.
Session #5: Environmental Benefits o ... more. |
... 1,172 farmers representing every state, was the first by SARE, CTIC and ASTA to include detailed exploration of planting green—a tactic employed by 52% of the respondents—as well as crop insurance use among cover croppers and the impact of cover crops on the profitability of horticultural operations.
Many U.S. farmers have turned to cover crops as part of their strategy to improve soil health while reducing input costs and maintaining yields, stated Mike Smith, who managed the national survey for CTIC. Survey participants averaged 465 acres in cover crops in 2019, an increase of 38% in four years. The USDA Census of Agriculture found a 50% increase in cover crop acreage over the five-year period between 2012 and 2017.
“Farmers are using cover crops for a variety of reas ... more. |
... Basin, we hope to drive improvements through this market-based effort.”
Cover Crop Connections
The project will encourage farmers in the Maumee and Sandusky river basins to reduce P loads by 40 percent using subsurface application, cover crops, and buffer strips. Through educational materials, workshops, and one-on-one training, CTIC, The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) and the Soil Health Partnership (SHP) will provide technical support to farmers on sustainable nutrient management practices.
Using the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS)—which analyzes publicly available satellite imagery to track tillage and cover crop adoption at the watershed scale—the field-level Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT) and models and monitoring data from Heidelburg Un ... more. |
... as possible – a tall task, but one that CTIC is equipped and ready to tackle.
In addition, CTIC is also embracing Conservation In Action as our official brand. We all must remember that conservation happens on the ground, starting with farmers, ranchers, and the natural resources professionals that work every day to steward our resources for the benefit of society, soil health, fish and game, and more broadly ecosystem function. We’re excited about the partnerships that we are forming and the work that others are doing to promote Conservation In Action. We believe it is our role to tell the story of these efforts.
Enjoy the day,
Mike
OpTIS DATA NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE ENTIRE CORN BELT
Cover crop use fo ... more. |
Remote Sensing Technology Drives Conservation Solutions
New Data Show Soil Health Practices on IA, IL and IN Farmland Is Moving in the Right Direction
Today marks the first release of regional-scale data from the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), a new tool that has the potential to unlock conservation solutions for a variety of food and agricultural supply chain stakeholders. These data document the level of adoption of soil health practices for Illinois, Ind ... more. |
... to extensive soil disturbance – and the resulting erosion of top soil and unwanted delivery of soil sediment to surface waters.
That’s where glyphosate and other herbicides became part of the conservation solution – by reducing the need for mechanical tillage. Conservation tillage practices, especially continuous no-till, are a particularly effective way to enhance soil health and reduce surface water impacts. Conservation tillage also saves fuel, reduces soil erosion, retains soil tilth, prevents loss of soil organic matter, and avoids greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Herbicide-tolerant crops facilitate the adoption of conservation tillage by enabling broad-spectrum herbicide mixtures, rather than mechanical tillage, to be used for weed control (e.g. Green, 2012).
& ... more. |
... to ground-truth the OpTIS algorithms, ensuring that the system accurately recognizes the visual signature of various percentages of ground cover across a variety of landscapes, crops and soil types. OpTIS data are also being run through the University of New Hampshire's DeNitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) model, which will allow researchers to correlate land use monitoring data with soil health metrics, including nitrate loss, soil carbon, the emission of nitrous oxides and total greenhouse gas emissions.
Seed funding for OpTIS has been provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with major subsequent funding—including a $500,000 grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), with mat ... more. |
Corn and Soybean Digest:
All In On Cover Crops
Nitrogen Cycling and Cover Crops
Time Is Money
Landowners Support Cover Crops
Penton Agriculture Magazines:
Cover Crop Success
With Each Season Comes New Lessons
Stick With It
A Seed Corn, Covers Duet
Farmers Join Nat'l Study on Cover Crops
Other Sources:
No-Till, Cover Crops from a Farmer's Point of View
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... #3 – Arena Valley, Wilder, Idaho
Sustainability, nutrient management and conservation systems
Potato research trials – nitrogen efficiency, new varieties and bio-pesticides
Cropping systems – rotations, equipment and cover crops
Sustainability audits
Potato harvest demonstration
Stop #4 – McIntyre Farm, Caldwell, Idaho
Soil health systems
Bringing livestock back into the system, grazing management, cover crops and soil pit
Nutrient and water management – irrigation water use and rainfall simulator
See the Action:
Check out the 2016 tour photo gallery to explore what the tour had to offer.
News Releases:
Explore Beautiful Boise and the Treasure Valley
Explore ... more. |
Participants found out how agriculture protects water quality and improves soil health during
the Conservation In Action Tour 2010.
WHEN: August 2-3, 2010
WHERE: Williamsburg, Virginia
WHAT: Visited farms and farmers in east central Virginia who run profitable operations and provide communities with valuable ecosystem services.
Fill out an Evaluation Form from the Conservation In Action Tour 2010.
View photos from the Tour.
... more. |
... of the Hmong American Farmers Association farm near Hastings to Northfield farmer Dave Legvold’s saturated buffers and the impeccable dairy and manure handling system at Burfeind Dairy Farm near Goodhue, participants in the Conservation Technology Information Center’s (CTIC) eighth annual Conservation in Action Tour got a first-hand look at systems that protect water quality, build soil health and improve farm profitability.
What people enjoyed most about the tour:
The opportunity to see conservation practices in person and to hear directly from farmers what works and what doesn't.
Wide range of practices and respect for variety of approaches.
Seeing great practices put into action and hearing inspiring stories from farmer stewards.
The diverse strategies to cons ... more. |
... 21st century heir to CTIC's long-time Crop Residue Management (CRM) Survey, OpTIS will provide comprehensive maps of crop residue management practices and cover crops down to the HUC8 scale. Annual maps and data—with the capability of tracking practices longitudinally over time—will be invaluable to researchers analyzing carbon sequestration, soil erosion, water quality and soil health.
Policy makers can use OpTIS data to study the adoption of conservation practices or support emerging environmental markets in carbon or water quality credits, adds Dave Gustafson, CTIC interim executive director, who has been managing the OpTIS program.
CTIC has worked with Applied GeoSolutions and The Nature Conservancy to develop and ground-truth OpTIS.
Data co ... more. |
For more than 35 years, the Conservation Technology Information Center has brought together people, information, and insight to move agricultural sustainability ahead. We provide the safe space where farmers, regulators, researchers, agribusiness, conservation group staffers and other stakeholders can explore conservation systems that improve soil health, water and air quality, and the producer's bottom line.
In short, we Connect, Inform and Champion.
To do all that, we need your involvement. Please renew your membership in CTIC, or join us today. Encourage your colleagues to join, too.
Several members have upgraded their membership status, including:
Case IH (Corporate Silver)
Indiana Corn Marke ... more. |
The global population is estimated to exceed 9 billion people by 2050, placing unprecedented pressure on American farmers to grow even more of the crops that clothe, fuel and feed the world. One way to help alleviate this pressure is to significantly improvesoil healthon cropland.
By adopting practices like planting winter cover crops and reducing—or better yet eliminating—tillage practices, farmers can significantly improve productivity of their fields, reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and increase carbon storage. In fact, agricultural soils are among the planet's largest reservoirs (orsinks) of carbon. Impr ... more. |
CONNECT
CTIC brings people together. We build coalitions. We connect farmers, researchers, policymakers, agribusiness, and lead discussions that move conversations ahead.
INFORM
CTIC is a clearinghouse for convservation information, from Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) regional trend data to how to implement practices on your farm.
... more. |
... its place in a practical system. Impacts on productivity and water quality, including results of on-farm water quality monitoring - Steve Stevens, Farmer & Mike Daniels, Arkansas Discovery Farms (75-90 min)
Lunch (45 min)
Tailwater recover systems and surface reservoirs - Michele Reba, ARS (60-90 min)
Making changes to improve the land: Challenges and benefits of a systems approach. AR Soil Health Alliance - Mike Taylor (30-45 min)
4:30 PM—Conclude
Target Audience
In addition to the memberships of project partners, CTIC will design the workshops with the following groups in mind:
Agricultural retailers
Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs)
Land Improvement Contractors of America (LICA)
Members of Agricultural D ... more. |
... its place in a practical system. Impacts on productivity and water quality, including results of on-farm water quality monitoring - Steve Stevens, Farmer & Mike Daniels, Arkansas Discovery Farms (75-90 min)
Lunch (45 min)
Tailwater recover systems and surface reservoirs - Michele Reba, ARS (60-90 min)
Making changes to improve the land: Challenges and benefits of a systems approach. AR Soil Health Alliance - Mike Taylor (30-45 min
4:30 PM—Conclude
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... its place in a practical system. Impacts on productivity and water quality, including results of on-farm water quality monitoring - Steve Stevens, Farmer & Mike Daniels, Arkansas Discovery Farms (75-90 min)
Lunch (45 min)
Tailwater recover systems and surface reservoirs - Michele Reba, ARS (60-90 min)
Making changes to improve the land: Challenges and benefits of a systems approach. AR Soil Health Alliance - Mike Taylor (30-45 min)
4:30 PM—Conclude
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Attend the 6th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture (WCCA) to learn, discuss and network about Soil Health and Wallet Wealth. Agricultural production systems are not sustainable unless they are profitable, and Conservation Agriculture (CA) holds the key to building and maintaining healthy soils and profitable farming systems.
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What is agriculture doing to protect water quality and improve soil health? Find out on CTIC's Conservation in Action Tour 2010. Participants will visit farms and farmers in east central Virginia who have built successful, profitable farming operations through conservation and are providing their community with valuable ecosystem services. Recognizing, supporting and paying for agriculture’s ecosystem services – through government programs and new market ... more. |
... and how they are systematically transitioning their operation to a successful, profitable no-till system. John McGuire, Simplified Technology Services, discussed precision ag technology.
Then at Allen Dean's 1,900-acre corn, soybean and cover crop operation, visitors heard a presentation by Frank Gibbs, USDA resource soil scientist, who discussed the benefits of cover crops to soil health. View a video of Gibbs’ presentation. Dean presented how he uses cover crops to improve water infiltration, soil quality and erosion control.
Todd Hesterman hosted the final farm stop where tour attendees joined in discussions about soluble phosphorus, its impacts to water quality, sources and solutions. Dr. Libby Dayton, soil and environmental chemistry research s ... more. |
Participants found out how agriculture protects water quality and improves soil health during
the Conservation In Action Tour 2010.
WHEN: August 2-3, 2010
WHERE: Williamsburg, Virginia
WHAT: Visited farms and farmers in east central Virginia who run profitable operations and provide communities with valuable ecosystem services.
Fill out an Evaluation Form from the Conservation In Action Tour 2010.
View photos ... more. |
Using cover crops and continuous no-till together in a conservation system over time maximizes soil health and may lead to yield increases and other benefits.
Photo courtesy of CTIC
Using Cover Crops to Facilitate the Transition to Continuous No-Till
Why this project?
Using cover crops and continuous no-till together in a conservation system over time maximizes soil health and may lead to yield incre ... more. |
... to the 4R system being implemented at the field level.
Economic objectives can be realized at the retail and grower levels. By applying precision agriculture technologies and other BMPs that support the 4R system, farmers can apply fertilizer and other crop inputs only where they are needed. This level of precision allows farmers to become more cost-efficient and supports overall soil health, which, in turn, contributes to the social and environmental objectives of 4R nutrient stewardship.
Environmental health and safety is a priority
In the Chesapeake Bay region, researchers are measuring the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution at sites in the Bay watershed. Following determination of a total maximum daily load (TMDL) for the Bay, project will be ... more. |
Productive soil builds the foundation for any successful cropland. The higher soil quality, the better it performs. Whether producing organic matter, cycling nutrients, filtering water or other critical functions, soil quality is a key ingredient in the Core 4 Conservation recipe for enhancing soil and water resources, improving farm profitability and working toward a brighter future.
“Soil quality i ... more. |
... Mark Sobsey specializes in environmental health microbiology and water, sanitation and hygiene. His research, teaching and service encompass the detection, characterization, occurrence, environmental survival/transport/fate, treatment, human health effects characterization and risk assessment of viruses, bacteria and parasites of public health concern in water, wastewater, biosolids, soil, air and food for the prevention and control of water-, food- and excreta-borne disease. His research interests address pathogens, fecal indicators and antimicrobially resistant bacteria in the environment, their occurrence, transport and fate, their removal by wastewater, water treatment and water reclamation and reuse processes and their human health risks. He has served on many advisory boards ... more. |
... southern plains region.
Who We Serve
SPARC serves producers of agriculture products as well as consumers. This includes all communities, policy makers, tribes, landowners, and water users throughout rural and urban areas.
Priority Resource Concerns
SPARC has determined that the three priority resource concerns with the greatest potential for beneficial results are:
1. Soil Quality
2. Economics
3. Water Resources
Soil Quality Concerns
The general soil quality condition indicates a declining trend in soil organic matter content. This indicator is the reason the Southern Plains Agricultural Resources Coalition chose soil quality concern on cropland as the primary resource concern. This decline is largely due to the tillage practices and lack of crop rota ... more. |
... certification focus was on drainage water management Conservation Activity. Upon development of the TSP certification class, ADMC was to host at least one in-person training as well as an additional synchronous online module. The 3 final training workshops were held in 2022.
July 2022 - ADMC Drainage Water Management Certification - online sessions
Session 1: Drainage Design and Soils: Soil and water concepts & tools, fundamentals in drainage design, and design tools.
