Register today to earn 4 nutrient management CEUs free!
Visit ctic.org for the full agenda.
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Mabry McCray
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Mabry McCray
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Alan Wright
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Crop Nutrient Management Facts
What is it?
It is a system of crop production with little, if any, tillage. It increases the residue from the crop that
remains in the field after harvest through planting. This results in increased natural recycling of crop residues.
Used on 38% (109 million acres) of all U.S. cropland (293 million planted acres).
Goal is 50% (146 million acres) of the planted cropl ... more. |
... oxygen-depleting overgrowth of marine plant life, which impacts fish and other aquatic life.
Despite their distance from the Gulf of Mexico, farming operations all along the Mississippi River are seen as contributors to the hypoxiz zone because nutrient runoff that makes it into the Mississippi River eventually makes it into the gulf.
Scanlon says the latest technologies in nutrient management already are succeeding in addressing both the economic and environmental challenges, and CTIC is committed to sharing and explaining the technologies and exactly how they are working.
"CTIC has been a trusted source of information for agriculture for more than 26 years," Scanlon says. "We are uniquely qualified to convey current, credible, unbiased information that farmers ca ... more. |
... 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 infiltrate into water supplies.
How it helps
Sound nutrient management reduces input costs and protects water quality, by preventing over-application of commercial fertilizers and animal
manure.
Correct manure and biosolids application on all fields can improve soil tilth and organic matter.
Planning ahead
Have you tested your soil and livestock manure for their nutrient levels?
Are organic wastes or sludge available for you to use?
Have you ... more. |
CNMPs are very important resources. They provide valuable natural resource management information and help farmers and ranchers comply with water quality regulations. The final EPA regulation for CAFOs and recent public pressure elevate the importance of this NRCS planning assistance. You are encouraged to emphasize this importance and continue to communicate and collaborate with livestock and poultry industry producers and representatives.
Contact. Additional copies may be orde ... more. |
What's a Crop Nutrient Management plan?
A Crop Nutrient Management plan is a tool to increase the efficiency of all the nutrient sources your crop uses while reducing production and environmental risk, ultimately, increasing profit.
10 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 eac ... 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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... maximize return on your cropping investment (ROI) requires the perfect combination of science, technology, art, and luck. Some factors, like the weather, still require a bit of luck. Thankfully, science and technology continue to make strides, reducing the impact of uncontrollable factors like the weather and markets. This reduces the risk inherent in farming. By using a plan to analyze the crop nutrient management portion of your production system, you can reduce risk and, ultimately, maximize profit. Environment.
Good nutrient management planning is an integral part of a system of practices that conserve and enhance natural resources. It reduces production and environmental risks. The more nutrients your crop converts to grain or fiber, the less opportunity for nutrients to reach streams, lakes or groun ... more. |
... to the distant Gulf of Mexico.
Project Director: Karen Scanlon
Email: scanlon@conservationinformation.org
Telephone: 765-494-2238
Funded By
Project Period
Project Partners
Terra Industries, The Nature Conservancy
Project Description
Solutions to both challenges listed above can be realized through proper nutrient management on farming operations. With sound management practices, producers use the right fertilizer product, apply it at the right rate, at the right time and in the right place. CTIC, a trusted source of information for agriculture for more than 27 years, is uniquely qualified to launch an information campaign about nutrient management targeted to agricultural producers. A secondary audience is the gener ... more. |
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
US Environmental Protection Agency
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
Livestock Waste Management Information for the Midwest - CTIC
International Plant Nutrition Institute—Plant Nutrition Today
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... workshop provided CCAs and other ag consultants with the foundation to recognize opportunities to reduce their clients’ impact on water quality. The majority of the day was spent with three speakers—representing industry, agency, and academia—who lent their expertise to give a complete perspective on a set of edge of field practices. Attendees also learned about in-field nutrient management for improved water quality.
ADMC Summer Series Trainings
For the final technical training workshops, ADMC developed a TSP certification class that followed new NRCS guidance on their Conservation Activities that was expected to be released in the fall of 2021. The certification focus was on drainage water management Conservation Activity. Upon development of the TSP certific ... more. |
... Park on Monday evening, September 12.
September 13 field tour at the Henry White Experimental Farm in St. Clair County, Illinois, including cover crops, conservation tillage systems, and healthy pollinator habitat alongside fields managed with all the tools of modern agriculture technology.
Panel discussions on carbon-smart farming, remote sensing technology, and the latest approaches to nutrient management.
An Ag Tech Showcase and tour of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.
Register now online—space is limited. The $275 registration fee includes the 40th Anniversary celebration, bus transportation, all tour stops and meals.
If you're joining us from out of town, the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac is holding a CTIC room block at the special rate of $138 per ... more. |
... 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 University, CTIC and its partners will create baselines for water quality trading programs and mo ... more. |
... with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CTIC provides leadership and technical support for 5 workshops between 2015 and 2020 that teach Certified Crop Advisors, ag retailers and other agronomic consultants to identify conservation systems that could benefit their clients' farms, then connect them with technical and financial support for implementation. Practices include in-field nutrient management, drainage water management systems, bioreactors, saturated buffers and more.
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... planning with the Core 4 approach.
As each year passes, we improve our understanding of how to manage for better soil, cleaner water, greater profits and a brighter future. We call this management approach the Core 4. The four fundamental components integrated into this approach are: Conservation Tillage; Crop Nutrient Management; Weed and Pest Management; and Conservation Buffers. If you’d like to learn more about the Core 4 approach, call your local agronomic and/or natural resources professional:
* Agricultural Retailer
* Certified Crop Advisor
* Conservation District
* Extension Agent
* Independent Crop Consultant
* Natural Resources Conservation Service
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... Flow and nitrate data will be taken in real-time every 15 minutes. View the real time data. The gage and probe will collect data through July 2013. For more information contact Trevor Sample.
Water Quality Monitoring at Tile Outlets
During this 2 year project (2011-2013), CTIC will demonstrate the utility, affordability and usability of nutrient management practices that apply the right source of fertilizer at the right rate, time and place by calculating nutrient use efficiency (NUE) on the same fields where tile outlets are monitored for nitrate concentrations.
Diagram of automatic sampler. Courtesy of USDA-ARS.
Outcomes will include discovering the impacts of p ... more. |
... stop is sure to uncover deep insight into these ingenious nitrogen-capturing systems.
Later in the day-long tour, the group will visit the Iowa Land Improvement Contractors Association (LICA) Farm near Melbourne, Iowa. The 80-acre field is a demonstration site for every constructed conservation practice cited in Iowa's Nutrient Reduction Strategy, according to Tim Recker, past president of Iowa LICA. LICA members will be stationed around the farm to dig into the details of how each system is constructed and how it functions to protect water quality.
Register Online Today
Online registration takes just moments at https://www.ctic.org/ci ... more. |
... soils
Stop #2 – M&M Feedlot, Parma, Idaho
Business and neighborly impacts of creating an attractive, low-odor environment
Air quality and ammonia permits
Nutrient and water management – composting demonstration, floodplain management considerations and constructed wetlands
Stop #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 ... more. |
... We Learned:
Stop #1 - Hmong American Farmer Association (HAFA) Farm, Hastings, Minn.
History of the Hmong people and their deep relationship with agriculture
Click here to watch the YouTube video developed by HAFA.
HAFA’s conservation philosophy and importance of whole farm plans that include pollinator habitat and conservation practices, such as nutrient management, cover crops and other soil health practices.
Download the handout "The Effect of Cover Crops on Water and Soil Quality"
How HAFA trains farmers on integrated pest management, cover crops, soil testing and more
Stop #2 - Far-Gaze Farms (Bruce and Brian Peterson), Northfield, Minn.
Building better soil health in a large corn/soybean operation
F ... more. |
... (CRM) Survey
Drainage Water Management
Cover Crops
Cover Crop Survey
Conservation Reserve 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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... product
Right Place
Keep nutrients where crops can use them
Choose application method
Incorporate fertilizer
Use buffer strips
Use conservation tillage
Implement cover crop systems
Right Rate
Match amount of fertilizer to crop needs
Test soils
Yield goal analysis
Crop removal balance
Nutrient management planning
Plant tissue analysis
Record keeping
Variable rate technology
Site-specific management
Sponsors
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Our demonstrations illustrate the 4 Rs of nutrient management:
Right Source
Right Rate
Right Place
Right Time
We demonstrate management systems---not individual practices.
We measure practice success through agronomic yield, economic sustainability, nutrient use efficiency and water quality impacts.
Agrium's ESN v. Urea
Agrium designed ESN®, a polymer coated urea, to slow the release of nitrogen into t ... more. |
... product
Right Place
Keep nutrients where crops can use them
Choose application method
Incorporate fertilizer
Use buffer strips
Use conservation tillage
Implement cover crop systems
Right Rate
Match amount of fertilizer to crop needs
Test soils
Yield goal analysis
Crop removal balance
Nutrient management planning
Plant tissue analysis
Record keeping
Variable rate technology
Site-specific management
Sponsors
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... Place
Keep nutrients where crops can use them
+ Choose application method
+ Incorporate fertilizer
+ Use buffer strips
+ Use conservation tillage
+ Implement cover crop systems
Right Rate
Match amount of fertilizer to crop needs
+ Test soils
+ Yield goal analysis
+ Crop removal balance
+ Nutrient management planning
+ Plant tissue analysis
+ Record keeping
+ Variable rate technology
+ Site-specific management
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... product
Right Place
Keep nutrients where crops can use them
Choose application method
Incorporate fertilizer
Use buffer strips
Use conservation tillage
Implement cover crop systems
Right Rate
Match amount of fertilizer to crop needs
Test soils
Yield goal analysis
Crop removal balance
Nutrient management planning
Plant tissue analysis
Record keeping
Variable rate technology
Site-specific management
Sponsors
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... Same web site…just a little easier to find us now. In addition, all CTIC staff can be reached at lastname@conservationinformation.org and lastname@ctic.org.
CTIC Project Spotlight
Working with a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CTIC and partners in three regions within the Mississippi River basin are joining efforts to improve nutrient use efficiency and increase nutrient management at the farm level. Learn more about this project -- Building Innovative Industry-Producer Partnerships to Reduce Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico – and get involved. Click here.
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... product
Right Place
Keep nutrients where crops can use them
Choose application method
Incorporate fertilizer
Use buffer strips
Use conservation tillage
Implement cover crop systems
Right Rate
Match amount of fertilizer to crop needs
Test soils
Yield goal analysis
Crop removal balance
Nutrient management planning
Plant tissue analysis
Record keeping
Variable rate technology
Site-specific management
Sponsor
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... articles profiling farmers who have improved habitat and reduced nutrient loading in surface waters. The articles will be designed for placement in agricultural publications, environmental media and local newspapers to highlight environmental improvements by farmers and to inspire others to protect water quality.
We’re looking for examples of great on-farm projects where voluntary nutrient management practices, habitat restoration and/or structural improvements are reducing nutrient loading and other water quality impairments. If you know of a project or a farmer that fits this description, contact Chad Watts at watts@ctic.org.
OpTIS:
CTIC is currently working with Applied GeoSolutions, a data analytics company based out of New Hampshire, to refine and implement a remote sensing-bas ... more. |
... articles profiling farmers who have improved habitat and reduced nutrient loading in surface waters. The articles will be designed for placement in agricultural publications, environmental media and local newspapers to highlight environmental improvements by farmers and to inspire others to protect water quality.
We’re looking for examples of great on-farm projects where voluntary nutrient management practices, habitat restoration and/or structural improvements are reducing nutrient loading and other water quality impairments. If you know of a project or a farmer that fits this description, contact Chad Watts at watts@ctic.org.
OpTIS:
CTIC is currently working with Applied GeoSolutions, a data analytics company based out of New Hampshire, to refine and implement a remote sensing-bas ... more. |
... articles profiling farmers who have improved habitat and reduced nutrient loading in surface waters. The articles will be designed for placement in agricultural publications, environmental media and local newspapers to highlight environmental improvements by farmers and to inspire others to protect water quality.