In session 1, participants were introduced to soil and water interactions and how soil properties impact water movement, availability, and crop health. Participants also learned how drainage systems are utilized to improve productivity and profitability. Finally, participants were introduced to how draina ... more. |
... Role in Mitigating Climate Change
Supported by science and spurred by emerging markets, more than 80 participants in an international workshop on carbon sequestration called on world policymakers to focus research and create fair-priced carbon offset markets that would pay farmers to adopt conservation agriculture practices that will capture carbon in the soil.
Carbon offset markets would allow farmers to sell the service of capturing and storing – sequestering – carbon from the atmosphere. In turn, that would help offset the levels of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity, essentially locking up enough carbon in the soil to cancel out airborne emissions of tons of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxide. Currently, carbon cre ... more. |
Risks to Recreation
Integrating Children’s Exposure in Risk Assessment
Helena Solo-Gabriele
No Bio Available
No Bio Delivered
Video Length - 9:10
Outbreaks Associated with Untreated Recreational Water — United States, 2009-2017
Michele Hlavsa
Speaker Bio
Michele Hlavsa is chief of the U.S. CDC's Healthy Swimming Program and the agency’s lead on the Model Aquatic Health Code. She collaborates with U.S. and non-U.S. public health authorities and the aquatics sector to develop evidence-based measures to prevent recreational water–associated illness and pool chemical injuries and has >90 scientific publications. She has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the College of New Jer ... more. |
... Research in New Zealand, and a Risk Policy Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California, at Berkeley, His work is widely cited in the peer reviewed literature.
Video Length - 11:30
MERA – an Integrated, Transdisciplinary Study of Water Quality and Human Health at a Tropical Beach
Valerie Harwood
Speaker Bio
Dr. Valerie J. Harwood is an environmental microbiologist. She is a professor and chair of the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida. She has over 25 years of research experience that focuses on microbial ecology and water quality. Her interests include development and application of microbial source trackin ... more. |
... efficient nutrient management depends on applying nutrients from the Right source, at the Right time, in the Right place, and at the Right rate. The concept emphasizes managing all aspects of nutrient application, rather than just one piece. CTIC, Agrium, Agri-Food Canada, and state fertilizer associations also endorse the concept.
Farmers increasingly rely on manure testing and soil testing to influence nutrient application decisions. Producers can manage drainage water to minimize nutrients lost through tile drains. Equipment manufacturers continue to fine tune variable rate technology. Seed companies are looking at ways to make seed absorb nutrients more efficiently. New crop simulation models estimate increases over current yield to inform crop and nutrient ma ... more. |
The residue left on the field and the soil structure improved with a no-till cropping system may also give producers an advantage in this cold, wet harvest season.
Photo courtesy of CTIC
Lessening the Pain
For farmers choosing no-till, this fall’s wet harvest
has been a bit less painful
By Christy Couch Lee
What a year it’s been. It be ... more. |
... program he helped develop while at the University of Illinois along with Drs. Shrestha and Dorevitch. Recently his roles have expanded to encompass marine trash mitigation and using remote sensing data via small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) and time series photography to understand beach erosion in collaboration with Illinois Coastal Management. Kendall obtained a masters of public health in epidemiology from Georgia Southern University in 2016 and a masters of science in environmental and occupational health from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2019.
Video Length - 11:30
Towards a Quantitative Human Fecal Source Identification Recreational Water Quality Management Tool
Orin Shanks
Speaker Bio
Dr. Orin C. Shanks is a Senior Scientist for ... more. |
Apply gypsum to your fields to balance soil structure, Improve nutrient uptake, and yield heartier, healthier crops
There are thousands of agricultural products that claim to increase yields—from the latest hybrids to implements and electronic gadgetry. As a grower, you do everything it takes to maximize output with the least amount of input costs. But as input prices continue to increase, and marg ... more. |
A fact sheet written by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research ecologist Clint Otto used data from the Bee Integrated program, led by the Honey Bee Health Coalition and implemented by CTIC, to help detail which flower species are preferred by bees in the Prairie Pothole region.
According to data from 244 sites in Minnesota and the Dakotas studied over five years, the top draws for both honey bees and native bee species include lacy phacelia, blue giant hyssop, stiff goldenrod, purple prairie clover, and wild bergamot.
&q ... more. |
... regulators an up-close look at field-scale drainage management plots side-by-side with free-flowing tile drainage.
Agricultural Drainage Management:
Benefits Could Range from the Bin to the Gulf
By Steve Werblow
Managing agricultural drainage water in the Midwest could represent the next great step forward in agriculture, with benefits that reach from conserving subsoil moisture on individual tile-drained fields to reducing nutrient loading all the way down in the Gulf of Mexico. Control structures with movable weirs, or "stop logs," allow growers to hold water in their soil or release it depending on the needs of their crop, their fieldwork schedule and the environment.
"The first step was to drain the land so it was far ... more. |
... is the use of conservation tillage expected to increase?
Conservation tillage soybean acres are expected to increase rapidly.
Wheat and cotton acres will also increase significantly the next five years.
Corn acres are expected to remain steady until technological and/or management research
helps farmers overcome challenges.
How does it help create better soil?
By leaving crop residue undisturbed for as long as possible, microbial and other biological
activity in the soil feeds on the stalks, leaves and other crop residues. This increases organic matter,
improves soil tilth and, ultimately increases soil productivity.
Why is soil quality important?
Better soil retains more moisture for dry periods, yet the improved str ... more. |
... is the use of conservation tillage expected to increase?
Conservation tillage soybean acres are expected to increase rapidly.
Wheat and cotton acres will also increase significantly the next five years.
Corn acres are expected to remain steady until technological and/or management research
helps farmers overcome challenges.
How does it help create better soil?
By leaving crop residue undisturbed for as long as possible, microbial and other biological activity
in the soil feeds on the stalks, leaves and other crop residues. This increases organic matter, improves
soil tilth and, ultimately increases soil productivity.
Why is soil quality important?
Better soil retains more moisture for dry periods, yet the improved struct ... more. |
... pound of nitrogen, you're making roughly the same as when anhydrous was 20 cents and corn was $2.
“A year ago, when we were told we'd see $3 diesel, everybody gasped,” Jasa adds. “Now we're buying it. And the high commodity prices are buffering it. So the disks are back out and the field cultivators are back out.
“I like to sell the soil structure benefits of no-till,” he says, going back to the fundamentals of the push for continuous no-till. “There are still going to be the long-term benefits of building that soil.”
Earlier Planting
The benefits of good soil structure in continuously no-tilled fields was glaringly apparent this spring, when waves of rainstorms and northern snowfalls ... more. |
Cover crops are among the most exciting and most complex conservation systems on today's agricultural landscape. CTIC and its partners have been at the forefront of exploring, demonstrating, and promoting cover crops to help make them as effective as possible.
Bee Integrated Demonstration Project
CTIC is supporting this Honey Bee Health Coalition led effort to bring together beekeepers and farmers to demonstrate how a suite of best practices can be implemented on agricultural landscapes to support honey bee health. This innovative strategy provides a blueprint for supporting pollinator health across North America.
Let's Do the Math On Cover Crops
With a Conservation Innovation Grant from USDA NRCS and support from othe ... more. |
CTIC has partnered with the Honey Bee Health Coalition on its Bee Integrated Demonstration Project. This project brings together beekeepers and producers to show how a suite of best practices can be implemented together in agricultural landscapes to support honey bee health. This innovative strategy provides a blueprint for supporting pollinator health across North America.
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CTIC Institutional Member, the National Pork Board, has a mission to provide the scientific support for identifying and addressing issues affecting the health, safety and quality of the pork industry’s animals, products or people. Broad areas of responsibility include pork quality, environment, food safety, swine health, animal welfare and producer health and safety. To learn more about the National Pork Board, visit www.pork.org
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... time savings can be as much as 225 hours per year. That’s almost four 60-hour weeks.
2. Saves fuel
Save an average 3.5 gallons an acre or 1,750 gallons on a 500-acre farm.
3. Reduces machinery wear
Fewer trips save an estimated $5 per acre on machinery wear and maintenance costs—a $2,500 savings on a 500-acre farm.
4. Improves soil tilth
A continuous no-till system increases soil particle aggregation (small soil clumps) making it easier for plants to establish roots. Improved soil tilth also can minimize compaction. Of course, compaction is also reduced by reducing trips across the field.
5. Increases organic matter
The latest research shows the more soil is tilled, the more carbon is released ... more. |
... Conference.
Oregon Ryegrass Growers Seed Commission
www.ryegrass.com
The Oregon Ryegrass Growers Seed Commision is a non-profit organization that was formed with the purpose of promoting Oregon-grown Ryegrass seed use and developing new domestic and international markets. It also contributes funds for continuing production and market research of Ryegrass.
Soil and Water Conservation Society
www.swcs.org
Soil and Water Conservation Society is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization that works to discover, develop, implement, and improve soil and water conservation practices, programs, and policies.
Lifetime Individual Member
Richard Foell
Gold Individual Members
Tim Healey
Silver Individual Members
... more. |
... to these information development and dissemination goals, we have also been pursuing means and opportunities for increasing the adoption of CT in California.
This workgroup directly addresses the following DANR program priorities:
1) Issue 1. Productivity and Efficiency of Agriculture. Actions 1, 2 and 3 by evaluating and developing comprehensive management systems for crop health and soil quality, and for potentially increasing the water use efficiency of a variety of cropping systems throughout the state by the use of reduced tillage practices.
2) Issue 3. Environmental Quality and Resource Conservation. Actions 1, 5 and 6 by evaluating and developing production systems that may improve input use efficiencies, conserve soil quality and reduce health and environmental risks f ... more. |
The use of cover crops is steadily increasing throughout the United States. Many no-till farmers consider cover crops to be the next step in conservation agriculture.
Leaving the soil undisturbed and keeping something growing as many days as possible restores the natural cycles of the soils. Residues and roots create more organic matter in the soils. Increased organic matter serves as a food source to various soil organisms and increases the biological activity. Higher biological activity increases nutrient cycling and availability and also reduces nutrient loss due to run off ... more. |
The use of cover crops is steadily increasing throughout the United States. Many no-till farmers consider cover crops to be the next step in conservation agriculture.
Leaving the soil undisturbed and keeping something growing as many days as possible restores the natural cycles of the soils. Residues and roots create more organic matter in the soils. Increased organic matter serves as a food source to various soil organisms and increases the biological activity. Higher biological activity increases nutrient cycling and availability and also reduces nutrient loss due to run off ... more. |
The use of cover crops is steadily increasing throughout the United States. Many no-till farmers consider cover crops to be the next step in conservation agriculture.
Leaving the soil undisturbed and keeping something growing as many days as possible restores the natural cycles of the soils. Residues and roots create more organic matter in the soils. Increased organic matter serves as a food source to various soil organisms and increases the biological activity. Higher biological activity increases nutrient cycling and availability and also reduces nutrient loss due to run off ... more. |
... which CTIC operated between 1989 and 2004.
The current OpTIS project will collect crop residue and cover crops data from the U.S. Corn Belt between 2005 and 2017, filling gaps in tillage records that have widened since CTIC’s last national survey in 2004. In addition to documenting farm management, OpTIS uses established models to estimate environmental outcomes including soil carbon sequestration, nutrient movement, greenhouse gas emissions, and water holding capacity. Data and information from OpTIS should be available from CTIC in the spring of 2019. You can contact Chad Watts atwatts@ctic.orgfor more information.
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... which CTIC operated between 1989 and 2004.
The current OpTIS project will collect crop residue and cover crops data from the U.S. Corn Belt between 2005 and 2017, filling gaps in tillage records that have widened since CTIC’s last national survey in 2004. In addition to documenting farm management, OpTIS uses established models to estimate environmental outcomes including soil carbon sequestration, nutrient movement, greenhouse gas emissions, and water holding capacity. Data and information from OpTIS should be available from CTIC in the spring of 2019. You can contact Chad Watts atwatts@ctic.orgfor more information.
|
... which CTIC operated between 1989 and 2004.
The current OpTIS project will collect crop residue and cover crops data from the U.S. Corn Belt between 2005 and 2017, filling gaps in tillage records that have widened since CTIC’s last national survey in 2004. In addition to documenting farm management, OpTIS uses established models to estimate environmental outcomes including soil carbon sequestration, nutrient movement, and greenhouse gas emissions Data and information from OpTIS should be available from CTIC in the spring of 2019. You can contact Chad Watts atwatts@ctic.orgfor more information.
|
... residue cover amounts needed are usually expressed in percentage but may also be in pounds. CRM is an “umbrella” term encompassing several tillage systems including no-till, ridge-till, mulch-till, and reduced-till.
Conservation Tillage Types (30 percent or more crop residue left, after planting).
Any tillage and planting system that covers 30 percent or more of the soil surface with crop residue, after planting, to reduce soil erosion by water. Where soil erosion by wind is the primary concern, any system that maintains at least 1,000 pounds per acre of flat, small grain residue equivalent on the surface throughout the critical wind erosion period.
No-till/strip-till
The soil is left undisturbed from harvest to planting except for strips up to 1/3 of the ... more. |
Schroeder planted corn into soybean residue without disturbing the soil. No-till helps reduce erosion, saves time and money, and improves water and soil quality.
Photo courtesy of Jason Johnson
More Acres Can Also Mean More Conservation
By Jason Johnson
As the number of Iowa farmers decreases and the average farm size increases, that can mean more conservation on the ground – ... more. |
... in a single application. Manure, on the other hand, tends to be relatively high in P and K and low in N. As a result, applying enough manure to supply the nitrogen needs of certain crops can cause an over-application of P and K. Conversely, setting manure rates by P and K levels leaves the crop hungry for more N than the manure can provide.
“P and K saturation [in the soil] reduces the value of the manure from a farmer’s perspective because it’s then worth just the value of the nitrogen,” notes Rauch. “In that case, they may be better off moving that manure over to someone who can utilize all the nutrients.”
High nitrogen prices and stiff limitations on phosphorus loading in some areas add economic and legal parameters to ... more. |
Vegetation Types and Productivity
Data are available for vegetation type, herbaceous net primary productivity (NPP), herbaceous NPP trends, and herbaceous NPP deviation from what would be expected based on weather alone.
Remote-sensing derived, CONUS-wide grassland data for various vegetation type and health metrics. Data are currently available for the years 2015-2021. The vegetation health data are available at the watershed (HUC8) and Crop Reporting District (CRD) geographic scales.
Explore the Vegetation Types and Productivity
Vegetation Types
Annual average plant functional type (PFT) by HUC8 and CRD for years spanning 2015 to 2021.
PFTs include: Annual Forbs & Gr ... more. |
CONSERVATION IN ACTION TOUR BACK ON THE BUS!
In 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed our plans back for an in-person Conservation in Action Tour. But we rallied with virtual tours that blended pre-recorded and live content in conjunction with the American Society of Agronomy's Sustainable Agriculture Conference.
Check out our digital library for interviews, panel discussions and ... more. |
... in both marine and freshwater systems. She is also interested in the improvement and development of HAB monitoring programs and tools in aquatic systems in California. Dr. Smith earned a B.S. in Biology fromVanguardUniversity in 2009 and a Ph.D. in Biology 2018 from University of Southern California.
Video Length - 9:58
Building Partnerships to Enhance Public Health Protection at the Beach Through the Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force
Mara Dias
Speaker Bio
Mara Dias is the Water Quality Manager for the Surfrider Foundation, an international, grass-roots, environmental NGO. She received her B. S. in marine biology from Southampton College in New York and her M. S. in Environmental Policy from the College of Charleston in South Caro ... more. |
... the capacity of marginal and cover cropped ground to function as habitat for honey bees. Five pairs of farmers and beekeepers will be established. The farmers will provide additional bee forage either by planting pollinator habitat in marginal areas or by adjusting their cover crop management to allow additional blooming. Beekeepers will place hives on the partnering farm and monitor colony health and productivity. These partnerships will provide a useful model of communication between farmers and beekeepers and help us learn how farmers can support pollinator health without sacrificing profitability.
This project is funded by a Conservation Innovation Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service and by several partnering organizations. Par ... more. |
Whatcom County Dairy Farmers Tackle Water Quality Challenges
Using an innovative online tool to schedule late winter and early spring manure applications, Terry and Troy Lenssen of Lenssen Dairy in Lynden, Washington, can give soil microbes a chance to convert slurry nutrients into plant-available forms before spring growth starts in earnest, while also protecting local waterways from runoff of nutrients and bacteria. The Application Risk Management (ARM) tool developed by the Whatcom Conservation District uses a complex formula to analyze local weather forecasts, soil type, crop density, water table depth and other variabl ... more. |
Segments 10-17
More insights from Dr. Lenore Vasilas of USDA-NRCS and Gregg Serenbetz of US EPA.
Soil Matrix Color
Description
“Tips on using Munsell Soil Color Charts to accurately identify soil color. Where do you start? Do you move through chroma or hue? It's all here.
Video Length - 3:02
Redoxomorphic Features
Description
Differentiating among redoxomorphic features and their origins.
Video Length - 1:52
Additional Fiel ... more. |
Rye cover crop seeded into corn residue.
Photo courtesy of USDA
Cover Crops Work with Various Crop Production Systems
By Jason Johnson
According to a panel of Iowa farmers, agronomists and soil conservationists, cover crops such as rye, wheat and clover are environmentally beneficial and with proper management won’t inhibit yields on various crop production systems, including no-till and organic farming.
At a recent Cover Crops Workshop in Jefferson, Iowa, dozens gathered to discuss and learn more about the many benefits and varieties of cover crops, and ways to successfully ... more. |
... assigns value to agricultural conservation practices as well as land management.
Photo courtesy of USDA-NRCS.
Ecocommerce: The Next-Generation Ecoservice Market
Today’s ecoservice markets
By Tim Gieseke
Seventy-five years ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) placed value on soil resources with the creation of the Soil Conservation Service, now known as the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), creating incentive programs to encourage producers to conserve soil.
Several decades later, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency implemented a regulatory approach to resource conservation.
Both efforts succeeded to a point. However, their shortcoming ... more. |
Leaving last year's crop residue on the soil surface by limiting tillage. Includes no-till, mulch-till and ridge till.
How it works
Leaving last year's crop residue on the surface before and during planting operations provides cover for the soil at a critical time of the year. The residue is left on the surface by reducing tillage operations and turning the soil less. Pieces of crop residue shield soil particles from rain and wi ... more. |
... escaping fields, a clear financial loss, and detrimental to water quality.
Enjoy lunch with the morning tour or supper with the evening tour. Organizers will offer an optional trip to Kilgus Dairy, an award-winning conservation dairy, Spence Farm, which grows food for Chicago chefs, and Argonne National Laboratory’s experimental bioenergy site.
Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will host the tour with support from Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IL EPA), Agrium Advanced Technologies, Agrotain, The Fertilizer Institute, Monsanto, Mosaic, Illinois Corn Marketing Board, Agri Drain Corporation, Case IH, John Deere, ADM and the International Plant Nutrition Institute.
&nbs ... more. |
Increase soil organic matter
Increase infiltration of water into the soil
Decrease runoff to nearby waterways
Decrease soil erosion and transport to nearby waterways
Conserve soil moisture
Reduce soil compaction
Increase nutrient availability to the crop
Reduce nitrate leaching to groundwater
Supply nitrogen to following crop
Suppress weeds, potential reduc ... more. |
Drainage water management systems can help to increase soil organic matter, eliminate compaction problems and reduce nitrate loss to nearby waterways.
Smart Drainage System™ Photo courtesy of Agri Drain
Putting Producers in the Driver's Seat
By Lisa Newby
The public is becoming more aware of what agricultural producers have always known – the cornerstone ... more. |
... seek to limit nutrients in the environment through improved fertilizer efficiency.
Photo courtesy of Agrium
Smarter Fertilizer Use Yields Environmental Benefits
By Matthew W. Clover
All plants need nitrogen, an essential nutrient for growth. Through the years, growers have found ways to replace nitrogen removed from soil, improve nutrient uptake and increase yields through ever-improving fertilizer management. The new challenge? Meeting each of these goals, and more.
Moved by a growing spirit of environmental stewardship, or in some cases, new government requirements, producers seek to limit nutrients in the environment through improved fertilizer efficiency. New products, such as inhibitors and controlled-r ... more. |
... no-till systems are not the reason for this dissolved phosphorus, but several things have caused a “perfect storm” for this phosphorus runoff.
”Most phosphorus runoff is caused by the timing and methods of application of phosphorus,” Widman says. “Too much application in the summer and fall with no incorporation leaves extra phosphorus to be sitting on the soil surface that can be dissolved into the water supply and eventually make its way to Lake Erie.”
In an article in The Toledo Blade, one of the Great Lakes region's top algae researchers, The Ohio State University's David Culver, says he can't say farming is to blame for any of the algae problems he's seen, nor can he rule out any other potential sources of pollution, esp ... more. |
... KEY COMPONENTS
Ag experts agree that there are ten fundamental components of a Crop Nutrient Management Plan. Each component is critical to helping you analyze each field and improve nutrient efficiency for the crops you grow.
1. Field map. The map, including general reference points (such as streams, residences, wellheads, etc.), number of acres, and soil types is the base for the rest of the plan.
2. Soil test. How much of each nutrient (N-P-K and other critical elements such as pH and organic matter) is in the soil profile? The soil test is a key component needed for developing the nutrient rate recommendation.
3. Crop sequence. Did the crop that grew in the field last year (and in many cases two or more years ago) fix nitrogen for use ... more. |
... and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and CTIC, was a rousing success. Three days of science, economics, brainstorming and collaboration among representatives from around the world yielded some very significant conclusions:
There is good science to describe and quantify the role that farmers around the world can play using conservation agriculture to sequester carbon in the soil.
Soil carbon offsets have been shown to work in greenhouse gas emissions trading markets. What farmers need now are policies and markets that make soil carbon a widely tradeable, profitable commodity.
More research will yield even greater insight on how and where farmers can be most effective in sequestering carbon.
Consultation Outcomes
Two documents were produced at the ... more. |
... their work.
What's on the menu for Season II of Manure du jour?
The 2010 season of this Pennsylvania-grown webinar series has offered an array of choices – ranging from research on alternative and innovative manure application technologies, to waste-to-energy systems, GIS-based decision support tools for adaptive management, to the movement of estrogen through soils and water. Season II highlights include:
Dr. Rick Day
PA One Stop Conservation – An Adaptive Management GIS Tool Dr. Rick Day, Associate Professor of Soil Science and Environmental Information Systems, Penn State Department of Crop and Soil Sciences/ Penn State Land Analysis Laboratory demonstrates the decision support tools that he and colleagues are developing to aid ... more. |
... meeting (access here) , researchers and practitioners from around the world focused on science, economics, brainstorming and collaboration about carbon trading. The three-day event yielded some very significant conclusions:
• There is good science to describe and quantify the role that farmers around the world can play using conservation agriculture to sequester carbon in the soil.
• Soil carbon offsets have been shown to work in greenhouse gas emissions trading markets. What farmers need are policies and markets that make soil carbon a widely tradable, profitable commodity.
• More research will yield even greater insight on how and where farmers can be most effective in sequestering carbon.
CTIC has posted presentations from the Consultat ... more. |
A close-growing crop that temporarily protects the soil when crop residues are not adequate.
How it works
Crops including cereal rye, oats, clover, hairy vetch, and winter wheat are planted to temporarily protect the ground from wind and water erosion during times when cropland isn't adequately protected against soil erosion.
How it helps
Cover crops keep ground covered, add organic matter to the soil, trap nutrients, improve soil ... more. |
Top 10 Management Tips
10.
Soil Management: Providing sufficient amounts of crop residue on the soil surface improves organic matter of the soil. Soil testing and applying proper amounts of fertilizer and micronutrients provides for optimum growing environment.
9.
Cultural Practices: The pest’s environment is disrupted by rotating crops, and timely harvesting of crops. Planting cover crops can suppress weed pre ... more. |
... visit www.noaa.gov/climate.html.
Crop Rotation on Organic Farms: A Planning Manual
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Outreach announces a new planning resource for farmers seeking sound, science-based guidelines for managing crop rotations in organic farming.
Crop Rotation on Organic Farms: A Planning Manual helps farmers use rotations to build better soil; control pests, weeds and diseases; and develop profitable farms. Consulting with expert organic farmers, the authors share rotation strategies that can be applied under various field conditions and with a wide range of crops.
To learn more, or to download or purchase a copy of this manual, visit www.sare.org/publications/croprotation.htm.
Farmers can take steps to reduce manure pa ... more. |
Modeled DNDC Soil and GHG Outcomes for Grasslands
The Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) model was used to simulate carbon and nitrogen soil dynamics in grassland soils.
Explore the Grassland DNDC Modeling Results
DNDC Summary
Data are available for soil carbon changes and GHG emissions.
The soil and GHG outcomes (methane, as well as indirect and direct nitrous oxide) are based on ... more. |
Segments 1-9
Welcome to this collection of training videos on NWCA soil sampling techniques. These brief segments walk through the procedures for sample collection and handling—a great refresher before hoing back into the field, or just to learn more about NWCA sampling. For more detailed training videos on NWCA sampling, click here.
Identifying the Plot Location
Description
Learn how to pick an appropriate spot to sample.
... more. |
... in areas adapted to woodlands.
How it works
A variety of desired tree species, either seedlings or seeds, are planted mechanically or by hand in understocked woodlands or open fields. Tree species are matched with soil types and selected to prevent soil erosion, increase income, or boost productivity of existing woodland.
How it helps
Improving stands of woodlands can increase profits.
Ground cover created by trees and associated debris protects soil from rill and sheet erosion.
Ground cover also protects water quality by filtering excess nutrients and chemicals from surface runoff and increasing in ... more. |
... easy to use and gives instant results that invite users to try out alternatives and ask 'what if' questions. The University of Aberdeen, commissioned by Unilever, designed the tool for farmers, supply chain managers and companies interested in quantifying their agricultural carbon footprint and finding practical ways of reducing it.
Study Demonstrates No-Till Improves Soil Stability
A joint Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-multi-university study across the central Great Plains, on the effects of more than 19 years of various tillage practices, shows that no-till makes soil much more stable than plowed soil. The study was led by Humberto Blanco-Canqui at Kansas State Universityat Hays, Kan., and Maysoon Mikha at the ARS Central Great Plains ... more. |
Soil Conservation Council of Canada
Conseil de Conservation des sols Canada
The Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCCC) is a non-government, producer directed organization that is the face and voice for soil conservation in Canada. Our national network is a collaboration that involves; provincial soil conservation associations, non-government organizations, industry and government.
Miss ... more. |
... to provide EPA, States, Tribes and others partners with information to provide nationally consistent reports on the condition of the nation’s waters, to identify national and regional water quality priorities and to evaluate the effectiveness of the nation’s investment in water quality protection and restoration. These assessments report on core indicators of aquatic life and public health using standardized field and laboratory methods and a national quality control program.