We’re looking for examples of great on-farm projects where voluntary nutrient management practices, habitat restoration and/or structural improvements are reducing nutrient loading and other water quality impairments. If you know of a project or a farmer that fits this description, contact Tammy Taylor attaylor@ctic.org
OpTIS:
CTIC is currently working with Applied GeoSolutions, a data analytics company based out of New Hampshire, to refine and implement a remote sens ... more. |
... articles profiling farmers who have improved habitat and reduced nutrient loading in surface waters. The articles will be designed for placement in agricultural publications, environmental media and local newspapers to highlight environmental improvements by farmers and to inspire others to protect water quality.
We’re looking for examples of great on-farm projects where voluntary nutrient management practices, habitat restoration and/or structural improvements are reducing nutrient loading and other water quality impairments. If you know of a project or a farmer that fits this description, contact Tammy Taylor attaylor@ctic.org
OpTIS:
CTIC is currently working with Applied GeoSolutions, a data analytics company based out of New Hampshire, to refine and implement a remote sens ... more. |
... profiling farmers who have improved habitat and reduced nutrient loading in surface waters. The articles will be designed for placement in agricultural publications, environmental media and local newspapers to highlight environmental improvements by farmers and to inspire others to protect water quality.
We're looking for examples of great on-farm projects where voluntary nutrient management practices, habitat restoration and/or structural improvements are reducing nutrient loading and other water quality impairments. If you know of a project or a farmer that fits this description, contact Tammy Taylor at taylor@ctic.org.
OpTIS:
CTIC is currently working with Applied GeoSolutions, a data analytics company based out of New Hampshire, to refine and implement a remote se ... more. |
... 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 conservation practices for their clients. Practices covered will include in-field nutrient management, drainage water management systems, bioreactors, saturated buffers and more. CTIC will host specific practice summaries 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 ... more. |
... 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 conservation practices for their clients. Practices covered will include in-field nutrient management, drainage water management systems, bioreactors, saturated buffers and more. CTIC will host specific practice summaries 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.
Agr ... more. |
... protects more than the creek and the commercial shellfish beds downstream—it protects the Lenssens’ bottom line.
“We got better yields on grass by at least 1.5 tons per acre on fields we were going out on earlier,” said Terry Lenssen.
To qualify to use ARM, the Lenssens worked with district staff to conduct a risk analysis, update their state-mandated nutrient management plan, and establish a monitoring program with sampling wells at one-, two- and three-foot depths. The monitoring wells indicated that using the tool helped the brothers reduce nitrate leaching, says Lenssen.
The Lenssens' 260 acres of forage crops utilize the nutrients from three to four applications of manure per year. Heavy growth and mild winter weather generally yield five cuttings per ... more. |
... Systems Alliance (CASA)unites voluntary producer organizations across North America that share similar missions and goals, encounter similar challenges and struggle with all too common problems. The CASA communication network strengthens not only individual efforts but also the shared goal of increasing conservation in agriculture.
Local stakeholder groups focus onimproving nutrient managementin Mississippi River Basin watersheds. CTIC led the formation of three collaborative groups, all including public and private members, to develop and oversee projects and programs in three regions: southern Minnesota, Missouri Bootheel and Upper Wabash River Watershed.
To help producersintegrate cover crops and adopt a continuous no-till system, CTIC connected producers with crop co ... more. |
... provide CCAs and other ag consultants with the foundation to recognize opportunities for reducing their clients’ impact on water quality. The majority of the day will be spent with three speakers—representing industry, agency, and academia—who will lend their expertise to give a complete perspective on a set of edge of field practices. Attendees will also learn about in-field nutrient management for improved water quality.
The workshop is free, however, registration is required.
REGISTER HERE
Agenda
Tuesday August 22
1:00 to 4:30 PM—Stuttgart Public Library
Topics of discussion
Identify symptoms suggesting need for conservation - Mike Taylor, Farmer (30 min)
Selecting right practices - John Lee, NRCS (90 min)
Resources for ... more. |
... Agenda
Tuesday August 22, 2017
1:00 to 4:30 PM - Stuttgart Public Library
Topics of discussion
Identify symptoms suggesting need for conservation - Mike Taylor, Farmer (30 min)
Selecting right practices - John Lee, NRCS (90 min)
Resources for technical support - Keith Scoggins, NRCS
Selecting a contractor - Keith Scoggins, NRCS
Arkansas’ nutrient reduction strategy and how practices covered by this training protect water quality - Ken Brazil, Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (15-30 min)
Wednesday August 23
8:00 AM - Check-in, coffee and donuts at Stuttgart Public Library
8:30 AM—Bus departs for Terry Dabbs’ farm
Outdoors on the farm
Discovery Farms: Water quality monitoring as a driver of voluntary con ... more. |
... sponsored by The Nature Conservancy and Terra Industries.
Project Participants
Local, state, and federal conservation and agriculturalagencies, farm organizations, agribusiness, agricultural producers, certified crop consultants
Activites
CTIC and a broad coalition of ag interests in the Missouri Bootheel bring workshops and field days on the latest nutrient management tools to ag producers. Programs include a corn stalk testing program free to producers.
Partners in Minnesota reached consensus that the best approach would be to form a broad coalition of interested groups. The diverse coalition pools resources and information to work together on: developing consistent messages about nutrient management needs and practices in southeastern Minnesota, identi ... more. |
... 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 conservation practices for their clients. Practices covered will include in-field nutrient management, drainage water management systems, bioreactors, saturated buffers and more. CTIC will host specific practice summaries and other materials that will help this project’s target audience.
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... 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 cited on Capitol Hill by none other than U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and NRCS Chief Jason Weller. Thanks to our dedicated members and staff, CTIC is championing conservation agriculture at all levels.
For a more complete list of 2014 achievements, click here.
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... University to calculate and compare economic returns on crop production.
From 1991-1998, WinMax and its earlier DOS version were used to manage data for the national Farming for Maximum Efficiency program (The MAX®) sponsored byCTICand Successful Farming magazine.
WinMax manages crop input data, calculates crop fertilizer recommendations, generates production cost and nutrient management worksheets, and allows sets of custom input costs to be created and used in all calculations.
Various management options, such as tillage, pest control and fertilizer strategies, can be compared to help assess which practices are both economically efficient and environmentally sound.
Visit WinMax site.
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... Incorporate fertilizer
+ Use buffer strips
+ Use conservation tillage
+ Implement cover crop systems
Right Rate
Match amount of fertilizer to crop needs
+ Test soils
+ Yield goal analysis
+ Crop removal balance
+ Nutrient management planning
+ Plant tissue analysis
+ Record keeping
+ Variable rate technology
+ Site-specific management
Sponsors:
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... method
+ Incorporate fertilizer
+ Use buffer strips
+ Use conservation tillage
+ Implement cover crop systems
Right Rate
Match amount of fertilizer to crop needs
+ Test soils
+ Yield goal analysis
+ Crop removal balance
+ Nutrient management planning
+ Plant tissue analysis
+ Record keeping
+ Variable rate technology
+ Site-specific management
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... fertilizer
+ Use buffer strips
+ Use conservation tillage
+ Implement cover crop systems
Right Rate
Match amount of fertilizer to crop needs
+ Test soils
+ Yield goal analysis
+ Crop removal balance
+ Nutrient management planning
+ Plant tissue analysis
+ Record keeping
+ Variable rate technology
+ Site-specific management
... more. |
Our demonstrations illustrate the 4 Rs of nutrient management:
Right Source
Right Rate
Right Place
Right Time
We demonstrate management systems-- not individual practices.
We measure practice success through agronomic yield, economic sustainability, nutrient use efficiency and water quality impacts.
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Information concerning odor mitigation, storage, nutrient management, and much more are listed here as well as a searchable Environmental Research Database.
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A Review of BMPs for Managing Crop Nutrients and Conservation Tillage to Improve Water Quality
This publication will review research on nutrient management BMPs for the two nutrients of major concern, Nitrogen and Phosphorus, with an emphasis on integrating BMPs with conservation tillage.
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... that can boost profitable farming and improve water quality.
Tour demonstrations will include nitrogen fertilizer split-application, slow release products, strip-till N application systems, and fertilizer use efficiency studies. These practices can improve both the farmer’s bottom line and water quality. Practices shown will emphasize the 4R cornerstones of nutrient management: use the Right source at the Right time, in the Right place at the Right rate. Producers can implement the four Rs and substantially reduce the amount of N fertilizer 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, a ... more. |
Nutrient Management Plan Resources
Minnesota’s Nonpoint Source Management Program Plan 2008, Chapter 9
MPCA Phosphorus Strategy
MDA Field Scale Water Quality Demonstrations (Hwy 90 & Red Top Demo site
Nutrient Management Initiative
Southern MN Nutrient Management Resources
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... information about agricultural conservation systems:
CONSERVATION TILLAGE
On-Farm Comparison of Conservation Tillage Systems for Corn Following Soybeans assists producers and their advisors in selecting a conservation tillage system for corn in a corn-soybean rotation.
Conservation Tillage Series provides information on crop rotation, weed management, soil compaction, nutrient management, cover crops and economic statistics.
NO-TILL
Energy Estimator for Tillage estimates diesel fuel use and costs in production of your area’s key crops and compares the potential energy savings of conventional tillage and alternative tillage systems.
60 Ways Farmers Can Protect Surface Water provides ideas on how producers can protect water quality without sacrific ... more. |
Conference Presentations from Feb. 18, 2010
Phosphorus Management
- Dr. Albert Sims, University of Minnesota
Agriculture and the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Issue
- Dr. C.S. Snyder, International Plant Nutrition Institute
On-Farm Evaluation of Nitrogen and Phosphorous Nutrient Management
- Brian Williams, Minnesota Department of Ag
Where the City Meets the Farm: a Case Study of Drainage and Water Quality
- Dr. John F. Moncrief, University of Minnesota
Nitrogen Management to Minimize Nitrate Losses to Water Resources
- Jeff Vetsch, University of Minnesota
"New" Technologies for Drainage Systems
- Dr. Gary Sands, University of Minnesota ... more. |
... most available to plants. Nitrate levels in soil can be determined by measuring the biological breakdown of organic matter into nutrients (also called mineralization). Soil usually will have higher nitrate levels in the spring or summer. High nitrate levels at the end of the growing season, though, indicate potential nitrate loss through leaching and denitrification.
Following nutrient management protocols or using cover crops, such as rye or wheat, can help reduce nitrate loss from soil and protect the environment, Hubbs said.
Understanding soil quality is the first step to making management decisions that maximize soil productivity, Hubbs said. Conservation practices, including conservation tillage, buffers, weed and pest management (IPM) and crop nutrient management, can he ... more. |
... District
Water Quality Credit Training Workshop - Jim Klang, Kieser & Associates
Aggregators: Examples and Opportunities - Jamie McCarthy, Kieser & Associates
Sauk River Watershed Ecosystem Services Project - Jim 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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Chicken litter being loaded into spreader truck in Northern Louisiana.
Photo courtesy of USDA.
Nurturing Crops, Protecting the Environment
Emphasis on Sound Nutrient Management
By Christa Martin Jones
The emphasis on more and better nutrient management promises advances in farm profitability, conservation technology, and water quality improvements. Agriculture'sability to marry economy and environment, planning and implementation, and research and technology transfer will define our success.
The United States Department of Agricul ... more. |
... Contact Tony Grift, 217-333-2854, grift@illinois.edu
Phosphorus Recovery
Ostara unveiled a new wastewater treatment plant in Virginia thatproduces clean water, recovers phosphorus and turns it into an environmentally-friendly commercial fertilizer.Contact: Ted Rossman trossman@newventurecom.com Video: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkGtSSsmxfA)
Nutrient Management in Livestock
A team of researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is investigating whether feeding cattle low-protein diets might result in the animals more efficiently utilizing nitrogen in their diet and reduce ammonia emissions from dairy operations. More...
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... who has developed local programming to increase community understanding of reducing the potential for pharmaceutical contamination of groundwater.
Dr. Sarah Dinh
Precision Feeding – The Science and Application of Pollution Prevention at its Best Dr. Sarah Dinh, Dairy and Environment Educator, Penn State Cooperative Extension, Lancaster County and Virginia Ishler, Nutrient Management Specialist, Penn State Dairy and Animal Sciences focus on precision feeding, particularly the research related to dairy as agricultural production processes seek to improve animal uptake of nutrients, maximizing production, and reducing nutrient emissions on the ‘backside of the operation’ through tailored nutritional feeding regimes.