The NARS reports provide unbiased estimates of the condition of the broader population of a water resource type based on a representative sample of individual waters selected using a randomized approach. The first cycle of the surveys will establish a baseline and subsequent surveys will allow the Agency to ... more. |
VirtualNational Recreational Water Quality Workshop
April 6-8, 2021
About the Workshop:
This virtual format, 3-day workshop will be a forum for recreational water quality managers, stakeholders, researchers and public health officials at all levels to share information and ideas about implementing a successful recreational water program. The focus of this workshop is on two common challenges in ambient recreational waters: fecal contamination and harmful algal blooms.
We are excited to offer a flexible format for this event. Pre-recorded presentations will be available for viewing beginning March 15, 202 ... more. |
... consider what he does at Heal the Bay “work,” when he’s not in the home office he is hiking in the National Parks or hanging out on the beach.
Video Length - 10:41
Lake Erie Beach Monitoring and Public Notification Database: Beachguard
Jenifer Hassinger
Speaker Bio
Jenifer Hassinger is a Sanitarian Program Specialist at the Ohio Department of Health. She has been working with the recreation program team in several programs, including bathing beach monitoring and advisory notification for the past four years.
Video Length - 8:36
Improving the Communication Strategy for the S.C. Beach Monitoring Program
Lindsey Lachenmyer
No Bio Available
No Bio Delivered
Video Length - 12:41
Monitorin ... more. |
... we learned through this project has already been put to use," Smith says. "Purdue's Ag Economics Department developed an improved data collection framework intended to increase the accuracy of ongoing research into cover crop economics. The experience also enabled CTIC to serve as a consultant for the design and management of the Honey Bee Health Coalition's Bee Integrated Demonstration Project."
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... bottom line.
Working with partners to implement a remote sensing project that can help to estimate crop residue amounts and cover crop acreage using satellite photos and publically available data.This is the next generation of our traditional Crop Residue Management (CRM) survey.
Working with beekeepers and farmers to improve pollinator habitat options and overall pollinator health by using best practices on the farms and in the hives.
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... farmer’s bottom line.
Working with partners to implement a remote sensing project that can help to estimate crop residue amounts and cover crop acreage using satellite photos and publically available data. This is the next generation of our traditional Crop Residue Management (CRM) survey.
Working with beekeepers and farmers to improve pollinator habitat options and overall pollinator health by using best practices on the farms and in the hives.
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July 26, 2016
EPA Region 5
Chicago, Illinois
Click on the title links below for the slide presentations.
Welcome – Hugh Sullivan, EPA
AMBI / mAmbi – Peg Pelletier, EPA ORD National Health and Environmental Effects Research Lab
Weighted Tolerance Value – Ted Angradi, EPA ORD, Duluth
Modified OTI – Lyuba Burlakova, Great Lakes Center, Buffalo State College
Recorded Webinar - July 26, 2016
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The Confined Animal Manure Manager (CAMM) program team consists of agents and specialists with Clemson University, the Clemson Extension Service, the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The team was assembled in 1998 to comply with State Regulation R.61-43, which states:
100.190.A An operator of a new or existing swine facility, lagoon, manure storage pond, or manure utilization area shall complete a training program on the operation of swine manure management created by Clemson University.
... more. |
CTIC Institutional Gold Member, The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), is the leading voice in the fertilizer industry, representing the public policy, communication and statistical needs of producers, manufacturers, retailers and transporters of fertilizer. Issues of interest to TFI members include security, international trade, energy, transportation, the environment, worker health and safety, farm bill and conservation programs to promote the use of enhanced efficiency fertilizer. To learn more about The Fertilizer Institute, visit www.tfi.org
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The early discount deadline has been extended to July 14! Join CTIC for its annual Conservation In Action Tour 2011. This year’s Tour will focus on agriculture’s influence on the environmental and economic health of Maumee River and Bay, as well as Lake Erie.
WHEN: August 9, 2011
WHERE: Northwest Ohio
WHAT: The Tour will highlight producers implementing innovative conservation practices and solutions to water quality issues.
"Early Bird" registration for the Conservation In Action Tour 2011 is now open!
Click here to regist ... more. |
The Confined Animal Manure Manager (CAMM) program team consists of agents and specialists with Clemson University, the Clemson Extension Service, the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The team was assembled in 1998 to comply with State Regulation R.61-43, which states:
100.190.A An operator of a new or existing swine facility, lagoon, manure storage pond, or manure utilization area shall complete a training program on the operation of swine manure management created by Clemson University.
... more. |
Remote-sensing derived, CONUS-wide cropland data for the adoption of two important conservation practices (cover crops and reduced tillage), as well as soil and GHG outcomes based on the use of these practice-adoption data as input to the DNDC model.
Data are currently available for the years 2015-2021. All data are available at the watershed (HUC8) and Crop Reporting District (CRD) geographic scales.
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Penn State University, University of Maryland, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service have all been testing various soil parameters on the Cedar Meadow Farm.
Groff, Steve. 2008. Mixtures and cocktails: Soil is meant to be covered. J. Soil Water Conserv. 63(4):110A-111A.
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... and canola -- in rotation with his sorghum and wheat acres.
Caldwell, Jeff. 2009. The great crop rotation cover-up. Agriculture Online.
Using Cover_crops SAG 08 09
This is a literature review of cover crop benefits from Dabney et al. 2001 and Dabney 1996.
Oilseed_Radish
Oilseed radish is a unique cover crop that farmers are planting to improve their soil quality for economic crop production.
IndianaRMA
Interest and use of cover crops as a practice to reduce high nutrient and sediment levels along existing water sources has increased across the Midwest.
Cover Crops Helps Chart-After Corn-Corn Silage-DR
Cover crop decision making chart for the year after corn.
Cover Crops Helps Chart-After Cereal ... more. |
Better Soil Recipe
It has been said that the average person consumes over a bushel of dirt in their lifetime. Doesn't sound too appetizing, does it? Although it takes a long time to build real soil, you can make a fun visual representation of soil in a few minutes.
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Planting grass and legumes to reduce soil erosion and improve production.
How it works
Drill or broadcast adapted grass or legumes into a low-producing pasture or a steep, eroding cropland field.
How it helps
Heavy grass cover slows water flow, reducing soil eros ... more. |
CTIC Institutional Gold Member, Soil and Water Conservation Society, has a mission to foster the science and art of natural resource conservation. Their work targets conservation of soil, water, and related natural resources on working land - the land used to produce food, fiber, and other services that improve the quailty of life people experience in rural and urban communities. They work to discover, develop, implement ... more. |
... 671 pixels Size: 329k
Source: Farm Journal
The farmer on the lead tractor is mowing cotton stalks following harvest while another farmer follows him with a type of planter known as a drill. The drill is planting rye grass into the cotton stalks and other crop residues that have been left from past harvests. These crop residues slowly decompose, helping to protect and build the soil in the field while helping nourish the newly planted seeds.
1000 x 701 pixels Size: 474k
Source: CTIC/Mitchell
Pretty, green cotton plants emerge from a field that was previously planted to wheat. The stalks left from the wheat harvest provide the soil in the field with protection against erosion caused by high winds. The old wheat (crop) residues also keep more water o ... more. |
Weed & Pest Management (IPM) Facts
What is it?
It's a comprehensive approach to fine tuning on-farm management of harmful weeds and pests. Today we have improved methods for control of weeds, insects and diseases. Management strategies that allow for better control, with minimum risk to the environment. Resistant plants, cultural controls, soil amendments, beneficial insects, natural enemies, barriers, physical treatments, behavioral disruptants, biological and conventional pesticides are some of these management strategies.
Increases Profits
Inputs such as mechanical cultivation, pesticides, fertilizers and tillage trips cost money. By using best management practices to apply these inputs when they are actually needed, grow ... more. |
Improving the quality and quantity of woodland growing stock and maintaining ground cover and litter for soil and water conservation.
How it works
Existing woodland or other suitable land is dedicated to timber production. Livestock is excluded. Optimum tree populations are determined by the kinds of trees planted and their adaptability to your soils. Existing trees or newly planted trees are thinned, pruned and harvested to maintain desired production. Twigs, limbs and other debris are not remov ... more. |
Applying the correct amount, form, and timing of plant nutrients for optimum yield and minimum impact on water quality.
How it works
After taking a soil test, setting realistic yield goals, and taking credit for contributions from previous years' crops and manure applications, crop nutrient needs are determined. Nutrients are then applied at the proper time by the proper application method. Nutrient sources include animal manure, biosolids, and commercial fertilizers. These steps reduce the potential for nutrients to go unused and wash or inf ... more. |
Planting grass or other vegetation to protect a badly eroding area from soil erosion.
How it works
Grass, legumes, trees or shrubs are established in small, isolated areas of excessive erosion. The vegetation provides surface cover to stop the raindrop splash and slow water flow.
How it helps
It reduces soil erosion.
A vegetated area improves water quality by reducing the amount of sediment, nutrients and chemicals running off farmland.
Protects areas ... more. |
No Tillage: The relationship between no tillage, crop residues, plants and soil nutrition
In his second book on no-till farming, Chilean farmer Carlos Crovetto has delved into the inner workings of the soil and meticulously explained the relationship between no-till, crop residues, soil nutrition and crop production.
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... site as an educational tool to help expand the knowledge compiled since the group's formation two years ago to farmers and others in agricultural-related fields.
The MCCC is comprised of a diverse group of academia, production agriculture, non-governmental organizations, commodity interests, private sector and representatives from federal and state agencies collaborating to address soil, water, air and agricultural quality concerns in the Great Lakes and Mississippi river basins (including Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Manitoba, Ontario, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North Dakota).
The group's belief is cover crops are a practical way to decrease soil erosion, increase nutrient recycling by crops and decrease soil and nutrient waste entering waterways.
... more. |
... within farm fields and from farm fields.
Buffers include: contour buffer strips, field borders, filter strips, grassed waterways, living snow fences, riparian buffers, shelterbelts/windbreaks, (grass, shrubs and trees), and wetlands.
The small amount of land taken out of production helps producers meet environmental and economic goals.
Key Messages
Conservation buffers protect soil, improve air and water quality, enhance fish and wildlife habitat, and beautify the landscape.
Conservation buffers shows a producer’s commitment to conservation and their willingness to protect the environment.
Benefits of Conservation Buffers
* Slow water runoff.
* Remove up to 50% or more of nutrients and pesticides in runoff.
* Remove up do 60% or more of pathogens in runoff. ... more. |
Keep nutrients in the Right Place, where crops can use them.
The farmer uses real-time kinematic precision guidance to apply N fertilizer in fall or early spring in a closely-controlled location relative to where the seed will be sown.
Strip-till conservation systems use minimal tillage. They combine soil drying and warming benefits of conventional tillage and soil-protecting advantages of no-till by disturbing only the portion of soil that will contain the seed row.
Here we are using fall applied N with an RTK strip-till system and comparing it to a conventional chisel plow system.
A special feature at this site is the demonstration of N use efficiency (NUE) rate comparison, done with field ... more. |
... Aaron Steffen manage a 900-acre grain farm in southern Livingston and northern McLean counties. They hosted a demonstration and two nutrient use efficiency (NUE) trials.
The Steffens plant corn continuously on two-thirds of the acres and rotate planting of corn and soybeans on the rest of the land. Their minimum tillage practices leave at least 30% of the previous crops’ residue on the soil surface. This residue decreases soil erosion and feeds nutrients back to the soil.
They apply nitrogen after the corn plants emerge, when nutrient needs are the greatest. This minimizes nitrogen lost to air and water.
To maximize efficiency, farmers must select the right nutrient source. A controlled-release nitrogen source such as Koch Agronomic Service’s Agrotain® may offer bene ... more. |
Keep nutrients in the Right Place, where crops can use them.
A soil test showed a relatively low phosphorus level, so we selected a demonstration of Mosaic’s Micro-Essentials (MESZ) applied as a side-dress (plant nutrients placed on or in the soil near the roots of a growing crop) treatment to provide an additional boost in available phosphorus.
MESZ allows uniform nutrient distribution and provides essential nutrients c ... more. |
Keep nutrients in the Right Place, where crops can use them.
A soil test showed a relatively low phosphorus level, so we selected a demonstration of Mosaic’s Micro-Essentials (MESZ) applied as a side-dress (plant nutrients placed on or in the soil near the roots of a growing crop) treatment to provide an additional boost in available phosphorus.
MESZ allows uniform nutrient distribution and provides essential nutrients crops need in one granule. It has t ... more. |
Cover crops can provide a multitude of environmental benefits, including reducing soil erosion, minimizing nitrogen leaching, and increasing soil carbon storage (Delgado et al. 2007; Singer et al. 2007; Hargrove 1991).
Anderson-Wilk, M. 2008. The gap between cover crop knowledge and practice. J. Soil Water Conserv. 63(4):96A.
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The objectives of this study were to determine if a rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop increases N retention after soil application of swine lagoon slurry.
<span style="font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;Calibri" ,"sans-serif";times="" new="" roman";times="" roman";"="">Cover crop effects on the fate of N following soil application of swine manure
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Cover crops help control erosion, prevent nutrient leaching, fix nitrogen, improve sail conditions, and protect seedlings, but also use water, thus affecting soil water relationships far the next crop.
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;Calibri" ,"sans-serif";times="" new="" roman";times="" roman";"="">Cover crop effects on soil water relationships.
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Cover cropping impacts soil properties in many positive ways. These include higher total carbon, which usually contributes to increased cation exchange capacity and water-holding capacity.
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;Calibri" ,"sans-serif";times="" new="" roman";times="" roman";"="">Biological and biochemical soil propertie ... more. |
Maintaining environmental quality implies sustainable agricultural production systems that preserve and prated soil resources.
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;Calibri" ,"sans-serif";times="" new="" roman";times="" roman";"="">Cover crop and soil quality interactions in agroecosystems.