Dr. Rick Stehouwer
Surplus ... more. |
... inside the coating, which moves through the coating at a predictable rate, based on soil temperature.
When we minimize nitrogen loss, we maximize nitrogen available to growing plants, increasing nitrogen-use efficiency and crop yields. Smart use of nitrogen ensures viable and productive resources for years to come.
USDA provides financial assistance to producers for adopting smart nutrient management practices. The Conservation Stewardship Program, created by the 2008 Farm Bill, offers incentive payments to growers who adopt conservation-focused nutrient-management plans.
Depending on farm location, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and other programs also provide support for these practices, including the use of slow- and controlled-release fertilizer products. To learn ... more. |
... says, with Deere’s AutoTrac® technology, planter and sprayer components can be activated or deactivated, based on a farmer’s specific position in the field.
“With this technology, farmers are seeing another 3-percent reduction in seed, fertilizer and pesticide use per acre, as a result of swath control technology,” Mann says.
As well, Deere’s new nutrient management implements allow producers to more accurately manage the placement of fertilizer, potentially unlocking even higher yields with minimum waste, run-off and impact on the environment, he adds.
Sustainability through nutrient management
Pauley Bradley, John Deere nutrient application product manager, says Deere’s new nutrient application equipment is designed to provid ... more. |
... story about ag,” he says. “We see this as a way that Mosaic can connect with other ag industries and government partners in telling the important story of food production and how conservation plays a key role in producing safe food.”
Mosaic financiallyy supports CTIC's Upstream heroes program, which features success stories of farmers who develop and adopt sound nutrient management strategies to reduce the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone and to reduce agriculture’s contribution to the high nutrient loads in the Mississippi River.
“By being involved in the Upstream Heroes project, we will become more closely aligned and will build relationships with other organizations like fellow sponsor, The Nature Conservancy,” he says. “It will allow us to fi ... more. |
... 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. At each location, rice was cultivated using the standard methods of phosphorus and potassium fertilization, water management, and weed and insect control for dry-seeded, delayed flood rice in Southeast Missouri. At both locations four p ... more. |
EPA's New CAFO Rule Changes "Duty to Apply" for NPEDS Permit
Nutrient management plans and voluntary NPDES permits may be helpful to confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) – even if they do not discharge or don’t propose to discharge water from their operations.
EPA's New CAFO Rule Changes "Duty to Apply"
for NPDES Permit
By Steve Werblow
A new rule for confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) ... more. |
... With membership support and engagement, CTIC will continue to fulfill its mission.
On July 29, 2009, CTIC will host our third Conservation In Action Tour. On this one-day tour in western Illinois, we will visit farms where conservation agriculture systems are put in to action — to help protect resources and to build a profitable operation. Through conservation practices, including nutrient management plans developed by producers and their advisors, these farmers are minimizing agriculture's impact on the Mississippi River watershed. CTIC staff will be sending additional details about the tour over the next few months. So please save the date, sign up for the tour and visit these successful farms with us.
In addition to joining us on the tour, I hope you will accept my invitation to ... more. |
... quality issues, including odor, have influenced manure management decisions. This study uses data from two national surveys of hog farmers to examine how hog manure management practices vary with the scale of production and how these practices evolved between 1998 and 2004. Included are the effects of structural changes, recent policies on manure management technologies and practices, the use of nutrient management plans, and manure application rates. The findings suggest that larger hog operations are altering their manure management decisions in response to binding nutrient application constraints, and that environmental policy is contributing to the adoption of conservation compatible manure management practices. www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB50
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Information concerning odor mitigation, storage, nutrient management, and much more are listed here as well as a searchable Environmental Research Database.
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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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... fiber and energy. They also expect agriculture to protect air, soil, water and wildlife.
What do farmers need to do?
Core 4 Conservation farmers all strive toward these goals and will achieve the results in the best way possible for their particular land and management abilities. Four of the key systems likely to be involved crop production include:
Conservation Tillage
Crop Nutrient Management
Pest Management (IPM)
Conservation Buffers
What is different about this?
Core 4 Conservation goes beyond talking about what agriculture is doing to protect the environment. It is a public way of showing that agriculture is taking responsibility to build on the environmentally sound management practices already used on the farm. This will be done by tracking the quality of the systems ... more. |
Meeting Notes
December 4, 2009
November 6, 2009
October 2, 2009
September 4, 2009
August 6, 2009
June 8, 2009
Action Plans
Upper Wabash River Nutrient Management Coalition Action Plan
Other
Nonpoint Source Monitoring Conference Notes—September 2009 (PDF, 1.45 MB)
Swine Manure Testing Project
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The Upper Wabash Nutrient Management Coalition is working with the Grand Lake/Wabash Watershed Alliance (GLWWA) to collect data on swine manure nutrient content.
The GLWWA’s watershed action plan, endorsed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, includes objectives related to agriculture. Many focus on reducing nutrient loading to streams. Nutrient loads can be reduced by ... more. |
... and solid, are considered manure by regulators, he notes, and must be stored according to state and federal regulations.
When it comes to applying the by-products to fields, says Vrieze, “we'll work with the farm's crop consultant to make sure that the nutrients you're partitioning are going in the right directions and that the applications fit into your nutrient management plan.”
Ultra-filtration uses super-fine membranes to remove suspended particles - which contain nearly all of the P and about half of the N in manure - and creates "tea water" that dairy producers may apply through irrigation systems.
Photo courtesy of Integrated Separation Systems
Hope for Hogs?
... more. |
... protect water quality while reducing their regulatory burden.
CAFO vs. AFO
At their most basic, CAFOs are animal feeding operations of roughly 1,000 animal units or more in which animals are confined or fed for 45 days or more in a 12-month period in an area where crops or vegetation is not maintained. Many CAFOs must file for NPDES permits as dictated in their required comprehensive nutrient management plans.
AFOs tend to be smaller operations with similar feeding or maintenance practices; however, if an AFO can or does discharge manure into a water of the state or a water of the U.S., it can be upgraded to a CAFO.
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... estimate would assume that there is more than twice as much N available in the first year than regulators in Minnesota would calculate; Wisconsin’s official estimate falls right in the middle. For injected manure, the differences among states are reduced, but the values still vary by about one-third.
Software tool
To help planners navigate the variables in developing a nutrient management plan (NMP) that complies with state and local regulations, Joern spearheaded the creation of an innovative computer software program, Manure Management Planner, or MMP.
The planner enters information about the operator’s fields, crops, storage, animals and application equipment. MMP helps the planner allocate manure—when, where and how much—on a monthly basis for t ... more. |
... fertilizer industry endorses best management practices based on the use of the right fertilizer source at the right rate, right time and right place to protect the environment and support the efficient production of nutritious, abundant and affordable food.
Graphic courtesy of The Fertilizer Institute
4R Nutrient Stewardship: Why Now?
by Bill Hertz
As farmers wrap up this season’s harvest, they must focus on replenishing the nutrients that support soil and plant health. However, a fluctuating fertilizer supply and demand, combined with dynamic commodity markets, has impacted growers’ nutrient-use decisions. In some cases, growers have reduced or completely suspended use of nutri ... more. |
... 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 farmable," notes Don Pitts, state water and air quality specia ... more. |
Gulf of Mexico hypoxia issues pose a significant challenge in addressing the protection of the marine environment given the sheer magnitude of excess nutrient loading and the size of the contributing Mississippi River watershed. This nutrient loading is a result of cumulative nutrientdischarges across the largest river basin in North America, the Mississippi River Basin. The Wabash River watershed contributes a significant nutrient load, from portions ofIndiana, Illinois, and Ohio,to the Ohio River, the Mississippi River, and eventual ... more. |
ADMC received a Conservation Innovation Grant in 2006 to promote and characterize the unique technology of drainage water management (DWM) – the practice of managing water table depths to reduce nutrient transport from tiles during the fallow season or to reduce water deficit stress during the growing season. Considering that no such guidance currently exists, this innovative multi-state project is developing a set of regional recommendations that are necessary to facilitate and encourage the widespread adoption of DWM. Pilot farms are using the latest technologies, including satellite-controlled ... more. |
... for an annual open house. 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 ... more. |
... 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, due to nitrogen losses
Fall timing had lowest yield
Split t ... more. |
... trading in the Wabash River watershed and the support role that agricultural industry can play.
Water quality trading assigns economic value to the benefits generated by conservation practice implementation, according to the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) publication, “Getting Paid for Stewardship: An Agricultural Community Water Quality Trading Guide.”
Nutrient or sediment reductions resulting from agricultural conservation practices are the “currency” in water quality trading. Producers sell the reductions realized from conservation practices on their land. Municipalities, industries and wastewater treatment plants buy the reductions, in the form of “credits,” to help meet regulatory requirements and avoid costly technological u ... more. |
... trading in the Wabash River watershed and the support role that agricultural industry can play.
Water quality trading assigns economic value to the benefits generated by conservation practice implementation, according to the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) publication, “Getting Paid for Stewardship: An Agricultural Community Water Quality Trading Guide.”
Nutrient or sediment reductions resulting from agricultural conservation practices are the “currency” in water quality trading. Producers sell the reductions realized from conservation practices on their land. Municipalities, industries and wastewater treatment plants buy the reductions, in the form of “credits,” to help meet regulatory requirements and avoid costly technological u ... more. |
... be adjusted by simply adding or removing the stoplog boards inside the manual structure. The units can also be remotely programmed with a solar-powered unit and two-way telemetry to monitor, manage and record rainfall data, soil profile water level, water purity and flow rates.
Using these systems, producers can retain water through the fallow months, preserving nitrogen and other nutrients; lower the water table level for fieldwork in the spring; and raise it again through the growing season. The water table level can be adjusted according to weather conditions and the needs of the crops and environment, and adjustments can be made to reduce flooding in response to rainfall.
Drainage water management provides many conservation benefits. Proper drainage water managem ... more. |
... blooms like gasoline feeds a fire. For PLUS-UP, we estimated the value of a pound of DRP at $100, a measure of the environmental damage it can cause and the cost of trying to remove it from water supplies to prevent it from enlarging the harmful algal blooms (HABs) that plague Lake Erie.
DRP 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 credi ... 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 appl ... more. |
... Kult (Ag Drainage Management Coalition) and Tim Recker (Iowa Land Improvement Contractors Association).
Welcome: Mike Naig, IDALS
Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, greets crop consultants at CTIC's Ag Consultants Training workshop in Des Moines, Iowa, on March 13, 2019. Naig urged success in voluntary conservation practices to achieve the goals set out in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy and called for a "culture of conservation" among farmers and consultants.
Making Conservation Pay
Jason Gomes, CCA, of North Iowa Agronomy Consultants, digs deep into the challenges crop farmers face as they consider the risks and expenses of conservation practices—and describes the environmental and economic benefits that tip the balance.
... more. |
... of consultants, workshops and field days.
By not disturbing soil and maintaining growth on land for as many days as possible, the natural cycles of the soils are restored. 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 from runoff. Soil structure and tilth are improved, increasing infiltration rates and reducing compaction.
Despite these benefits, many farmers still believe tillage leads to higher corn yields. In a single year, this may be true. With tillage, the breakdown of organic matter is accelerated, and nutrients are quickly released to the ... 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, ... more. |
... skyrocketing corn prices, rising bean prices, lower time and fuel inputs, and the long-term agronomic benefits of rotation can tip the economic scale toward a corn/soybean rotation.
Photo courtesy of Steve Werblow
New No-Till Resource Online
The University of Nebraska's Soil and Water Management Web site ( http://nebraskawater.unl.edu/ crops/ soil?doAsUserId=LJl9J64Gueg%25253D ) features a primer on no-till as well as a wealth of more in-depth exploration of key benefits such as soil structure, the soil ecosystem, residue management, water conservation and water quality. Clicking from the introductory pages by University of Nebraska Extension agricultural engineer Paul Jasa to volumes of ... more. |
... the project. Theextension bulletin by Sarah P. Church and Linda Stalker Prokopy was augmented by a pair of videos—with links here and here—on YouTube.
Trials of perennial bioenergy crops, conducted in conjunction with the Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Michigan. The study explored the role of perennial bioenergy crops as rotation options for local farmers, nutrient removal by the alternative crops, and the use of the perennials in holistic management of the agricultural landscape.
Demonstrations of key conservation practices and products, illustrating concepts such as nutrient use efficiency and the proper applications of the 4Rs of Nutrient Stewardship.
Heightened awareness of water quality issues, augmented by watershed project field tours and a serie ... more. |
... Ribeiro, Ph.D, Carbon Program Lead, Bayer Crop Science
2:40-3:20 pm Remote Sensing & Data Science
-Soren Rundquist, OpTIS Science Lead, Regrow Ag
-Michael Sunde, Ph.D., Director, Missouri Resource Assessment Partnership
-Noah Fahlgren, Ph.D., PI, Dir of Data Science, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
-Joshua White, Geospatial Director, T-Rex
3:20-4:00 pm - Advanced Nutrient Technology
-Adam Herges, Sr. Sustainability Agronomist, Mosaic
-Ivan Baxter, Ph.D, P.I., Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
-Mike Gill, Sr. Advisor, Sustainable Ag, Nutrien Ag
-Jin Zhu, Product Development Support, Pivot Bio
4:00 Ag Tech Showcase/ Optional tours of DDPSC
6:00 Closing Banquet
Dinner speaker: Dr.Don Wuebbles, Harry E. Preble Professor of Atmospheric ... more. |
... is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. As a global provider of innovative solutions and brands, Syngenta is a leader in crop protection and solutions.
The Mosaic Company
www.mosaicco.com
Mosaic is the world's leading producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash, two of the primary nutrients required to grow the food the world needs. The business engages in every phase of crop nutrition development, from the mining of resources to the production of crop nutrients, feed and industrial products for customers around the globe.
Silver Corporate Member
Agri Drain Corporation
www.agridrain.com
Agri Drain Corporation is an American company focused on manufacturing ... more. |
Planting forage and using grazing rotations to maximize production and
reduce sediment and nutrient runoff. Consider food, water and herd size.
How it works
Pasture is divided into two or more pastures or paddocks with fencing.
Cattle are moved from paddock to paddock on a pre-arranged schedule based on forage availability and livestock nutrition needs.
How it helps
Improves vegetative cover, reducing erosion and improving water quality.
Increases harvest efficiency and hel ... more. |
... members of Tetra Tech staff.
To view the agenda and topics to be discussed, click here.
Sponsored by
Conservation Technology Information Center, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Tetra Tech
November 9th: Overview of Centralized and Decentralized Treatment Issues
Summary of Centralized/Decentralized Treatment Approaches Water and Wastewater Resource Management ConsiderationsTMDLs, Watershed Planning, Antidegradation, and Wastewater Wastewater Capacity Development and Cost Issues
View the November 9th presentation, Barry Tonning.
Questions & Answers
Links Mentioned in the Presentation:
Rocky Mountain Institute Cost Benefit Analysis of Wastewater Options
Guidance for Federal Land Management in the Che ... more. |
... 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. With all this activity, soil structure and tilth are improved, increasing infiltration rates and reducing compaction.
Implementation of cover crops can have the following beneficial effects:
Increase soil organic matter
Increase infiltration of water into the soil
Decrease runoff to nearby waterways
Decrease so ... more. |
... 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. With all this activity, soil structure and tilth are improved, increasing infiltration rates and reducing compaction.
Implementation of cover crops can have the following beneficial effects:
Increase soil organic matter
Increase infiltration of water into the soil
Decrease runoff to nearby waterways
Decrease soil ... more. |
... 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. With all this activity, soil structure and tilth are improved, increasing infiltration rates and reducing compaction.
Implementation of cover crops can have the following beneficial effects:
Increase soil organic matter
Increase infiltration of water into the soil
Decrease runoff to nearby waterways
Decrease so ... more. |
The Illinois Corn Marketing Board is deeply committed to improving nutrient efficiency through the 4Rs of nutrient stewardship - right source, right rate, right time, right place - and through participation in Keep It For The Crop By 2025, a collaborative program to promote, implement and track the rate of adoption of enhanced nutrient stewardship practices by Illinois agricultural producers. |
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 margins become increasingly thin ... more. |
... the Corn Belt."
Wide Range of Applications
Queries of OpTIS data at www.ctic.org can be customized by year, units, crops and geographic area. The data can be used in a wide range of applications, including:
Tracking progress in meeting goals set out by conservation programs like the Mississippi River Basin Initiative and state or regional efforts to reduce soil loss or nutrient flow into rivers and lakes
Targeting resources like technical services or incentive programs
Comparing the success of various conservation programs across large areas
Validating and tracking progress on ecosystem services for market-based environmental solutions
Substantiating sustainability programs throughout the farm and food supply chain
Analyzing markets for goods and services impa ... more. |
... $2,900 per year after factoring in the value of electricity, compost sales and carbon/renewable energy credits. A community system that could serve 4,000 cows from 18 farms would cost $4.4 million to build and $798,000 to operate, but showed an annual net profit of nearly $200,000. That didn’t count the benefits of removing tons of phosphorus from farms that were already loaded with the nutrient.
But the writers of the report were clear - the value of electricity isn’t enough to keep a digester viable. Selling composted solids and selling or utilizing waste heat are also vital to a healthy bottom line.
In Oregon, DeVore agrees strongly. “You’d damned well better have a good plan for marketing your solids,” he warns. “You will not realize how fast ... more. |
... intensive tillage). While we have long thought of
soil erosion as reducing top soil, we now know it's one of the top ‘pollutants’ in America’s waters.
Reducing soil erosion also reduces phosphorous and can reduce pesticide movement.
Reductions in phosphorous result in reductions in algae and increase oxygen supplies for fish.
Reduces risk of nutrient escape the soil by increasing nutrient availability and uptake by plant roots.
Converts any escape of crop protection products into carbon and other basic components.
Can Conservation Tillage really provide "Greater Profits?"
Certainly, every situation, every manager and every growing season impacts profitability. The more risk
is reduced, the better the opport ... more. |
... treatment systems in their jurisdictions. It's designed to track information related to homes and facilities served, permits, site evaluations, types of systems, inspections and complaints.
STEPL provides a user friendly Visual Basic (VB) interface to create a customized spreadsheet-based model in Microsoft (MS) Excel. It computes watershed surface runoff, nutrient loads, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and 5-day biological oxygen demand (BOD 5), and sediment delivery based on various land uses and management practices. The pollutant sources include major nonpoint sources such as cropland, pastureland, farm animals, feedlots, urban runoff, and failing septic systems.
Click here to register.
To download a brochure wi ... more. |
... been a legitimate business opportunity, relative to the traditional commodity markets. The lack of legitimacy is not just due to fluctuating or low prices, but is related to a lack of market organization.
Elusive ecoservices
We define ecoservices as public goods generated by conservative land management: practices yielding fertile soil, clean water, wildlife habitat and carbon and nutrient sequestration. Those striving to encourage these markets find it difficult to identify buyers and sellers and place a price tag on those items.
Imagine trying to sell the corn produced in a 40-acre field without the ability to measure volume or weight. Creating a market for soil stewardship, clean water, habitats and other ecoservices faces a similar challenge. Further complicating the sit ... more. |
Animal manure management is a significant challenge for many small dairy farms. One manure management system in limited use is a bedded pack. A bedded pack management system (BPMS) is defined here as a covered barnyard and feeding area that holds a variety of dairy cattle, storing their manure through the accumulation of an unturned bedding of dry material for later use as a nutrient amendment.
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The team at the National Center for Water Quality Research at Heidelberg University is using the Nutrient Tracking Tool, 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 c ... more. |
... livestock operation, animal waste management system and planned field application. Several options exist including an earthen storage pond, above or below ground tank, pit underneath a confinement facility or a sheltered concrete slab area. Manure can be pumped, scraped and hauled, pushed or flushed into your storage structure. The structure's purpose is to safely contain the manure and keep nutrient loss and pollution of downstream water bodies to a minimum by preventing runoff.
How it helps
Protects water quality, by preventing runoff from feedlots.
Cuts fertilizer costs and reduces nutrient losses.
Allows for field application when conditions are right.
Planning ahead
Is the structure planned for the proper location considering the landscape, potential odor problems, vi ... more. |
Weed & Pest Management (IPM) Benefits
Increases Profits
Inputs such as mechanical cultivation, pesticides, fertilizers and tillage costs money. By using best management practices to apply these inputs when they are actually needed, growers can reduce costs. Weed and pest management can help schedule required controls at the right time to maximize the benefits of the practice. Weed and pest management can improv ... 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 of Sustai ... more. |
... (PLUS-UP) program, coordinated by the Conservation 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 ... more. |
The New Leader line of crop nutrient applicators from Highway Equipment Company is an integral part of fertilizer handling - vital for improving water quality and farm sustainability in the Mississippi River Basin. "Right place" is one of the 4Rs of nutrient stewardship, and New Leader equipment is proud of its role in promoting and enabling that key tactic. |
The Conservation Technology Information Center, through its partnership with The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), the national trade association representing the U.S. fertilizer industry, has joined a national effort to promote 4R nutrient stewardship.
In March, TFI launched a new website, www.nutrientstewardship.com, to showcase supportive resources and educational tools for the 4R nut
rient stewardship concept which promotes the use of the right fertilizer source, at the right rate, right time and in the right place. CTIC has joined the Institute’s effort by becoming what is known as a 4R supporter.Learn more ... more. |
CTIC's Upstream Heroes campaignfeatures success stories about farmers who have developed and adopted sound nutrient efficiency strategies - protecting their bottom lines as well as local and downstream water quality.
Positive stories can highlight agriculture's role in contributing to water quality solutions, such as thoseassociated with high nutrient loads in the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone.
National agriculture and general media sources will have access to st ... more. |
... Technology Information Center’s Conservation In Action Tour, slated for Aug. 2-3, 2010, will visit innovative farm operations in east central Virginia. Presenters will initiate discussions about agriculture’s role in addressing Chesapeake Bay water quality concerns and will demonstrate equipment, tools and technologies that help farmers use nutrients efficiently.
During this event, participating farmers, policy makers, agricultural advisors, conservation professionals, private industry, and others will visit farms and farmers in the Williamsburg area. Tour stops will feature successful, profitable farming operations built with conservation in mind.
These producers, like so many across the nation, p ... more. |
... 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.
Dr. Eileen J. Kladivko, professor of agronomy at Purdue University and MCCC Executive Committee member, says this Web site will not only help farmers to find useful information on cover crops and how to use them, but also raise awareness of the potential importance of cover crops for anybody tied to agriculture.
... more. |
Restoring Waters to Recreational Use
Tracking Land-based Sources of Nutrients and Microbial Contamination in a Pacific Northwest Estuarine Watershed
Amy Zimmer-Faust
No Bio Available
No Bio Delivered
Video Length - 12:58
Ambient Water Quality Thresholds for Human-associated HF183: Effect of Water Temperature, Aging, and Co-contamination with Gull Feces
Jeff Soller
Speaker Bio
Mr. Jeffrey Soller is the Principal Scientist at So ... more. |
... on behalf of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and our member conservation districts! NACD is the nonprofit organization that represents America’s 3,000 conservation districts and the 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. Conservation districts are local units of government established under state law to carry out natural resource management programs at the local level. Districts work with millions of landowners and operators to help them manage and protect land and water resources on all private lands and many public lands in the United States.
Conservation districts have been involved in delivering locally-driven conservation across America for more than 70 years. No other conservation or environmental group in the country im ... more. |
... 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 Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Dakota with the knowledge and resources needed to successfully adopt cover crops. Cover crops enhance soil health, sequester carbon and reduce soil erosion and nutrient loss. CTIC's Cover Crop Coaches program will play a pivotal role in connecting farmers new to cover crops with farmer mentors in their states. This announcement builds upon the recent expansion by CTIC of three full-time soil health specialists in these same states helping deliver the Farmers for Soil Health (FSH) program which offers additional financial resources for cover crops.