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Early in the growing season, an adequate level of mineralized soil N is essential in order to obtain optimum corn (Zea mays L.) growth and productivity.
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;Calibri" ,"sans-serif";times="" new="" roman";times="" roman";"="">Enhancing soil nitrogen mineralization and corn yield with overseeded cover crops.
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Keep nutrients in the Right Place, where crops can use them.
The farmer uses real-time kinematic precision guidance to apply N fertilizer in fall or early spring in a closely-controlled location relative to where the
seed will be sown.
Strip-till conservation systems use minimal tillage. They combine soil drying and warming benefits of conventional tillage and soil-protecting advantages of no-till by disturbing only the portion of soil that will contain the seed row.
Here we are using fall applied N with an RTK strip-till system and comparing it to a conventional chisel plow system.
A special feature at this site is the demonstration of N use efficiency (NU ... more. |
... Aaron Steffen manage a 900-acre grain farm in southern Livingston and northern McLean counties. They hosted a demonstration and two nutrient use efficiency (NUE) trials.
The Steffens plant corn continuously on two-thirds of the acres and rotate planting of corn and soybeans on the rest of the land. Their minimum tillage practices leave at least 30% of the previous crops’ residue on the soil surface. This residue decreases soil erosion and feeds nutrients back to the soil.
They apply nitrogen after the corn plants emerge, when nutrient needs are the greatest. This minimizes nitrogen lost to air and water.
To maximize efficiency, farmers must select the right nutrient source. A controlled-release nitrogen source such as Koch Agronomic Service’s Agrotain® may o ... more. |
... professionals ranging from producers to industry experts. No-Till 2011 is a conference designed to bring the latest developments in no-till cropping systems to interested farmers and ranchers from Oklahoma and surrounding states.
For more details, view the conference brochure.
Below is an outline of topics to be covered at this year's No-Till Conference:
Soil Fertility
Cover Crops
No-Till Cotton Production
Intensifying the Rotation with Double-Crops
On-Farm Research Session
Weed Management
Corn and Soybean Production
No-Till Wheat Grazing Systems
Weed Science 101
Soils 101
Intensified Management with Grid Soil Sampling and/or Management Zones
Dedicated Absentee Landowners Session
... more. |
Find the following CTIC resources in the Free Download section of CTIC’s Online Store.
Better Soil, Better Yields is a guidebook to improving soil organic matter and infiltration with continuous no-till.
Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology explores environmental benefits of conservation tillage, facilitated significantly by biotechnology crops.
A Review of BMPs for Managing Crop Nutrients and Con ... more. |
Better Soil, Better Yields
This publication serves as a guidebook to improving soil organic matter
and infiltration using continuous no-till.
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... living proof that profitability and natural resources conservation go hand in hand;
the Archer Ruffin farm for discussions about agriculture’s responsibility for stewardship, carbon markets and profitable conservation;
lunch at the Shirley Plantation, the oldest family-owned business in North America;
the Carter farm where no-till cotton grows successfully in cool soil temperatures; and
a series of presentations at the Paul Davis farm. These will include how agriculture will play a significant role in removing water quality impairments in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and what Clean Water Act and Total Maximum Daily Load regulations could mean to agriculture and the region.
The day will end with a steak dinner on the banks of the Pamunkey R ... more. |
... Plant Nutrition Institute’s (IPNI) 4R approach to sustainable nutrient management, Deere’s technology focuses on all four aspects of nutrient application: Right Source, Right Rate, Right Place and Right Time,” Bradley says.
He says Deere’s 2510H Nutrient Applicator employs high-speed, low-disturbance injection technology to place anhydrous ammonia beneath the soil surface. It uses 30 percent less fuel and disturbs the soil less than traditional shank and knife application.
“The 2510H gives producers a way to apply nitrogen closer to the time of crop need and uptake,” Bradley says. “This is a big piece of the sustainability picture. And, for no-till producers, this is great. Many no-till producers haven’t been able to use the ... more. |
... Bernie, to discuss efficient use of nitrogen on corn and cotton.
Dr. Peter Scharf, University of Missouri, demonstrated “on-the-go” nitrogen management equipment.
Photo courtesy of Kathleen Logan-Smith
During the morning session, David Dunn shared results of a three-year comparison of nitrogen stabilizer products on rice. Dunn is a supervisor at the Delta Regional Soils Testing Lab at the University of Missouri Delta Center, Portageville, Mo.
For 12 years Dunn has conducted field research to support the MU soil test recommendation system. His research emphasizes in season crop nutrient management, primarily for rice. Dunn’s study will continue to be conducted at two locations representing the two major soil types used for rice production in Missouri ... more. |
... construction, operation, and maintenance.”
EPA defines the rule’s preamble that “propose to discharge” is a factor of design, construction, operation and maintenance.
An operator can petition for a no-discharge certification, which requires an evaluation of the CAFO’s storage facility using the Animal Waste Management (AWM) model and the Soil Plant Air Water (SPAW) Field and Pond Hydrology Tool, or equivalent analytic tools. The evaluation must incorporate 100 years of data to show that the facility is designed, built and managed to absolutely prevent discharge in storage, during storms and after land application.
Wiedeman points out that accidents and other occasional discharges are not uncommon in the livestock industry, ... more. |
... it works
Strips of grass, trees and/or shrubs slow water flow and cause contaminants like sediment, pesticides, and fertilizers to collect in vegetation. Collected nutrients are used by the vegetation, rather than entering water supplies. Filtered water then enters water bodies.
How it helps
Grass, trees and shrubs provide cover for small birds and animals.
Ground cover reduces soil erosion.
The vegetative strip moves rowcrop operations farther from a stream.
Vegetation prevents contaminants from entering water bodies, protecting water quality.
Planning ahead
Are adequate soil conservation measures installed above filter strips?
Are plants adapted to your soil types?
Have you selected the correct species of vegetation for the control you need? For example, ar ... more. |
... farm pond is formed by building a dam across an existing gully or low lying area. Earth for the dam is dug out above the dam with heavy machinery to form a bowl. Generally the ponded area fills with water within a year. An overflow pipe is installed through the dam to control the water level and allow water to spill through the dam without causing erosion.
How it helps
Prevents soil erosion and protects water quality by collecting and storing runoff water.
Provides water for livestock, fish and wildlife, and recreational opportunities.
Adds value and beauty to a farm or farmstead.
Provides a water supply for emergencies.
Planning ahead
Are adequate soil conservation measures installed near the proposed pond site to protect it from filling with sediment?
Is th ... more. |
...
How it works
Planting trees, shrubs, grass and other vegetation that provide cover and food will attract wildlife to an area. The type of habitat provided will determine the kind and numbers of wildlife attracted.
How it helps
Ground cover helps reduce soil erosion, adds organic matter to the soil, filters runoff and increases infiltration.
It can add value to your farmstead. Planned wildlife habitat provides food and cover for wildlife.
Planning ahead
Will your planned habitat attract the type of wildlife you want?
Is a particular piece of land better suited for upland habitat than for livestock or crops?
Do you plan to allow hunting? ... more. |
Questions and Answers
What is Core 4 Conservation?
It's a common-sense approach to improving farm profitability while addressing environmental concerns. It’s adaptable to virtually any farming situation and can be tailored to meet a farmer’s specific needs.
Better soil
Sustainable soils that increase long-term productivity result from increased organic matter, improved soil moisture, reduced compaction, sequestered carbon and reduced erosion from water and wind.
Cleaner water
In addition to food, fiber, energy and other renewable resources, agriculture can also protect and improve water quality.
Greater on-farm profits
Sharpening management ... more. |
News Source: Focus on Nutrient Management (PDF, 764 KB)
38 Nutrient Management Initiative Sites Established in 2009
Soil Fertility Research Program Approved by Legislature
Mining Soil Fertility Can Be Costly!
How do I Determine My Nitrogen Rate?
Nutrient Management and USDA-NRCS Conservation Programs
Fall Nitrogen Best Management Practices and Soil Temperature Network Pilot Proj
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... noteworthy event. The tour, sponsored by Specialty Fertilizer Products (SFP), showcases successful farmers who have mastered innovative conservation practices in their profitable operations.
Starkey Farms Partnership , Brownsburg, Indiana
• 8 years of continuous no-till
• Gradually incorporated 200 acres of annual ryegrass as cover crop
• Gypsum added as a soil amendment to improve soil structure and infiltration
• Tile Nitrogen outflow monitored by a local university because the farm is within a watershed that supplies drinking water to nearby Indianapolis
Lamb Farms , Lebanon, Indiana
• 84% of corn and soybeans are no-till or strip-till
• RTK systems used to apply and manage nutrients
• 98 percent of compost produce ... more. |
... But Meadowlane Farm of Frankfort, Ind., has built a national reputation for its manure management and conservation ethic. Now it’s taken its manure management on the road, custom-applying manure for neighbors through a homemade injector attached to a hose nearly two miles long.
Manure management starts with feed and water and ends after the nutrients are added to the soil, says Mike Beard, who owns Meadowlane Farm with his son Dave, son-in-law Chris, and two stepbrothers. Together they raise 15,000 pigs per cycle from weaning (at about 10 to 13 pounds) to finish (at 270 pounds). The family also farms about 1,300 acres of corn and soybeans, with forest, wetland and waterways preserved and buffered around the operation.
Less in, less out
Beard ... more. |
National Soil Tilth Laboratory
USDA Agricultural Research Service
Established 1989
Research laboratory within the USDA-ARS organization charged with conducting research on farming systems and their impact on air, soil, and water quality. Multidisciplinary research teams address problems using multiple scales of studies that range from basic laboratory analyses of soils to watershed and regional assess ... more. |
2022-2023Cover Crop Survey
Click here to open the report on insights from 795 farmers representing 49 states, including commodity crop, horticulture and livestock producers. The 2022-2023 survey introduced new questions on integrating livestock into cover crop systems, as well as growing cover crops for seed and participating in soil carbon programs.
Findings in the seventh National Cover Crop Survey from CTIC, USDA-NIFA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) yielded new perspectives on planting green and challenged commonly held notions linking land ownership to cover crop adoption. In fact, slightly more cover crop users than non-users ... more. |
Owls, sugarcane, lettuce, muck soils and more are all part of the "Unique Story of the Everglades Agricultural Area," a tale of farmers working with the ecosystem. Over 150 participants from 20 states heard this unique story. The audience represented numerous roles in the agriculture industry, such as growers, agricultural retailers, members of the media, agricultural and conservation organization representatives, federal ... more. |
... yield. 2011 weather patterns favored spring application... Read more.
Nitrogen Application Timing
Select the Right Time for nitrogen application. Apply the Right Rate of fertilizer to meet crop needs.
Costs of inputs make it important to provide enough N so the crop is never... Read more.
Phosphorus Sidedress with MicroEssentials®
A soil test of the field showed a relatively low phosphorus level, so we demonstrated The Mosaic Company's MicroEssentials applied as a side-dress (plant nutrients placed on or in the soil near the roots of a growing crop to provide an additional boost in available phosphorus)... Read more.
Slow Release Fertilizer
Herb and Aaron Steffen manage a 900-acre grain farm in south ... more. |
... surface waters
CTIC and the local organizers in the watershed also developed “recipes” that could be used by organizers in other watersheds around the nation. Tools including research on organizational elements influencing the adoption of BMPs and a booklet on leadership lessons from the project help share those recipes.
Organization and Funding
The Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Illinois led the project, recruiting a steering committee of local stakeholders and getting them deeply involved in every aspect of the project. CTIC brought organizational, educational and outreach expertise, using EPA 319 funding received from Illinois EPA. Illinois EPA and the US Geological Survey ( ... more. |
... crops and the results of five annual farmer surveys on cover crop use;
Tips on organizing watershed groups and multi-stakeholder conservation efforts, including tips, analysis of knowledge transfer, and ideas for creating effective demonstration plots;
Real-world perspective on conservation farming practices and systems that help farmers build profitability and protect the quality of their soil, water and the air we breathe.
CTIC's interim executive director, Dave Gustafson, points out that creating a new www.ctic.org site is central to the Center's mission.
"For more than 30 years, CTIC has gathered and shared the latest information on practices that can help farmers build their soils, reduce their costs, and farm in ways that are more economica ... more. |
... and other materials that will help this project’s target audience.
In addition to the US EPA’s assistance, the following partners ensure that these workshops provide value to and are well attended by their membership:
Agri Drain Corp.
Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC)
Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA)
The American Society of Agronomy and Soil Science Society of America
Target Audience
In addition to the memberships of project partners, CTIC will design the workshops with the following groups in mind:
Agricultural retailers
Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs)
Land Improvement Contractors of America (LICA)
Members of Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC)
National Alliance of Independent ... more. |
... current and emerging issues in conservation and sustainable agriculture and plans to extend this recognition internationally. CTIC benefits from and serves a strong network comprised of leaders in agriculture and conservation. Through this network, CTIC promotes and disseminates comprehensive data, research and materials related to conservation and sustainable agriculture that achieves better soil, cleaner water, greater profits and a brighter future.
Mission Statement
CTIC champions, promotes and provides information on technologies and sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable.
Values
Respect: CTIC treats every member and partner with respect, efficient service and a dedication to qu ... more. |
CTIC celebrates International Year of Soils at 2015 Commodity Classic. Visit CTIC at Commodity Classic booth 918, where Karen Scanlon, CTIC executive director, and Chad Watts, CTIC project director, will discuss:
Our multi-state project to document the agronomic and economic benefits of cover crops.
The 2015 Conservation in Action Tour in Minnesota, which will feature innovative partnership efforts for c ... more. |
During the first 3-4 years of a no-till system, the soil biology and chemistry undergoes several significant changes.
No-Till Management- Nitrogen Management
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Join CTIC and GYPSOIL for a major symposium on soil quality presented by research scientists, producers and crop consultants. The event will be held at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, on March 7, 2013.
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A soil test of the field showed a relatively low phosphorus level, so we demonstrated The Mosaic Company's MicroEssentials applied as a side-dress (plant nutrients placed on or in the soil near the roots of a growing crop to provide an additional boost in available phosphorus) in a corn after corn no-tilled field.
The Mosaic Company designed MicroEssentials ® to allow uniform ... more. |
... adequate forage throughout the grazing season.
Increases forage quality and production which helps increase feed efficiency and can improve profits.
Rotating also evenly distributes manure nutrient resources.
Planning ahead
Is there enough water of good quality available in all pastures to meet the needs of your livestock?
Is the mix of grass and legumes adequate for your herd and soil types?
Will your pasture meet the nutrient needs of your cattle?
Have you considered management alternatives for periods of low forage production?
Tech notes
Plan your rotation so the same paddocks will not be grazed the same time year after year.
Plan rest periods so each pasture (paddock) will have adequate time to recover during the growing season to promote plant growth.
All l ... more. |
No-Till Farming Systems
The highly anticipated World Association of Soil and Water Conservation - Special Publication No. 3 - No-Till Farming Systems book has been released in the United States. As co-publisher, CTIC is honored to be the designated U.S. distributor.
"No-till farming systems have been developed and applied around the world over several decades. The technology is dynamic: it develops and changes as we overcome obstacles in soil opening, seed p ... more. |
... Conservation Demonstration Center (Mississippi)
Georgia Conservation Tillage Alliance
Innovative Cropping Systems (Virginia)
Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Tillage Farmers Association
Mexican Conservation Tillage Association
No-Till on the Plains
Ohio No-Till Council
Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association
Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance
Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association
Soil Conservation Council of Canada
Southern Plains Agricultural Resources Coalition (Oklahoma)
Vantage
Activities
This year, CTIC has facilitated monthly teleconferences for CASA, maintained the CASA web page and discussion forum, and distributed information to the network partners.
For More Information
Visit the CASA web page at http://ctic.o ... more. |
Crop Rotation
Crop Rotation is changing the crops grown in a field, from year to year.
How it works
Crops are changed year by year in a planned sequence. Crop rotation is a common practice on sloping soils because of its potential for soil saving. Rotation also reduces fertilizer needs, because alfalfa and other legumes replace some of the nitrogen corn and other grain crops remove.
How it helps
Pesticide costs may be reduced by naturally breaking the cycles of weeds, insects and diseases.
Grass and legumes in a rotation protect water quality by preventing excess nutrients or chemic ... more. |
... producers, like so many across the nation, provide their communities with valuable ecosystem services. Presenters will discuss the appropriate role, system and support for Bay Region ecosystem services provided by agriculture – through government programs and new market-based approaches. Participants will learn more about the actions producers take to protect soil and water quality, plus possible generation and sale of these services, often measured with carbon or water quality “credits.”
Aerial view of Mainland Farm.
Photo courtesy of William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research.
“Our last two conservation tours received rave reviews,” said Tim Healey, CTIC chairman. “All who t ... more. |
... Klang, Kieser & Associates
Great Miami River Watershed Water Quality Credit Trading Program - Sarah Hippensteel, The Miami Conservancy District
Nutrient Management for the Ohio River - Peter Tennant, ORSANCO
Water Quality Credit Trading - Bill Franz, U.S. EPA
Sauk River Watershed Water Quality Credit Trading and Ecosystem Services Project - Carrie Raber, Stearns County Soil & Water Conservation District
Sauk River Ecosystem Services - Carrie Raber, Stearns County Soil & Water Conservation District
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Farming with row patterns nearly level around the hill—not up and down hill.
How it works
Crop row ridges built by tilling and/or planting on the contour create hundreds of small dams. These ridges or dams slow water flow and increase infiltration which reduces erosion.
How it helps
Contouring can reduce soil erosion by as much as 50% from up and down hill farming. *
By reducing sediment and runoff, and increasing water infiltration, contouring promotes better water quality.
Planning ahead
Will more than one key contour line be needed because of steep or irregular slopes?
Are terraces or stripcropping needed for steeper slopes?
Are field borders needed to replace end rows in the ... more. |
... the country implements more conservation practices on the ground. The beauty of conservation districts is that they exist in virtually every county and community in the nation, where they work on meaningful, landscape-scale projects that produce verifiable improvements in environmental quality. Conservation districts’ work results in clean air, clean water, healthy habitat and productive soil.
As you well know, it’s an exciting time for conservation in this country. Projects abound, and there is significant commitment from individual landowners, communities, lawmakers and funders to make improvements to our natural resources. We still have our challenges, but the time is right to make significant progress as stewards of the land.
While continuing to fill many of our ... more. |
... In Action Tour participants listens to a discussion at one of the Beck's Hybrids seed company's greenhouses.
Photo Courtesy of Purity Mason
Side-by-side demonstration models at Rulon Enterprises show how ground water appears in a conventional tilled field (left) versus a no-till field (right) with residue on the soil surface.
Photo Courtesy of Purity Mason
At Lamb Farms, drywall scrap from construction projects is ground into gypsum and spread on fields as a soil amendment.
Photo courtesy of Randall Reeder
Participants in the Conservation In Action Tour view a auto reset slurry injector at Beard's swi ... more. |
... the well, your chances of drinking water contamination from pesticides escalates. To protect your well, take an inventory of farming practices like pesticide mixing and container washing and disposal. Then assess the risk of contamination and make necessary changes.
How it helps
Modifications in farming operations may improve your efficiency and reduce operation or production costs.
Soil conservation practices may be necessary to divert runoff from the well area.
Planning ahead
Are necessary soil erosion practices in place?
Have you taken an inventory of the operations you complete at or near the farmstead well?
Have you properly closed and sealed all abandoned wells near the farmstead?
Your well should be uphill from any feedlots and pesticide and herbicide sprayin ... more. |
... guide it to an outlet. There are two basic types of terraces—storage terraces and gradient terraces. Storage terraces collect water and store it until it can infiltrate into the ground or be released through a stable outlet. Gradient terraces are designed as a channel to slow runoff water and carry it to a stable outlet like a grassed waterway.
How it helps
Both water quality and soil quality are improved.
Terraces with grass on front or backslopes can provide nesting habitat.
Planning ahead
Will other conservation practices be used in conjunction with terraces to prevent sedimentation?
Tech notes
Chisel the parts of the terrace that will be farmed to loosen compacted soil.
Fertilize and seed according to NRCS recommendations.
Grassed backslope terraces h ... more. |
Sampling and testing manure to determine nutrient content. This promotes proper nutrient application to fields.
How it works
Taking a representative sample from stored manure and sending it to an approved lab for analysis to determine nutrient content is the first step in a manure management system. This data is used to match application rates to plant nutrient needs and soil test data.
How it helps
Manure testing and proper application to the land can reduce crop input costs.
Preventing over-application of manure to crop fields results in improved water quality.
Planning ahead
What form of manure do you plan to apply?
Have you calibrated your spreader to apply the volume of manure called for according to plant needs and nutrient value of manure?
... more. |
Shaping and establishing grass in a natural drainage way to prevent gullies from forming.
How it works
A natural drainage way is graded and shaped to form a smooth, bowl-shaped channel. This area is seeded to sod-forming grasses. Runoff water that flows down the drainage way flows across the grass rather than tearing away soil and forming a larger gully. An outlet is often installed at the base of the drainage way to stabilize the waterway and prevent a new gully from forming.
How it helps
Grass cover protects the drainage way from gully erosion.
Vegetation may act as a filter, absorbing some of the chemicals and nutrients in runoff water.
Vegetation provides cover for small birds and animals.
Planning ... more. |
... runoff water from a specific area.
How it works
A diversion is much like a terrace, but its purpose is to direct or divert runoff water from an area. A diversion is often built at the base of a slope to divert runoff away from bottom lands. A diversion may also be used to divert runoff flows away from a feedlot, or to collect and direct water to a pond.
How it helps
Reduces soil erosion on lowlands by catching runoff water and preventing it from reaching farmland below.
Vegetation in the diversion channel filters runoff water, improving water quality.
Vegetation provides cover for small birds and animals.
Allows better crop growth on bottom land soils.
Planning ahead
Are there proper soil conservation measures installed to prevent the diversion from filling ... more. |
The Wisconsin Soil Nutrient Application Program (SNAP-Plus) is a Windows-based software package for developing N and P based nutrient management plans that meet the Wisconsin 590 Nutrient Management Standard. In addition to creating a nutrient management plan, SNAP-Plus integrates the Wisconsin P Index and uses RUSLE2 to access soil loss based on the rotation entered.
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... a strip of meadow or small grain is alternated with a strip of row crop. Not more than half a field can be planted to row crops. Meadow slows runoff, increases infiltration, traps sediment and provides surface cover. Ridges formed by contoured rows slow water flow which reduces erosion. Rotating the strips from corn to legumes allows nutrient-needy crops to benefit from the nitrogen added to the soil by legumes. This practice combines the beneficial effects of contouring and crop rotation.
How it helps
Contour stripcropping reduces soil erosion and protects water quality.
Contour stripcropping may help reduce fertilizer costs.
Planning ahead
How many acres of row crops do you need?
Does your crop rotation allow for alternating row crops with small grains and
forages?
Wil ... more. |
No Tillage: The relationship between no tillage, crop residues, plants and soil nutrition
Expands the breadth and depth of knowledge of the no-till system offers new ideas to those who are ready to move into the next level of conservation tillage systems. To order online, click here.
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... the Diverse Corn Belt in a variety of ways, including:
Focus groups, in which producers with a wide range of approaches—from traditional corn/soybean rotations to highly diversified operations—gather to discuss the challenges and opportunities posed by diversification.
Hosting in-field research, allowing agronomists, entomologists, hydrologists and soil scientists to study farmers' existing management systems, ranging from conventional corn/soybean rotations to more complex cropping and/or grazing systems. Host producers will not be asked to change their management; researchers will share and help interpret data produced on participating farms.
Joining Reimagining Agricultural Diversification (RAD) Teams, engaged conversati ... more. |
... insurance programs favored by cover crop users.
The sixth survey from CTIC, USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), is the first to go into detail on "planting green," a practice employed by 52% of the respondents. Among farmers who planted green, 71% reported better weed control and 68% said soil moisture management improved. And despite the record-setting wet spring, yields after cover crops increased 5% in soybeans, 2% in corn and 2.6% in spring wheat.
View the August 19th, 2020 Press Conference launching this year's report.
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CTIC Data Licensing Agreement
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) provides Data to the public as part of its mission to champion, promote, and provide information about comprehensive conservation and sustainable agricultural systems that are beneficial for soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable for agriculture. By using Data from the CTIC web-site, the User agrees to the following Data Licensing Terms (modeled after “Attribution ShareAlike CC BY-SA”):
(1) The User will properly attribute all Data as having been obtained from CTIC (www.CTIC.org) and the designated Data Provider.
(2) Commercial and no ... more. |
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... 57% of the agricultural acreage in the watershed and measurable reductions in nutrients in the creek. The project yielded perspective on conservation practices from demonstration projects, success stories from local farmers, and insight into successful leadership of watershed groups.
Professional Development Events for Indiana SWCS
CTIC is collaborating with the Hoosier Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society to host a series of workshops and professional networking events for Indiana's conservation stakeholders, and to connect those stakeholders with extension agents. Events were held in 2019 and 2020.
Watershed Leadership Forums
A series of forums gathering leaders of watershed projects from around the country yielded a treasure trove of best practices for bo ... more. |
... agribusiness leaders, conservation group personnel, farm media, and others. The organization is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other public entities.
It is our mission to champion, promote and provide information on climate smart technologies and sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable.
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... of agricultural conservation practices (e.g. no-till and cover crops) that are now known to have major climate benefits, we have played a direct role in US row crop farmers sequestering or avoiding at least 50 million metric tons of CO2e annually, for a cumulative total of more than 2 gigatons over our first four decades of operation. CTIC will continue to advance practical systems that improve soil health and water quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance resilience to intensifying climate change, and deliver other environmental benefits. We will also continue to connect stakeholders committed to improving the sustainability of American agriculture, including reducing agriculture’s greenhouse gas footprint, and serve as an unbiased source of information for the trends in adoption of ... more. |
... also feeds plants, so every pound of DRP that leaves a field is depriving the crop of vital nutrients. By piloting PLUS-UP, we demonstrated that no-till and cover crops can significantly reduce the off-farm movement of DRP into surface waters. Judy Smith and Dr. Laura Johnson at Heidelberg University's National Water Quality Research Center demonstrated with their models that slope and soil type dramatically impact DRP loss from a field—a vital insight that can help us target DRP credits and BMP (best management practice) efforts where they can do the most good.
Through PLUS-UP, we also demonstrated that a phosphorus trading program with supply chain support—in the case of our pilot project, the generous purchase of our first DRP credits by the Bayer Carbon ... more. |
... the Diverse Corn Belt in a variety of ways, including:
Focus groups, in which producers with a wide range of approaches—from traditional corn/soybean rotations to highly diversified operations—gather to discuss the challenges and opportunities posed by diversification.
Hosting in-field research, allowing agronomists, entomologists, hydrologists and soil scientists to study farmers' existing management systems, ranging from conventional corn/soybean rotations to more complex cropping and/or grazing systems. Host producers will not be asked to change their management; researchers will share and help interpret data produced on participating farms.