& ... more. |
... staffers, and policymakers. During the morning, attendees saw climate smart practices such as cover crops and conservation tillage at work in the field. Later, they moved indoors to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center to hear from a number of experts about what the future will bring in several key climate smart areas: soil carbon technologies, data science, remote sensing, and advanced nutrient technologies.
About the Conservation Technology Information Center
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) was formed in 1982 to support the widespread use of economically and environmentally beneficial agricultural systems. Members of CTIC, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, include farmers, policy makers, regulators, academic researchers, agribusiness leaders, co ... more. |
... staffers, and policymakers. During the morning, attendees saw climate smart practices such as cover crops and conservation tillage at work in the field. Later, they moved indoors to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center to hear from a number of experts about what the future will bring in several key climate smart areas: soil carbon technologies, data science, remote sensing, and advanced nutrient technologies.
About the Conservation Technology Information Center
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) was formed in 1982 to support the widespread use of economically and environmentally beneficial agricultural systems. Members of CTIC, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, include farmers, policy makers, regulators, academic researchers, agribusiness leaders, co ... more. |
... Iowa.
The program will begin the afternoon of August 20, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa, with a keynote speaker and cocktail reception. August 21 will be spent in the field visiting farms, demonstration plots, research trials and an ag retail site for a comprehensive look at how Iowa farmers are using a wide range of conservation farming systems to achieve the goals of the state's Nutrient Reduction Strategy.
Unique Networking Opportunity
The tour is expected to draw more than 200 farmers, crop consultants, conservation specialists, scientists, agribusiness leaders, policy makers and non-profit organization staffers from across the country.
"The Conservation in Action Tour format provides a unique opportunity not only to see conservation ... more. |
... (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 interpretation and record-keeping for on-farm field ... more. |
Since its inception, CTIC has been the go-to source for data on the adoption of conservation practices across the U.S. Though federal support of the popular crop residue management transect survey ended in 2004, scientists, policy makers and marketers have continued to tap CTIC's databases. Now, we're at the forefront of using remote sensing to bring back state, regional and national data on crop residue and cover crop management.
Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS)
The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) has been developed by Regrow, TNC ... more. |
CTIC, in conjunction with U.S. EPA and the Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC), will be hosting a Drainage Water Management Certification webinar on July 7, 2022. The webinar will be a 6-hour interactive online training and certification course on planning drainage water management systems.
A total of 5 CEUs will be available for CCAs and PEs. Partial CEUs will be available for completion of session 1, 2, or 3. Upon successful completion of the ... more. |
... the administration of the beach water quality monitoring 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
... more. |
Today there are thousands of Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) nationally that require an National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)permit. Producers and their technical service providers need specialized informationand assistance with new technologies to resolve livestock waste management issues and address water quality concerns.
Collaborative watershed effortsfocused on managing livestock waste need resourcesto help inform the public and the producers.
Project Partner
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5
Activities
This project employs information technology transfer through published articles in CTIC's Partners online mag ... 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 pressure and provide nitrogen and better soil tilth.
8.
Planting: Plant crops that have good vigor and that can tolerate or resist common problems. The timing of planting should co ... more. |
... for reducing dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) loads in the Western Lake Erie Basin on 104 fields covering more than 5,300 acres. Payments average $9.12 per acre.
The program, which emphasizes the role of no-till and cover crops in reducing the off-farm movement of DRP into surface waters, is detailed in this interactive story map.
CTIC and The Andersons will host a 4Rs Nutrient Stewardship meeting in Maumee, Ohio, on August 23. A PLUS-UP stakeholder workshop will be held the following day in Toledo, Ohio. Watch this link for details.
With a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CTIC and our partners at Heidelberg University's National Center for Water Quality Research, St. Mary's University of Minnesota, and the Bayer Carbon Program d ... more. |
... enable a more targeted focus of resources and tools to help farmers secure their future while benefiting communities and nature.”
The data can be used to track trends in the adoption of conservation tillage and cover crops over time, providing essential insights for a wide-range of applications, including:
Tracking progress in meeting goals to reduce soil loss or nutrient flow into waterways;
Targeting resources like technical services or incentive programs;
Comparing the success of various conservation programs across large areas;
Validating and tracking progress on ecosystem services for market-based solutions; and
Substantiating sustainability programs throughout the farm and food supply chain.
Online queries of OpTIS data—available ... more. |
Register Online Today
"Now is the time to register—we've got only two more weeks until our cut-off date for seats on the bus and our special Conservation in Action Tour price for hotel rooms at the Embassy Suites Downtown in Des Moines," says Komp.
Online registration takes just moments at https://www.ctic.org/cia_tour/registration. The $175 registration fee ... more. |
... stop is sure to uncover deep insight into these ingenious nitrogen-capturing systems.
Later in the day-long tour, the group will visit the Iowa Land Improvement Contractors Association (LICA) Farm near Melbourne, Iowa. The 80-acre field is a demonstration site for every constructed conservation practice cited in Iowa's Nutrient Reduction Strategy, according to Tim Recker, past president of Iowa LICA. LICA members will be stationed around the farm to dig into the details of how each system is constructed and how it functions to protect water quality.
Register Online Today
Online registration takes just moments at https://www.ctic.org/ci ... more. |
... preserve one of the largest contiguous ecosystems in North America. Producers, agribusiness partners, government officials and media professionals from 26 states across the nation came to Tunica, Miss., for the informative event.
What Participants Say
"Excellent information."
"Great presentation on Stovall Farms on new technology and their efforts to reduce nutrient loss."
"The tour was invaluable for me in learning about conservation in agriculture in the US, not only through the tour stops but also the opportunity to meet so many people working in the area."
"Loved networking with other participants."
"This was a very good experience and well worth the time and expense. I will attend in 2013."
... more. |
... government officials having the 'live' experience."
Conservation In Action Tour 2011
Mark your calendars for next year's Conservation In Action Tour, scheduled to take place in Northwest Ohio during the second week of August.
Many thanks to this year's Conservation In Action Tour sponsors.
Tour Sponsor
Nutrient Use Efficiency Expo Exhibitor
Cocktail Social
Dinner Sponsor
Bus Sponsor
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... 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 excess nutrients and sediments flowing in from a 64,000-square-mile watershed that reaches all the way into New York State. Area farmers have become experts in managing nutrients at every level, from applying manure and commercial fertilizer to minimizing runoff from their fields.
In addition to perspectives on innovative practices from a range of crop, dairy and poultry producers, Conservation in A ... more. |
Working with Partnerships
The Mosaic Company and The Mosaic Company Foundation invest in partnerships with best-in-class organizations to promote many aspects of conservation, including nutrient stewardship, habitat conservation and watershed restoration.
For example, The Mosaic Company Foundation supports The Nature Conservancy’sGreat Rivers Partnershipthrough science-based work with farmers and partners to improve water quality in three key agricultural watersheds in the Upper Mississippi River Basin – Minnesota’s Root River, Iowa&r ... more. |
... 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 Grains-DR
Cover crop decision making chart for the year after cereal grains.
Cover Crop rotations SAG_9_09
Cover C ... more. |
... In Action Tour 2011
Mark your calendars for next year's Conservation In Action Tour, scheduled to take place in Northwest Ohio during the second week of August.
Many thanks to this year's Conservation In Action Tour sponsors.
Tour Sponsor
Nutrient Use Efficiency Expo Exhibitor
Cocktail Social
Dinner Sponsor
Bus Sponsor
... more. |
... and diverse soil microbial populations – signs of soil organisms in the soil
No soil erosion – soil loss is 0 ton/ac/year
Soil moisture infiltration at maximum for the soil texture – surface water ponding is minimal and runoff is very low
Water holding capacity is consistently high
Soil meets agronomic fertility needs by storing more nutrients for crop development and providing proper pH levels
Soil bulk density is optimum and compaction is minimal – excellent plant root development and penetration and no surface crusting
Soil Quality Change
The group discussed items that could bring about change in the way cropland is farmed in the area. Education of producers on the benefits of managing crop residue ... 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 organic carbon (S ... more. |
... 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 carbon technologies, remote sensing and data science, and advanced nutrient technologies. A conservation showcase introduced still more innovations, and at the closing banquet, Dr. Don Wuebbles of the University of Illinois shared his deep insight into global climate challenges.
Learn more about CTIC's 40-year history, the new CTIC Hall of Fame, and the St. Louis tour in the 2022 tour notebook.
Virtual Conservation in Action Tour 2020
Mak ... more. |
... Dunne
Speaker Bio
Ed is the Branch Chief of Water Quality Standards and Total Maximum Daily Loads in the Water Quality Division at the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE). Prior to DOEE, Ed was a program officer with the Water Science and Technology Board at the National Academies of Sciences. There he led consensus-based studies on water resource management. Ed was also a supervising environmental scientist with the St. Johns River Water Management District in Florida where he managed an 800-acre constructed wetland. Ed holds PhD and MSc degrees in environmental resource management from University College Dublin in Ireland and a BSc degree in biology from Bangor University in Wales.
Video Length - 9:53
Development of a Multif ... more. |
... of the Bee Integrated farmers in North Dakota establish their habitat," said Mike Smith, CTIC's Bee Integrated project manager.
Building on a successful 3-year pilot program in North Dakota, the Bee Integrated Demonstration Project stands as a model for beekeepers and farmers in other states to coordinate on best practices in pollinator habitat, varroa mite management, and crop pest management that can help improve colony health.
Data from six beekeeper/farmer-landowner pairs demonstrated that implementing the best management practices together resulted in:
Larger honey bee colonies
More pollen diversity in bees' diets
More managed and native bees observed foraging in established habitat
Practical insights from farmers and ... more. |
Watershed Management Starter Kit
This complete kit includes seven guides (Getting to Know Your Watershed, Building Local Partnerships, Putting Together a Watershed Management Plan, Managing Conflict, Leading and Communicating, and two others), a 13-minute dvd video (Partnerships for Watersheds), companion brochure and an application to the National Watershed Network. In other words, it includes everything you need ... more. |
... audience represented numerous roles in the agriculture industry, such as growers, agricultural retailers, members of the media, agricultural and conservation organization representatives, federal and state agency representatives, students and researchers.
Tour high points:
Constructed wetland known as a stormwater treatment area that helps decrease the amount of nutrients in water running off of crop fields
Best Management Practices that agricultural producers can use to keep soil and inputs on their fields
Wooden boxes posted around fields as homes for owls
Sugarcane planting and harvesting
A beautiful view of the sunset over Lake Okeechobee
What you had to say about t ... 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-til ... 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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The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and Conservation Information Technology Center (CTIC) partnered to provide information to watershed professionals throughout the state of Indiana. Below you can find agendas and presentations from those events.
Managing Runoff Networking Session
December 2009
Presentations
Riparian Forest Buffers
Wetland and Stream Restoration
2 Stage Ditch ... more. |
... Animal Science. Following graduation he worked on a swine farm. He then accepted a position in his home county as an Extension Associate as an Agriculture Agent. To maintain his position he return to graduate school and graduated from Michigan State University with a Master Degree in Animal Science. As an Extension Educator he has presented classes in animal science, agronomy, pesticides, farm management and water quality issues. Florian lives on a small farm near Pioneer Ohio with his wife Patricia.
Lake Huron Coordinator
Paul Gross
Isabella County MSU Extension
200 N. Main Stret, 3rd Floor
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
Phone: 989-773-1622 ext 302
Email: grossp@msu.edu
... more. |
Manure Management Planner (MMP) is a Windows-based computer program developed at Purdue University that is used to create manure management plans for crop and animal feeding operations. The user enters information about the operation's fields, crops, storage, animals, and application equipment. MMP helps the user allocate manure (where, when and how much) on a monthly basis for the length of the plan. Purdue&# ... more. |
... 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
Soil Conservation
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... learning about cover benefits, hear a farmer’s perspective on successfully adopting cover crops, see a demonstration of how to sign up for the program, and more.
Fact sheets from SARE, Extension Etc.
The following downloadable fact sheets from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program explain the impact cover crops have on soil erosion, water use, nutrient cycling and much more.