Joining Reimagining Agricultural Diversification (RAD) Teams, engaged conversati ... more. |
... or NTT, to model the effects of conservation practices on dissolved reactive phosphorus on each field enrolled in PLUS-UP. Developed by the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research at Tarleton State University, NTT is a powerful tool for estimating the nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment losses from cropland and pasture.
NTT is available online and draws on a comprehensive soil database, making it extremely accurate on a field scale. The model includes a wide range of crops, rotations, nutrient and management options that allow users to calculate economic and environmental outcomes based on real-world data. The versatility and accuracy of NTT make it an ideal tool for quantifying the effects and calculating payments under the PLUS-UP program.
NTT is availab ... more. |
THIS IS THE PERFECT YEAR TO BE PART OF CTIC
2022 is the perfect time to join CTIC- join CTIC as a member as we celebrate our 40th anniversary and hostour annual tour.
https://ctic.org/Membership/Membership_Info
YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN CTIC SUPPORTS:
• Innovations in tracking the adoption of conservation on the ground...from field-level validation to online surveys to remote sens ... more. |
... and operate as an ecosystem.
"We want to see all the different types of grasses with different growth forms, with different growth curves, because that helps with our biology above ground," says Rob Cook, director of business development for Bamert Seed in Muleshoe, Texas. "But it also helps with the biology below ground: all these roots look different under the soil, also, and all this biodiversity is our best insurance against drought."
Since 1951, Bamert Seed has been a leader in breeding, growing and blending native seed for prairie restoration, grazing swards, pollinator habitat, reclamation projects and more.
Grotegut uses Bamert Seed blends to make his operation more productive and sustainable, tapping into the dynamics of the prai ... more. |
Location
Mt. Crawford, VA
Documents
Beery: Build Soil to Be Able to Build Farm for the Long Term, Delmarva Farmer, May 9, 2017
Videos
Images
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Click the below images to enla ... more. |
Cover crops offer a wide range of benefits to farmers, from erosion control to soil building to capturing nutrients and holding them in the root zone over the winter. As interest in cover crops continues to grow, it’s important to understand the trends, opportunities and challenges surrounding these important tools. Insight from farmers who use cover crops—or from those who haven’t yet made the move—is vital for fellow farmers, as well as for crop advisor ... more. |
... on water quality. During the growing season and winter months, we will monitor water flowing from tile outlets at a farm site in close proximity (7 miles) to Indian Creek watershed.
We placed a monitoring station at each of the three demonstration field's tile outlets. Data will be collected on: fertilizer N applied, crop yield, nutrient content of harvested crop and N supply in soil prior to fertilizer application.
Map of the sample collection sites at Wing, Ill.
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By adopting conservation practices like cover crops and reduced tillage or no-till, farmers can help reduce the effects of climate change, including soil erosion, declining land productivity and desertification, according to Climate Change and Land, a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released today. More than 100 experts from 52 countries contributed to the report.
Mike Komp, executive director of the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) in West Lafayette, Indiana, points out that the IPCC re ... more. |
CTIC promotes conservation practices by raising awareness of the benefits of conservation, providing detailed information on successful implementation of practices, and sharing perspective on the needs and real-world challenges facing farmers trying to protect soil, water and air quality as well as their economic sustainability.
Watershed Success Forums
Working with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) through the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI), CTIC is identifying successful watershed management activities that engage landowners, farmers, and the broader public to protect water quality. Five forums in five states are yield ... more. |
... fertilizer application map for the whole field (below). Marked areas indicate replicated plot locations and their assigned application rate.
The farmer applied anhydrous ammonia fertilizer in the fall, in a strip-tilled area. He harvested the plots with his yield-monitor-equipped combine.
We analyzed his yield data along with fertilizer rate and other data including field observations and soil and plant analysis and we used the Crop Nutrient Response Tool* to determine the maximum economic rate of nitrogen: 212 pounds per acre.
We encourage other farmers in the watershed to adopt this approach to collecting information critical to making fully informed nitrogen management decisions.
*International Plant Nutrition Institute designed the Crop Nutrient Response Tool to assist in ... more. |
... Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) is a unique public-private partnership that brings together farmers, researchers, policy makers, regulators, agribusiness leaders, conservation group organizers and others at the same table to share information on conservation farming systems. In short, we Connect, Inform and Champion to encourage the adoption of practices that protect soil, water and air quality as well as farmers’ economic sustainability.
There has never been a better time to join CTIC. We’ve got great programs in the field and a clearinghouse full of information on everything from selecting the right cover crops to organizing watershed-wide conservation projects.
In addition to the information below, a membership application is now available onl ... more. |
The National Crop Residue Management Survey is a valuable tool that can be used to measure adoption of important soil-saving practices, demonstrate energy cost savings and monitor efforts to improve the environment. The Survey has been compiled and tracked by CTIC since 1982 and is the only survey in the U.S. to measure and track the type of tillage used by crop at the county level. Tillage methods tracked include no-till, ridge-till, reduced-till and intensive/conventional tillage, according to NRCS definitions ... more. |
About 130 farmers, agency staffers, soil and water conservation district personnel, environmental and agribusiness leaders, and others gathered on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay for CTIC’s “Bringing Back the Bay” Conservation in Action Tour July 10 and 11.
The Chesapeake Bay has become the proving ground for a wide range of best management practices (BMPs) designed to protect the fragile system from exce ... more. |
... Growers Association
Indiana Corn Marketing Council
Indiana Soybean Alliance
Innovation Center for U.S.Dairy
Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
IPNI
James Lake
John Deere
Joseph Glassmeyer
Land Pro LLC
Larry Heatherly
Michael Adsit
Monsanto
National Association of Conservation Districts
National Corn Growers Association
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
No-Till Farmer
Scott Fritz
Soil & Water Conservation Society
Steve Bruere
The Fertilizer Institute
The Nature Conservancy
Timothy Healey
Truax Company, Inc.
To renew, please email Crystal Hatfield at hatfield@ctic.org or call 765-494-9555.
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... which CTIC operated between 1989 and 2004.
The current OpTIS project will collect crop residue and cover crops data from the U.S. Corn Belt between 2005 and 2017, filling gaps in tillage records that have widened since CTIC’s last national survey in 2004. In addition to documenting farm management, OpTIS uses established models to estimate environmental outcomes including soil carbon sequestration, nutrient movement, and greenhouse gas emissions Data and information from OpTIS should be available from CTIC in the spring of 2019. You can contact Chad Watts atwatts@ctic.orgfor more information.
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... which CTIC operated between 1989 and 2004.
The current OpTIS project will collect crop residue and cover crops data from the U.S. Corn Belt between 2005 and 2017, filling gaps in tillage records that have widened since CTIC's last national survey in 2004. In addition to documenting farm management, OpTIS uses established models to estimate environmental outcomes including soil carbon sequestration, nutrient management, and greenhouse gas emissions Data and information from OpTIS should be available from CTIC in the spring of 2019. You can contact Chad Watts at watts@ctic.org for more information.
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Have you checked your mailbox for CTIC’s annual membership renewal notice? Renewing your membership helps us continue to make a difference in conservation agriculture and helps us continue to grow our organization. CTIC members play a critical role in spreading the message about how conservation practices can help improve soil and water quality, boost profitability and more. We couldn’t do it without you!
As a CTIC member, you:
Network with leaders in conservation and agriculture
Collaborate on projects that encourage and steer conservation efforts
Access the latest research and information
Gain national recognition for your support of agricultural conservation.
Have recogniti ... more. |
CTIC champions, promotes and provides information on technologies and sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable.
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... farming since the 1996 introduction of herbicide-resistant crops
A drop in herbicide usage of 47.4 million pounds of active ingredient where herbicide-tolerant soybeans or cotton were planted in the U.S. in 2007
The replacement of 8.67 million pound of insecticide active ingredient in 2007 where U.S. growers planted insect-resistant cotton and corn varieties
Reductions in soil loss of 90 percent or more, and reduced movement of phosphorus by more than 70 percent where no-till is used
The capture of billions of pounds of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere in conservation-tilled soils across the U.S.
Through this endeavor, CTIC produced a comprehensive resource on the links etwen biotechnology and conservation agriculture and successfully d ... more. |
... partners, CTIC will design the workshops with the following groups in mind:
- Agricultural retailers
- Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs)
- Land Improvement Contractors of America (LICA)
- Members of Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC)
- National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants (NAICC)
- NRCS Technical Service Providers (TSPs)
- Soil and Water Conservation District staff and engineers
Through a collaborative agreement with the US EPA, CTIC will provide leadership and technical support to successfully plan, organize, coordinate, evaluate and share information from five workshops held between 2015 and 2020.
These workshops will provide attendees the foundation to target, design, and implement conse ... more. |
... the necessary conditions exist in the Wabash River watershed to support the development and implementation of a viable, sustainable water quality trading program involving agricultural nonpoint sources and permitted point sources.
View the final report.
Funded by
USEPA Targeted Watershed Grant
Project Partners
Agridrain
Duke Energy
Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Indiana Farm Bureau
Indiana Soybean Association
Activities
Pollutant Suitability Analysis. We are analyzing and assessing pollutant sources and contributions from subwatersheds in the Wabash River watershed project area (i.e., the Illinois and Indiana portions of the Wabash River watershed). Our
initial discussion ... more. |
... yields good conservation.
• The 6th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture brought people from 51 countries to Winnipeg to share their insight and BMPs.
• We hosted a hypoxia panel for leading farm journalists at the Agricultural Media Summit.
• Our Indian Creek Watershed Project yielded a highly successful tour and three great presentations at the 2014 International Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference.
• We kicked off our 2.5-year Economic, Agronomic and Environmental Benefits of Cover Crops CIG project.
• Our 7th annual Conservation in Action Tour brought more than 150 conservation-minded participants to Florida for a look at cutting edge stormwater treatment, nutrient management and wildlife enhancement projects.
We even got ... more. |
Jehangir Bhadha
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Cover crops with limited irrigation can increase yields, crop quality, and nutrient and water use efficiencies while protecting the environment.
Delgado, J.A., M. A. Dillon, R. T. Sparks, and S. Y.C. Essah. 2007. A decade of advances in cover crops. J. Soil Water Conserv. 62(5):110A-117A.
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Cropping systems that improve soil conservation are needed for mixed grain and forage enterprises in the upper Midwest.
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;Calibri" ,"sans-serif";times="" new="" roman";times="" roman";"="">Corn Production with Kura Clover as a Living Mulch.
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Most Indiana soils require periodic applications of limestone or other liming materials for optimum crop production.
Soil Acidity and Liming of Indiana Soils
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... CTIC’s 30th anniversary is a perfect opportunity to take stock of the conservation achievements of American agriculture over the last 30 years, trace the path that the industry has taken to get where we are, and chart a course for the future,” said CTIC board member Ron Olson of The Mosaic Company, the lead sponsor for the event. “Information about the stewardship of soil, water and air quality is absolutely critical to agriculture and to society as a whole. CTIC has a long and proud history of sharing the information that helps put conservation practices on the ground to everybody’s benefit.”
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... regulated facilities and local water quality all benefit.
CTIC’s market feasibility analysis will determine if the necessary conditions exist in the Wabash River watershed to support the development and implementation of a viable, sustainable water quality trading program.
Partners
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Agri Drain, Duke Energy, Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Soybean Alliance, and Purdue University Extension
Read the Final Report
For More Information
To request a free water quality trading handbook for agricultural producers, contact CTIC at ctic@ctic.org or
call 765-494-9555.
Contact Christa Martin-Jones, CTIC project director ... more. |
Provides local technical assistance, contact with area producers and guidance for project outreach and growth. |
The Soil and Water Conservation Society will hold their 67th annual conference in Fort Worth, Texas from July 22-25, 2012. This year's conference theme is "Choosing Conservation: Considering Ecology, Economics and Ethics" and will feature presentations, workshops, symposia, and technical tours to facilitate the sharing of resource conservation knowledge. In honor of our 30th anniversar ... more. |
CTIC took a party theme to the 67th International Annual Conference of the Soil and Water Conservation Society, titled "Choosing Conservation: Considering Ecology, Economics and Ethics," held July 22-25 in Fort Worth, Texas. Our exhibit stood out with balloons and festive gift bags to celebrate our 30 years of service to agriculture.
Karen Scanlon, CTIC executive director, and Chad Watts, CTIC project director, talk ... more. |
... consultant
Integrate cover crops into the transitioning farmer’s continuous no-till system
Form social support networks in Indiana and Ohio for farmers who are transitioning to continuous no-till
Develop an online and printed cover crop matrix for the Midwest which aids farmers in choosing the correct cover crop for their location and operation
Extensive soil quality testing to show the benefits of cover crops paired with no-till
For More Information
Contact Chad Watts, CTIC Project Director, at Tel: 574.242.0147 or Email: watts@ctic.org.
Get Involved
Assist with promotion of the project to generate participation among farmers and recognition of the benefits of cover crops and continuous no-till. Provide financi ... more. |
... field (below). Marked areas indicate replicated plot locations and their assigned application rate.
The farmer applied anhydrous ammonia fertilizer in the fall, in a strip-tilled area. He harvested the plots with his yield-monitor-equipped combine.
We analyzed his yield data along with fertilizer rate and other data including field observations and soil and plant analysis.
We used the Crop Nutrient Response Tool* to determine the maximum economic rate of nitrogen, 212 pounds per acre.
Take Home Lessons
Spring application afforded the highest yields
Spring application revealed most efficient nitrogen use
Fall application displayed lower economic return on nitrogen, d ... more. |
... water runoff.
Reduces downstream flooding.
Stabilizes stream banks.