10 Ways Cover Crops Enhance Soil Health
Farmers can improve soil health by planting cover crops, which are planted between cropping seasons to protect and improve the soil. By keeping a living root in the ground for as long as possible, cover crops help build soil organic matter, improve water infiltration and water-holding capacity, decrease compaction, reduce erosio ... more. |
... intended to help offset their costs for the use of in-field practices—cover crops and no-till—which yield quantifiable reductions in the amount of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) delivered to the adjacent surface water bodies that drain to Lake Erie. CTIC’s partner in the program, Heidelberg University, is quantifying the reductions for each participating grower using the Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT) model and reporting this to CTIC. CTIC will provide cash payments to the grower using funds collected from purchasers of these credits. In the pilot program, Bayer CropScience purchased credits at a rate of $100 per pound of DRP. DRP runoff in the basin averages 0.3 pounds per acre; reductions are expected to be in the range of 0.05 to 0.1 pounds per acre. Based on those ... more. |
... crop advisors, researchers, policy makers, regulators, agribusiness leaders, conservation group staffers and other stakeholders to share information on farming practices that can help farmers become more economically and environmentally sustainable. The Center's staff develops demonstration projects, convenes and facilitates meetings, disseminates research findings, runs market-based nutrient credit programs, and serves as a hub for information on a wide range of conservation farming topics. CTIC staff members sum up their mission as "champion, promote and provide information on climate smart, sustainable agricultural systems."
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... team will use those details to calculate the effect of each farmer's conservation practices on dissolved reactive phosphorus loading in the watershed. Farmers will be paid according to the amount of DRP their conservation practices retained on their land.
For our inaugural year, we chose to focus on cover cropping and no-till. We also encourage farmers to apply the 4Rs of Nutrient Stewardship—the right source, right rate, right time and right place—which can also significantly reduce the off-target movement of phosphorus and other nutrients.
CTIC is accepting wait list applications for future years of the PLUS-UP program. Click here to learn more or sign up.
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... opening talk by Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and the lunch speech by State Conservationist Kurt Simon have generated a lot of excitement," Komp adds. "Those are big draws on top of the dozens of talks by people from across agriculture who put conservation to work every day to help Iowa meet its Nutrient Reduction Strategy while feeding and fueling the world."
Highlights of the tour include:
A visit to the LICA Farm, an 80-acre demonstration site featuring constructed conservation systems
Installation of a wood chip bioreactor
Iowa Learning Farms' Conservation Station on the Edge demonstration trailer
The chance to drive Growmark's sprayer training simulator
... more. |
Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force
Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico--Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium
USGS Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico Studies
National Ocean Service
Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Watch
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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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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.
& ... more. |
The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) is a strong advocate of 4R nutrient stewardship - right source, right rate, right time, right place - and a leading proponent of ensuring that sound science is a solid component of public policy decisions. |
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 nutrient distribution and provide essential nutrients crops need in one granule, with two forms of sulfur for season-long nutrition.
The Micr ... 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 reducing the need for herbicides
Suppress soil-born diseases and nematodes, potentially reducing the need for insecticides
Attract beneficial insects such as pollinators
Increase yields of the following crop
Improve soil quality
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... recognizes Gold Corporate Member, The Mosaic Company, in our member spotlight. The Mosaic Company sponsors our 30th Anniversary, the Indian Creek Watershed Project and serving as Tour Leader sponsor for the Conservation In Action Tour for the second year in a row. The Mosaic Company is the world's leading producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash, two of the primary nutrients required to grow the food the world needs.
INSTITUTIONAL
The Fertilizer Institute, Gold Institutional Member, sponsors our 30th Anniversary, Tier 1 of Indian Creek as well as a tile monitoring station, the Conservation in Action Tour since 2009, the 2008 Commodity Classic 2008 giveaway and the Nu ... more. |
February 18, 2010
8:30 am – 4:00 pm (Central time)
Verizon Wireless Center
1 Civic Center Plaza
Mankato, Minnesota
Commercial fertilizer and livestock manure are recognized assets to agricultural operations. They both contain essential plant nutrients which enhance crop yields when properly applied to soils. Nutrients can be managed efficiently with the latest techniques and technologies, to avoid the potential financial and environmental risks of nitrogen and phosphorus reaching surface and ground water. Learn about research developments and new tools for improving on-farm nutrient efficiency.
Contact:brian.c.williams@st ... more. |
... (WQT) - National Perspective - Mark Keiser Presenter
Benefits & Obstacles in WQT - A Maryland Perspective - George Kelly Presenter
Benefits & Obstacles in WQT - A Maryland Perspective - Cy Jones Presenter
WQT Program in Maryland - Point Source to Non Point Source Programs - Steve Luckman Presenter
Maryland's Water Quality Trading Program - Phase II - Agricultural Nutrient Trading in Maryland - John Rhoderick Presenter
Water Quality Trading: Issues from the Wastewater Plant Perspective - Cy Jones Presenter
Water Quality Credit Trading Workshop - Jim Klang Presenter
The Nation's Conservation Districts - Bob Ensor Presenter
Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program (FSCAP) - Gerald Talbert Presenter
CTIC Water Quality Credit Aggreg ... more. |
... period, August 1 to September 15.
Plant warm season grasses between April 1 and June 1. *
Maintenance
Delay mowing field borders until July 15 to allow time for young nesting birds to leave their nests.
Reseed as necessary to maintain desired cover. *
Shut off farm chemical sprayers when turning on a field border, and insist custom chemical applicators do the same.
Maintain nutrient levels. If vegetative cover declines, apply 30 lbs. Nitrogen, 20 lbs. Phosphate and 20 lbs. potash per acre. *
* Check local recommendations.
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... grass or legumes.
How it works
Crops are arranged so that 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 a ... more. |
... 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 conversations among producers, agricultural advisors, community ... more. |
... 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 conversations among producers, agricultural advisors, community ... more. |
... detailed accounting of the environmental footprint of their raw materials, stakeholders throughout the agri-food supply chain are working diligently to quantify and benchmark sustainability. CTIC is a partner in several initiatives to bring together participants from various points in the supply chain to develop metrics and processes that provide useful insight and fit into real-world, on-farm management systems.
Phosphorus Water Quality Trading Program in Western Lake Erie
CTIC, in partnership with Ecosystem Services Marketplace Consortium (ESMC), Heidelberg University in Ohio, and others, has been awarded a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This grant will be used launch a brand-new program to compensate farmers for conserva ... more. |
CTIC has completed their workwith USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on a project in support of NWQI. This project identifiedsuccessful watershed management activities that engaged landowners, farmers, and the broader public to protect water quality. Insights developed through this project will inform future NRCS efforts to support local watershed initiatives with technical and financial resources.
As a first step, CTIC convenedwatershed leaders from across the country at five forums to learn from their experience—successful or otherwi ... more. |
... home, where we work and where we play. Everyone relies on water and other natural resources to exist. What you and others do on the land impacts the quality and quantity of water and our other natural resources. Understanding your watershed is the first step in protecting the water and other natural resources.
Building Partnerships
Partnerships are a key to effective watershed management. Through a partnership different people and organizations work together to address common interests and concerns. A partnership is the easiest way to develop and implement a successful watershed management plan because everyone is involved from the beginning.
Ground Water and Surface Water
Water. It's vital for all of us. We depend on its good quality and quantity for dr ... more. |
... of Tuesday, August 20, with a keynote speaker and social reception at the beautiful World Food Prize Hall of Laureates in downtown Des Moines.
Watch the CIA Tour Invitation video
Wednesday, August 21, will be a full day of touring, including stops at:
Couser Cattle Company in Nevada. The Cousers are pioneers in corn stover harvest and utilization, manure management and precision application of inputs. They will also describe their 220-acre AGvocacy Learning Farm project.
New Century FS Melbourne Service Center. Facility manager Dan Hart and his team will open their state-of-the-art plant for a look at commercial-scale management of fertilizer, seed treatments and other inputs. The FS team will also provide an exploration of the role of Certified Crop Advi ... more. |
April marks the launch of the first data set from the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), which combines satellite sensing technology with sophisticated modeling to map the adoption of conservation practices on the landscape.
The 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 adopti ... more. |
... monitoring to measure water quality.
CTIC and Livingston SWCD partner with Argonne National Laboratories to study the growth and water quality effects of bio-energy crops in the Indian Creek watershed.
Through a USDA Mississippi River Basin Initiative grant, USDA-NRCS and Livingston County SWCD provide financial assistance to farmers implementing best resource management practices.
Every farmer in the watershed will be contacted to implement conservation practices/systems.
Illinois native Dr. Harold F. Reetz, Jr. leads design and oversight of demonstration and testing plots. These will measure the effectiveness of how farmers manage fertilizer and manure and will demonstrate systems of best management practices for red ... more. |
The National Crop Residue Management (CRM) Survey is the only survey in the U.S. to measure at the county level the type of tillage used by crop. Tillage methods tracked are: no-till, mulch-till, reduced-till, and conventional tillage. Click here to see the tillage definitions.
Available Data
Data is available online from 1989 to 2008. Some of the data can be accessed without a password (unsecured data) and the rest requires a ... more. |
Nitrogen fertilizer costs remain volatile but continue to be one of the most expensive variable costs for corn.
Purdue Nitrogen Management Update for Indiana (revised N recommendations from Tri-State Fert Recs)
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The goal of IMMAG is to identify and share manure management information and educational programs, which can be used by producers, technical agencies, educational institutions, researchers, and the general public.
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The purpose of this Air Management Practices Assessment Tool is to guide you through a process of determining which mitigation practices are best suited to your operation and your objectives. The website is organized into four air emissions of interest: dust (particulates), odor, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide. Within each gas or emittent, sources of emission are categorized by housing, manure storage, or land application.
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... 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.
200.190.A An operator of an animal facility or manure utilization area shall attend a training program on the operation of animal manure management under the program created by Clemson University.
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The purpose of this Ohio Livestock Manure Management Guide is to help farmers utilize manure as a resource while at the same time protecting our shared environment. A guiding principal for the writers of this edition of Bulletin 604 was to address the needs of both large and small livestock producers. This updated edition contains new and expanded sections.
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... projects administered by CTIC.
Qualifications
Journalism or communications degree; or relative, adequate experience
Knowledge of agriculture and conservation issues
Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and thrive in fast-paced environment
Organizational and time management skills
Proficiency in Microsoft Office 2010 and Adobe Design Premium CS4 Suite
Familiarity with web site development and content management
Self-motivation to work independently as well as social skills to work in team environment
To apply, send resume and at least three writing samples to
Amber Gritter
Conservation Technology Information Center
3495 ... more. |
... the standards to ensure producing biofuels from cellulose won't cause damage 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 ... more. |
...
For any additional questions, contact Norm Widman at norm.widman@wdc.usda.gov or 202-720-3783.
Potential practices and management to address increased soluble reactive phosphorus:
Use continuous no-till cropping and high-residue mulch till systems to improve soil tilth and reduce runoff and erosion.
Use cover crops to take up nutrients from summer and fall applications of manure and fertilizers, reduce erosion and runoff.
Incorporate more of the nutrients.
Do not apply nutrients from any source during the winter season, unless fully incorporated.
Implement soil tests on all cropland fields and follow agronomic application recommendations.
Implement precision farming technologies to better match ... more. |
... and selling the bundle of carbon credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX). Participating growers received an average of $1.20 per ton of sequestered carbon. Official CCX estimates for carbon sequestration range from 0.2 to 0.6 metric tons per acre on no-tilled cropland, 1 metric ton per acre on long-term grassland (such as CRP ground) and 0.12 to 0.52 metric tons on rangeland with enhanced management practices.
In a pioneering carbon offset trading program in Alberta, Canada, 47 percent of the offsets are from agricultural land. On theChicago Climate Exchange, 25.52 percent of the offsets have been purchased from farmers. In Canada, provincial carbon offset trading in Alberta and Saskatchewan are paving the way for nationwide caps on industrial greenhouse gas emissions that will kick in ... more. |
Evaluating and using a tailored pest management system to reduce crop and environmental damages. Scouting is done to identify insects, weeds and diseases.
How it works
Crops are scouted to determine type of pests—insects, weeds and diseases—and the
stage o ... more. |
... canopy.
How it helps
Ground cover prevents soil erosion and protects water quality.