Establishment of natural vegetation.
Adds visual aesthetics to the landscape.
Greater Profits
Often provides income from local, state and federal programs.
Provides tax incentives.
Reduces crop losses from flooding.
Protects soil in vulnerable areas.
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Spying on Residue
Remote Sensing of Crop Residue Cover and Soil Tillage Intensity
Remote Sensing the Spacial Distribution of Crop Residues
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CTIC Institutional Member, the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), is a prominent international scientific society headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. Because of their common interests, ASA, the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) share a close working relationship as well as the same headquarters office. Each of the three Societies is autonomous, has its own bylaws, and is governed by its own Board of Directors. Society members are dedicated to the conservation and wise use of natural resources to produce food, feed, and fiber crops while maintaining and improving the environm ... more. |
CTIC champions, promotes and provides information on technologies and sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable.
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... Barry Tonning and Jim Kreissl.
Questions & Answers
Links Mentioned in the Presentation:
EPA Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Manual
November 23rd: Focus on Decentralized Wastewater System Design: Part 1
Wastewater Characterization: Flow, Strength, Other Constituents Septic, Grease Interceptor, and Flow Equalization Tanks Site Evaluation: Soils, Slopes, Groundwater, and Sizing Issues Gravity and Pressurized Soil Dispersal Options for Effluent
View the November 23rd presentation, Vic D'Amato.
Questions & Answers
Links Mentioned in the Presentation:
10-State Standards
EPA Manuals
Decentralized Water Resources Collaborative/WERF Project Products
Lowe, et al. 2007
... more. |
... on nutrient savings from DWM, which could be important to nutrient trading programs, Schafer says.
”Although all data will not be available until April 30, we’re excited to see the results,” Schafer says. “In the data we’ve received to date, we’re seeing significant reductions in nitrogen transport. It varies, depending on the amount of rainfall and soil types, but we’re seeing anywhere from 30- to 60-percent reductions in outflow from drainage systems. And in some areas, we’re also seeing some substantial yield increases.”
Schafer believes everyone in agriculture has a role to play in the water quality trading process.
“Water quality trading presents a real opportunity for producers to do the right thing for ... more. |
By facilitating the switch to conservation tillage, biotech crops have helped dramatically reduce soil erosion and water pollution, increase carbon sequestration, and lower the use of crop protection chemicals by millions of pounds per year.
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... on nutrient savings from DWM, which could be important to nutrient trading programs, Schafer says.
”Although all data will not be available until April 30, we’re excited to see the results,” Schafer says. “In the data we’ve received to date, we’re seeing significant reductions in nitrogen transport. It varies, depending on the amount of rainfall and soil types, but we’re seeing anywhere from 30- to 60-percent reductions in outflow from drainage systems. And in some areas, we’re also seeing some substantial yield increases.”
Schafer believes everyone in agriculture has a role to play in the water quality trading process.
“Water quality trading presents a real opportunity for producers to do the right thing for the ... more. |
Tuesday, August 25th
9am to 5pm
East Main Street Christian Church
Elwood, Indiana
Presentations from the meeting are below:
Cover Crops, No-till, and Soil Quality, Dan Towery
Indiana Specific Niches, Dave Robison
You have heard about the benefits of cover crops, now learn how to make them work! Spend the day with an all star cast of speakers from Purdue University, NRCS, Michigan State University, CISCO seeds and Ag Conservation Solutions and learn how to use cover crops on your operation.
The Conservation Technology Information Cent ... more. |
... first-time attendees. Speakers included Bill K, Jerry L, Moe Russell of Russell
Consulting (Iowa). Invited APPRESID to send person; Jose Moreno came and discussed
protocols of no-till certification program. Looking at certification program and how it can be
used in “put teeth” into NTOP message. Also working to take over one of KSU research farms,
in heart of typical Kansas soil. Preparing for grower meeting in March; Dave Brandt coming back
to attend and speak.
NRCS –Bill: still want effort to get RUSLE 2 databases (which are updated for cover crops and
different management systems) disseminated throughout the region. Want to have training for
state agronomist to understand how to use systems like continuous cover and no-till. Bill
Puckett leaving HQ to ... more. |
Upcoming Events
July
Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference
July 18-21,2010, St. Louis, Mo.
Fellows Forum, Sunday, July 18th, 2010:“Gulf Hypoxia – A Midwest Perspective”
The 32nd Southern Conservation Agriculture Systems Conference: Conservation Agriculture Impacts--Local and Global
July 20-22, 2010,Jackson and Milan, T ... more. |
... cotton, soybean, and wheat growers now have access to a free, confidential online tool that will assess how some operational decisions affect natural resource conservation and sustainability.
The Fieldprint Calculator, available at www.fieldtomarket.org, provides an easy way to analyze and assess their current land use, energy use, water use, greenhouse gas emission, and soil loss. It also explores various scenarios that may help improve farm natural resource management and, ultimately, their operation efficiency and financial return. Click here for more information on the Fieldprint Calculator.
For more information on the Fieldprint Calculator, please visit the Field to Market website www.fieldtomarket.org or see Frequently Asked Questions.
Mi ... more. |
CTIC Welcomes New Members
By Rachel Doctor
CORPORATE
Terra Industries Inc.
CTIC is excited to introduce Terra Industries Inc., as a new Premier Corporate Member.
Headquartered in Sioux City, Iowa, Terra serves agriculture by providing farmers with nitrogen products that replenish the soil and are essential to plant growth. In fact, the company is the leading international producer of nitrogen products for agricultural, industrial and environmental markets. Terra owns and operates nitrogen manufacturing facilities in six North American locations and own 50 percent interest in joint ventures in the United Kingdom and The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Terra takes pri ... more. |
... to the environment, according to a recent article published in the journal Science.
The article was in response to an Ecological Society of America workshop this past spring discussing biofuels effects on the environment.
Commercial ethanol production from corn may cause environmental harm without proper management, according to Phil Robertson, Michigan State University professor of soil and crop sciences, and lead author of the article, titled “Sustainable Biofuels Redux.”
Robertson and the Ecological Society of America are encouraging development of policy programs to provide incentives for ethanol producers to follow proper management and use appropriate conservation practices.
To view ESA's position statement on biofuel sustainability, visit: www.e ... more. |
... also includes planting native wetland vegetation if plant populations need to be supplemented.
How it helps
Wetlands filter nutrients, chemicals and sediment before water infiltrates into ground water supplies.
Wetlands provide habitat for waterfowl and many other species of wildlife.
Wetlands add beauty and value to a farm.
Planning ahead
Will soil hold water?
Is there an adequate water supply?
Is there adequate upland wildlife habitat available?
What wildlife do you want to attract?
Will plugging drains or breaking tile lines to enhance the wetland have
adverse effects on other parts of your farm, or a neighboring farm?
Tech notes
Remove trees and brush from embankments and the vegetative spillway area.
Protective vege ... more. |
Marsh-type area with saturated soils and water-loving plants.
Wetlands provide wildlife habitat and serve as natural filters for agricultural runoff.
How it w ... more. |
... rocks, grass, trees or other cover to reduce erosion.
Better water quality results from reducing amounts of nutrients, chemicals, animal waste and sediment entering the stream.
Buffer zones provide cover and habitat for birds and small animals.
Planning ahead
Have you planned to install an offstream water system for livestock or limited livestock access to the stream?
Are proper soil conservation measures installed in the stream watershed to prevent siltation of buffer zones and streambed?
Will a stream crossing be needed for livestock?
Tech notes
Fence livestock out of the stream.
Smooth streambanks to provide an adequate seedbed for vegetation.
The vegetation area along streambanks should be between 15 and 25 feet wide. *
Remove fallen trees, stumps and debr ... more. |
... a field where excessive sheet and rill erosion is occurring. The grass or legume strips replace crop end rows, which would be planted up and down hill and be highly erosive. Field borders are sometimes referred to as picture frames of grass, and are used with contour farming, terrace, buffer strip and contour stripcropping systems. The grass or legume in the strip protects steep field edges from soil erosion, and provides turning and travel lanes around the field.
How it helps
Vegetative cover reduces sheet and rill erosion by slowing water flow.
Vegetation filters runoff to improve water quality.
Grass and legume strips may be harvested in some cases and are easier to turn on than end rows.
Vegetation provides cover and habitat for small birds and animals.
Planning ahead
... more. |
... you endangering wildlife by placing the food plot too close to high
traffic areas?
Tech notes
Planting dates range from March 1 to June 15 depending on the crop. *
Food plots should be planted on the least erosive areas of the selected
field.
Plots on slopes steeper than 5% should be planted on the contour.
A plot can be planted on the same area each year as long as soil loss
does not exceed acceptable limits.
Accepted crops include: corn, sorghum, oats, barley, wheat, sunflower,
buckwheat, millet, partridge pea and soybeans. *
Soybeans and sunflowers can not be used in Conservation Reserve
Program food plots. *
Reduced till or no-till planting in encouraged.
Maintenance
Exclude livestock
Don't control weeds with herbicides unless noxi ... more. |
... make sense. This level of pressure to justify a control measure is called the action threshold.
Know your fields
Scouting is following a routine designed to detect a weed or pest problem that is serious enough (action threshold) to trigger a control measure.
Know your options
There are numerous approaches to effectively controlling problems. Resistant plants, cultural controls, soil amendments, beneficial insects, natural enemies, barriers, physical treatments, behavioral disruptants, biological and conventional pesticides are some of these alternatives.
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... several examples to help illustrate the definitions of AFO and CAFO.
For instance, a 600-cow dairy with year-round confinement and a tile outlet that carries parlor wash water to a nearby stream is easily identified as a CAFO. An 850-head beef confinement operation that conveys feedlot runoff through a settling basin, then via pipe and channel to a field in which the water leaches into the soil, doesn’t meet discharge criteria because the manure does not reach a water of the U.S. More subtle, a 400-head beef AFO that transports runoff from the feedlot pad via a properly constructed grass waterway to a field with no surface water also doesn’t meet discharge criteria. The waterway is indeed manmade, but the runoff doesn’t reach a water of the U.S. However, if a seasonal ... more. |
... enough to power 150 homes.
Gas and heat are circulated back to feed the digester’s heating system and generators, as well as pumps and other equipment. “Everything we put in here had better run on methane,” says George DeVore, who heads up the operations team and research and development efforts for the digester. Separated solids are composted into a high-quality soil amendment, and processed liquid is returned to the farms for land application in the same trucks that will turn around and bring back fresh manure for the digesters.
Feasibility studies in the Midwest
The success of Western community digesters has John Reindl, recycling manager for Dane County, Wis., excited. His county recently launched a study on manure management options that follows u ... more. |
Agricultural biotechnology delivers more than just streamlined pest management options or the promise of healthier, higher quality crops. Biotech-derived crops allow growers to adopt sustainable farming practices ranging from conservation tillage to integrated pest management. Those practices protect soil, water and air quality and allow producers to sustain our natural resources as well as our lives and lifestyles.
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), with funding from the United Soybean Board, has produced Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology, a thorough exploration of the environmental benef ... more. |
... used in no-till agriculture, CTIC is the organization you should support. CTIC is the only organization that I am aware of that promotes the agricultural conservation practice that truly minimizes the impact of agriculture on the environment – continuous no-till.
Continuous no-till agriculture is smart agriculture. It reduces air and water pollution associated with tillage, improves soil quality and results in higher profits to producers.
If you are a company that consumes agricultural products, CTIC is an organization deserving your support. Most businesses involved in processing ag products to produce consumer goods have to comply with air and water regulations. A company can take their commitment to product stewardship one step further by supporting the only organization ... more. |
We live our values by making sustainability goals part of everything we do throughout the soybean lifecycle - from soil to seed to marketplace. Our environmental stewardship programs encourage reduced tillage as well as other tactics to improve energy efficiency, water conservation, water and air quality, and a variety of best management practices. |
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... and other inputs. The FS team will also provide an exploration of the role of Certified Crop Advisors in implementing conservation and production goals.
LICA Demonstration Farm, Melbourne. The tour will visit the 80-acre home of a wide range of constructed conservation systems for an up-close look at many in-field and edge-of-field practices that protect water quality and build healthy soils.
Tesdell Century Farm, Slater. This fifth-generation farm is home to an installation of prairie strips, which Lee Tesdell and Iowa State University researchers use to study and demonstrate the power of plant diversity in building soils and habitat on the farm.
The tour also includes lunch at New Century FS and dinner and a keynote speaker at Jester Park Lodge in Granger, Iowa.
Online r ... more. |
... inputs. The FS team will also provide an exploration of the role of Certified Crop Advisors in implementing conservation and production goals.
LICA Demonstration Farm, Melbourne. The tour will visit the 80-acre home of a wide range of constructed conservation systems for an up-close look at many in-field and edge-of-field practices that protect water quality and build healthy soils.
Tesdell Century Farm, Slater. This fifth-generation farm is home to an installation of prairie strips, which Lee Tesdell and Iowa State University researchers use to study and demonstrate the power of plant diversity in building soils and habitat on the farm.
The tour also includes lunch at New Century FS and dinner and a keynote speaker at Jester Park Lodge in ... more. |
www.delta-institute.org
For over a decade, Delta has helped individuals, organizations and communities demonstrate that building better economies and reforming our relationship with the environment go hand in hand. Delta creates, funds and implements programs that promote a healthy environment, a strong economy and thriving, vibrant communities.
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CTIC Corporate Member, Monsanto, is an agricultural company. Monsanto applies innovation and technology to help farmers around the world be successful, produce healthier foods, better animal feeds and more fiber, while also reducing agriculture's impact on our environment. To learn more about Monsanto, visit www.monsanto.com
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