Residue improves soil tilth and adds organic matter to the soil as it decomposes.
Fewer trips and less tillage reduces soil compaction.
Time, energy and labor savings are possible with fewer tillage trips.
Planning ahead
Will your crop produce enough residue?
Is crop residue management part of a planned system of conservation measures?
Do you have the needed equipment?
Tech notes
Planning for residue cover begins at harvest.
Ensure ample residues are spread evenly over the field by the combine.
Reduce the number of unnecessary tillage passes.
Every tillage pass buries more crop residue.
Use straight points and sweeps on chisel plows instead of twisted poin ... more. |
Many low-cost manure management publications are available from the MidWest Plan Service, a university-based publishing cooperative dedicated to publishing and disseminating research-based, peer-reviewed, practical, and affordable publications that support the outreach missions of the 12 North Central Region land grant universities plus the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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... 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.
200.190.A An operator of an animal facility or manure utilization area shall attend a training program on the operation of animal manure management under the program created by Clemson University.
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In Illinois, there are three different manure management plans that a livestock facility might need to have. University of Illinois Extension has worked with Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to develop one website of step-by-step instructions that, if completed, will comply with the needs of all three agencies.
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Initiatives, publications, and opportunities for multi-state collaboration in animal waste management.
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Design of manure storage and treatment facilities requires an understanding of the operation involved in food animal production and engineering design principles. It also requires access to manure production data, as well as reporting and presentation software to put it all together. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service created the Animal Waste Management computer program to bring all of these features together.
This software has been used by consultants and government technical service providers for a number of years in designing storage and treatment facilities for animal production operations all over the country. The 2008 EPA CAFO rules cite this tool as part of the procedure to determine if a facility will discharge animal waste.
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Conservation Tillage Systems and Management Handbook
The 29 chapters not only cover a broad range of topics, but the authors represent all regions of the United States. The right book for those with a basic understanding of conservation tillage who want to expand their technical knowledge.
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A partnership of organizations including Conservation Technology Information Center, the Indiana Soybean Alliance, and The Fertilizer Institute measured adoption of conservation practices on Indiana farms.The survey revealed reasons farm operators and landownersdo not adopt conservation practices. Building onthe success of the recentnational Best Management Practices (BMPs) Survey, thissurvey recorded the conservation efforts of Indiana farmers and identified how to assist farmers in choosing appropriate and profitable conservation practices.
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... 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 produced is used on their farm for fertilizer and soil amendment
• Nearly 50 acres of conservation buffers along ditches
Meadowlane Farms , Frankfort, Indiana
• Tillage reduced by 75 percent on 1,300 acres of corn and soybeans
• Balanced feed rations to produce balanced manure from 15,000-head hog operation
• Custom-application o ... 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) ... more. |
... Officer, Ducks Unlimited
Ryan Heiniger, Executive Director, Conservation Technology Information Center
1:15 The Duck Factory from a Rancher and Waterfowl Scientist Perspectives
Video of Doan Family and Black Leg Ranch
Ryan Taylor, ND Rancher & Ducks Unlimited Director of Public Policy
Dr. Mike Brasher, Sr. Waterfowl Scientist, Ducks Unlimited
2:00 Optimal management of your farm for waterfowl and waterfowl hunting
George Dunklin, Five Oaks – Stuttgart, Arkansas & Past DU National President
2:30 Opportunities for Cost-Share for Rice & Habitat Stewardship Practices
Josh Hankins, Director of Grower Relations and Rice Stewardship,USA Rice Federation
Dr. Scott Manley, Director Agriculture Support, Ducks Unlimited
... more. |
... trend (Positive, negative, p<0.10) in annual average herbaceous NPP (gC/m2/yr) or no trend (p>=0.10).
View Data
Data Release April 2024
NPP Deviation from Weather
Deviation of NPP trends from what would be expected based on regional weather (2015-2021).
Comparison is based ona statistical model trained using data for 2001-2021. The deviation may be associated with management changes, but this inference has not yet been studied. Results available at watershed (HUC8) and Crop Reporting District (CRD) geographic scales.
View Data
Data Release April 2024
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... 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
Cr ... more. |
... Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities program.
The overall project (ACTION) is being led by theWolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment, which was awarded up to $35 million by USDA to conduct this new partnership pilot.Through their global collaborative, Open Technology Ecosystem for Agricultural Management (OpenTEAM),Wolfe’s Neck Center will lead an alliance of over 60 national and regional buyers, funders, and organizations to launch and support climate-smart agricultural pilot projects on farms and ranches in the Northeast, Mountain West, and California.
The Connectorwill allow producers and landowners to find programs and service providers who can help plan, impl ... more. |
... 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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... at the farm-field scale, the privacy of individual producers is fully protected by distributing only spatially-aggregated results – at the county and watershed (8-digit HUC) scale.
CTIC has been the primary source of this type of conservation practice monitoring data for nearly 30 years. In partnership with USDA and many others, the CTIC curates and distributes the National Crop Residue Management (CRM) Survey, collected using validated transect methods – annually in most states from 1989 through 2004, and again in 2006 and 2008. OpTIS fills critical gaps on recent trends in conservation tillage practices, as well as tracking the adoption of winter cover crops.
The data available using OpTIS are critically important for multiple public- and private-sector stakeholders. For instanc ... more. |
... Registration for the FSH program is now open and farmers can enroll any time using the DTN enrollment form. CTIC's goal is to enroll 30,000 acres of cover crops in Wisconsin for the Farmers for Soil Health program.
Catie Geib is the former My Wisconsin Woods Coordinator at the Aldo Leopold Foundation, where she collaborated closely with Wisconsin landowners to foster sustainable land management practices on forested properties. Hailing from Northern California, Catie's upbringing on a multi-generational ranch instilled a profound connection to the land. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with a concentration in soil science from Montana State University.
“I am excited to join CTIC and contribute to their mission of advancing soil health and sustai ... more. |
... reported saving money on herbicides after cover crops, and 55% saw no change in herbicide expenditures. Among the "no change" group, 3 out of 4 observed better weed control in corn after cover crops.
Of the farmers using cover crops, 70.3% said it was helpful when transitioning to no-till, in part because of reduced soil compaction, better weed control, and better soil moisture management.
Slightly more cover crop users than non-users reported renting all of their farmland (14% of users vs. 10% of non-users), and non-users were just as likely as cover crop users to own 100% of their farm ground.
The seed supply chain is working effectively to scale with growing adoption. Only 7% of the cover crop users reported regular challenges in sourcing cover crop seed. Seed quality is im ... more. |
... 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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... With EPA
CTIC waded right in on a pair of wetland projects funded under U.S. EPA's National Aquatic Resource Survey (NARS) program.
First, we visited Minnesota's Root River Watershed, where local conservation district staff, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and other stakeholders are engaged in an innovative One Watershed, One Plan program that coordinates watershed management and cleanup efforts. The Root River will be the focus of a story map that explores a wide range of watershed protection and monitoring measures and ties in data from NARS nationwide assessments.
(For a peek at a story map our friends at St. Mary's University of Minnesota developed with us on the PLUS-UP program, click here.)
From the Root, we headed north to the Ojib ... more. |
... in systems that help make farmers more economically and environmentally sustainable. Current projectsinclude:
•The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), which uses satellite imagery and a specialalgorithmto documentthe adoption of soil-building farming practices;
•Spearheading stimulus projects that encourage phosphorus managementto protect surface waters in the Western Lake Erie Basin;
•Conducting educational programs on conservation practices;
•Hostingtechnical conferences with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency;
•and more.
An ideal candidate will combine leadership skills, technical acumen and a passion for helping farmers succeed with practices that help ... more. |
... in systems that help make farmers more economically and environmentally sustainable. Current projectsinclude:
•The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), which uses satellite imagery and a specialalgorithmto documentthe adoption of soil-building farming practices;
•Spearheading stimulus projects that encourage phosphorus managementto protect surface waters in the Western Lake Erie Basin;
•Conducting educational programs on conservation practices;
•Hostingtechnical conferences with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency;
•and more.
An ideal candidate will combine leadership skills, technical acumen and a passion for helping farmers succeed with practices that help ... more. |
... to protect the lake and help us pilot a program we believe has the potential to work on a landscape scale.
Structuring the payments so farmers can access them in addition to other programs that promote conservation is important to us. So is a framework that does not penalize farmers who have been leaders in conservation agriculture.
Farmers play a key role in stewarding nutrients in the Western Lake Erie Basin, and markets are evolving quickly to compensate them for the ecosystem services they provide. With funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a bold and generous commitment by Bayer in buying our first credits, the water quality expertise of the team at Heidelberg, and the patience and perseverance of our ... more. |
... to protect the lake and help us pilot a program we believe has the potential to work on a landscape scale.
Structuring the payments so farmers can access them in addition to other programs that promote conservation is important to us. So is a framework that does not penalize farmers who have been leaders in conservation agriculture.
Farmers play a key role in stewarding nutrients in the Western Lake Erie Basin, and markets are evolving quickly to compensate them for the ecosystem services they provide. With funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a bold and generous commitment by Bayer in buying our first credits, the water quality expertise of the team at Heidelberg, and the patience and perseverance of our ... 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 sensing
& ... more. |
40 YEARS OF CONSERVATION IN ACTION
In 2022, the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) is celebrating 40 years of Conservation in Action. That's four decades of bringing a wide range of people to the table to explore conservation farming systems from nearly every angle. Forty years of growth and expansion...from our early projects promoting no-till to our current programs that help farmers, con ... more. |
... 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 videos that bring you across the country, from multi-generational commitment to conservation farming in Ohio, to in-depth explorations of carbon farming, phosphorus management, pollinator habitat and—CTIC's specialty—connecting for conservation.
In 2022, we hope to have the 15th annual CTIC Conservation in Action Tour back on the bus.
Watch our website and social media for more information about joining us in person in 2022!
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... Arkansas
Selecting the Right Practices
John Lee, USDA NRCS National Water Management Center, Little Rock, Arkansas
Resources for Technical Support
Keith Scoggins, USDA NRCS District Conservationist, Wynne, Arkansas
Selecting A Contractor
Keith Scoggins, USDA NRCS District Conservationist, Wynne, Arkansas
Arkansas’ Nutrient Reduction Strategy
Ken Brazil, Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, Little Rock, Arkansas
Water Quality and Groundwater Recharge
Michele Reba, USDA-ARS Delta Water Management Research, Jonesboro, Arkansas
Tailwater Recovery Systems and Reservoir Design
Michele Reba, USDA-ARS Delta Water Management Research, Jonesboro, Arkansas
Mary Yeager, Arkansas ... more. |
... a roller-crimper, or other methods. In this year’s survey, 52% of farmers planted green into cover crops on at least some of their fields. (In the 2016-2017 report, the most recent prior survey by SARE, CTIC and ASTA, 39% of the respondents had planted green.)
• Of the farmers planting green, 71% reported better weed control
• 68% reported better soil moisture management, particularly valuable in a wet spring
Horticulture producers also benefit
For the first time, the survey queried horticulture producers about how cover crops have impacted their profit. Of the 184 horticulture producers responding to that question, 35% reported a moderate increase in net profit (defined as an increase of 5% or more), and another 23% reported a minor increase in n ... more. |
... after with herbicides, a roller-crimper, or other methods. In this year’s survey, 52% of farmers planted green into cover crops on at least some of their fields. (In the 2016-2017 report, the most recent prior survey by SARE, CTIC and ASTA, 39% of the respondents had planted green.)
Of the farmers planting green, 71% reported better weed control
68% reported better soil moisture management, particularly valuable in a wet spring
Horticulture producers also benefit
For the first time, the survey queried horticulture producers about how cover crops have impacted their profit. Of the 184 horticulture producers responding to that question, 35% reported a moderate increase in net profit (defined as an increase of 5% or more), and another 23% reported a minor increase i ... more. |
... a progressive, international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. Based in Madison, WI, SSSA is the professional home for 6,000+ members dedicated to advancing the field of soil science. It provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling, and wise land use.
About the Soil and Water Conservation Society
The Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) is the premier international organization for professionals who practice and advance the science and art of natural resource conservation.
About the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service
NRCS provides farmers, r ... more. |
... a progressive, international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. Based in Madison, WI, SSSA is the professional home for 6,000+ members dedicated to advancing the field of soil science. It provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling, and wise land use.
About the Soil and Water Conservation Society
The Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) is the premier international organization for professionals who practice and advance the science and art of natural resource conservation.
About the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service
NRCS provides farmers, r ... more. |
... 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 other partners, CTIC led a detailed research project into the agronomic, environmental and economic impact of cover crops in 7 states. Lessons learned ranged from better cover crop management to improved design of multi-variate studies.
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... signed on as a Diamond-level sponsors of the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) Conservation in Action Tour. The tour, which will be held August 20 and 21 in Des Moines, Iowa, is CTIC's 12th annual program of its type.
The tour will include a wide range of practices, from prairie strips to bioreactors, interseeded cover crops, stover harvesting, drainage water management techniques, and precision application of fertilizer. The tour also includes lunch at New Century FS and dinner and a keynote speaker at Jester Park Lodge in Granger, Iowa.
Bayer, Mosaic and Syngenta have sponsored previous Conservation in Action Tours. The Conservation Infrastructure Initiative signed on this year specifically to expose tour participants from around the country to co ... more. |
Bayer CropScience, The Mosaic Company, Syngenta and the Conservation Infrastructure Initiative co-led by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the Iowa Association of Water Agencies (IAWA) have signed on as a Diamond-level sponsors of the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) Conservation in Action Tour. The tour, which will be held August 20 and 21 in Des Moines, Iowa, is C ... more. |
... Technology Information Center (CTIC) Conservation in Action Tour. The tour, which will be held August 20 and 21 in Des Moines, Iowa, is CTIC's 12th annual program of its type.
The tour will include a wide range of practices, from prairie strips to bioreactors, interseeded cover crops, stover harvesting, drainage water management techniques, and precision application of fertilizer. The tour also includes lunch at New Century FS and dinner and a keynote speaker at Jester Park Lodge in Granger, Iowa.
Bayer, Mosaic and Syngenta have sponsored previous Conservation in Action Tours. The joint IDALS-IAWA initiative signed on this year specifically to expose t ... more. |
... group
Jason Gomes, CCA, of North Iowa Agronomy Partners, exploring the role of crop advisers in conservation planning
Greg Wandrey of The Nature Conservancy, outlining training resources offered by the 4R Plus program
Robert Mier, resource conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, detailing conservation incentive programs in Iowa
Keegan Kult of the Ag Drainage Management Coalition, describing conservation practices and programs for tile drained landscapes
Tim Recker of the Iowa Land Improvement Contractors Association, detailing constructed practices for sloping landscapes.
Videos of each of the presentations are available on www.ctic.org. Click here for a look.
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... serving as its new Executive Director in order to carry out its mission, which is to “connect, champion, and provide information on sustainable agricultural systems and technologies that are productive, profitable and preserve natural resources.”
The Executive Director is responsible for oversight and direction of programs, including quality control, financial and budget management, fund raising, fostering member involvement and commitment, facilitating public/private partnerships, and maintaining productive internal and external relations. This role reports to the CTIC Board of Directors and informs the board to guide its governance of the organization.
Applications are due by 5:00 pm Eastern time on Friday, March 1.
For more information or to sub ... more. |
Don't forget to register AND book your hotel room for the 2018 Conservation In Action Tour!
Join us on the Eastern Shore of Maryland on July 10 and 11 for our 11thannual Conservation in Action Tour. For more than a decade, we’ve been bringing together people from across the country with different perspectives on conservation agriculture for a front row view of the latest and best management practices. This year’s theme, “Bringing Back the Bay: Partnerships, Profitable Farms, Clean Water, & Innovative Conservation,” will highlight several Maryland farmers who are leading the way in conservation efforts and the partnerships that help them succeed.
Click hereto register!
The designated tour hotel is the Westin of Annapolis.Time is running out to ... more. |
... 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 yielding a guide for NRCS, partners and stakeholders on organizing local watershed groups and creating successful watershed products. The guide, being prepared by Dr. Linda Prokopy of Purdue University in collaboration with CTIC, will be released in the fall of 2019.
NARS ... more. |
... potential for increased profitability in a system that utilizes cover crops.
The project will also investigate 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. Departmen ... more. |
... to the table."
Gustafson adds that the internet offers a perfect tool for CTIC's information-sharing efforts.
"Back in the early '90s, before the world wide web and browsers, we were trying to craft systems that would use dial-in messaging capabilities of the time to allow people to find the information they were looking for on no-till and crop residue management," he notes. "At the time, it was cutting edge, though now it seems so primitive. Today, we can use the web to deliver documents, videos, data—anything people could want to know about conservation systems. It's the perfect time for us to create a new site and put people in touch with our treasure trove of information."
# #&n ... more. |
Environmental Change Initiative, June 2016
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... agricultural landscapes.
"What 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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... Efforts in Iowa
Wallaces Farmer, August 2018
Landowners Support Cover Crops
Corn and Soybean Digest, August 2018
Time Is Money
Corn and Soybean Digest, July 2018
Nitrogen Cycling and Cover Crops
Corn and Soybean Digest, June 2018
All In On Cover Crop
Corn and Soybean Digest, April 2018
Study Links Best Management Practices To Cleaner Watershed
Environmental Change Initiative, June 2016
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... forget to register for the 2018 Conservation In Action Tour!
We’d love for you to join us on the Eastern Shore of Maryland on July 10 and 11 for our 11thannual Conservation in Action Tour. For more than a decade, we’ve been bringing together people from across the country with different perspectives on conservation agriculture for a front row view of the latest and best management practices. This year’s theme, “Bringing Back the Bay: Partnerships, Profitable Farms, Clean Water, & Innovative Conservation,” will highlight several Maryland farmers who are leading the way in conservation efforts and the partnerships that help them succeed.
Click hereto register!
The designated tour hotel is the Westin of Annapolis. Book your room by June 8 to ... more. |
... providing commodities to downstream partners and how farming more sustainably can have a positive impact on the 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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... Tour will take place on July 11 and 12 near the beautiful Chesapeake Bay in the Maryland and Washington D.C. area. More information will be announced as it is finalized in the coming months. We’re excited to continue bringing together people from across the country with different perspectives on conservation agriculture – and of course, a front row view of the latest and best management practices.
CTIC audit results
We’re proud to report another successful audit in 2017. The 990 will be posted in the Members Only section of the website within a week. We look forward to continuing to improve and learn as an organization in 2018!
Want to get involved? Join a CTIC committee
If you’re looking for ways to get connected and share your ideas and goals wi ... more. |
2018 Conservation In Action Tour – July 10-11, Eastern Shore of Maryland
For 11 years, we've been bringing together people from across the country with different perspectives on conservation agriculture for a front row view of the latest and best management practices.
Registration is OPEN!Click hereto register.
The designated tour hotel is the Westin of Annapolis. Book your room by June 8 to secure the block rate. The Westin is honoring the block rate three days before the tour and three days post-tour.Click herefor more information andto lock in your room rate.
Opportunities for tour sponsorship are avail ... more. |
... in Action Tour will take place on July 11 and 12 near the beautiful Chesapeake Bay in the Maryland and Washington D.C. area. More information will be announced as it is finalized in the coming months. We're excited to continue bringing together people from across the country with different perspectives on conservation agriculture - and of course, a front row view of the latest and best management practices.
CTIC audit results
We're proud to report another successful audit in 2017. The 990 will be posted in the Members Only section of the website within a week. We look forward to continuing to improve and learn as an organization in 2018!
Want to get involved? Join a CTIC committee
If you're looking for ways to get connected and share your idea ... more. |
CTIC is working with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to improve the effective engagement by NRCS in delivering watershed projects and to enhance the agency's ability to communicate the issues and success of watershed projects. This project is identifying successful watershed management activities that engage landowners, farmers, and the broader public to protect water quality. Insights developed through this project will inform future NRCS efforts to support local watershed initiatives with technical and financial resources.
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... sustainably providing commodities to downstream partners and how farming more sustainably can have a positive impact on the 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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... State, Tribal and other partners working on water monitoring issues across waterbody types to:
Discuss and share information on the national aquatic resource surveys and their relationship to other state/tribal programs.
Provide technical training and tools so that States, Tribes and other partners can build their capacity to implement aquatic resource surveys at multiple scales (data management, analysis, interpretation).
Provide examples of how to use the aquatic resource survey methodology to inform state and tribal needs at multiple scales.
The NARS Workshops and Trainings were held in conjunction with the 8th National Water Quality Monitoring Conference (NWQMC).
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... puts their information through an algorithm to determine the risk of a manure application during the wet winter or early spring.
Risk analysis, conducted with their local conservation district.
“Relay cropping,” 30 to 50 pounds of Italian ryegrass or cereal rye blown on when they cultivate corn. By the time the silage is cut, a lush grass stand is in place to sequester excess nutrients and protect the field from runoff.
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... EPA, State, Tribal and other partners working on water monitoring issues across waterbody types to discuss and share information on the national aquatic resource surveys and their relationship to other state/tribal programs, provide technical training and tools so that States, Tribes and other partners can build their capacity to implement aquatic resource surveys at multiple scales (data management, analysis, interpretation) and to rovide examples of how to use the aquatic resource survey methodology to inform state and tribal needs at multiple scales.
Visit the National Aquatic Resource Surveys web site for more information.
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... EPA, State, Tribal and other partners working on water monitoring issues across waterbody types to discuss and share information on the national aquatic resource surveys and their relationship to other state/tribal programs, provide technical training and tools so that States, Tribes and other partners can build their capacity to implement aquatic resource surveys at multiple scales (data management, analysis, interpretation) and to rovide examples of how to use the aquatic resource survey methodology to inform state and tribal needs at multiple scales.
Visit the National Aquatic Resource Surveys web site for more information.
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South Florida Water Management District
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South Florida Water Management District
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... on environmental stewardship and education
Dow AgroSciences joined CTIC as a Gold Corporate Member during the summer of 2013. The company uses technology to conserve natural resources and provide educational tools. Dow AgroSciences nitrogen stabilizers, Instinct and N-Serve, are used as a best management practice for improving groundwater quality, optimizing plant nutrients and supporting environmental stewardship. Both products contain the same unique active ingredient to help reduce nitrate leaching into ground and surface water. This ingredient also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and makes more nitrogen available to plants.
Jason Moulin, portfolio marketing leader for Dow AgroSciences, noted that technology such as nitrogen stabilizers is essential ... more. |
Dan Forgey, farm manager at Cronin Farms in South Dakota, has been using no-till management for more than 17 years. Over that time, Forgey has developed a keen understanding of how his farming system works and where new challenges and opportunities exist.
The Next Step: Adding Cover Crop to a No-Till System (Video)
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This publication examines the factors that affect glyphosate performance and offers management
strategies to minimize fluctuations in its effectiveness.
The Glyphosate, Weeds, and Crops Series: Understanding Glyphosate To Increase Performance
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Safeguarding the environment is nothing new to John Deere - being green is in our blood. We know that responsible resource management is vital to our company, our employees, our customers, our neighbors and our world. John Deere works tirelessly to develop and offer products that are sound and sensible, efficient and effective. |
Agri Drain is a leader in agricultural drainage management systems. Our industry provides practice and product based solutions across our great nation. We can help offset the impact of weather, improve water quality and availability, reduce flooding, create wildlife habitat, and keep our farmers productive and profitable. |
... Conservation Innovation Grant, promotes the use of cover crops to ease farmers’ transition to use of continuous no-till. Continuous no-till (CNT) has been around long enough that there is little doubt among experts of its many advantages. Despite the proven economic and environmental benefits of CNT, some farmers remain hesitant to fully adopt the system. In 2004, the National Crop Residue Management survey indicated that only 22.6 percent of farmers were no-tilling. Attempting CNT without proper technical knowledge may cause a disastrous first year and taint opinions toward the practice. Potential economic risks and yield losses during the first five years also can cause farmers to resist CNT. However, if farmers can maintain a CNT system for three consecutive years, the risks begin to fade. ... more. |
... in the Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Huron watersheds with implementation of cover crops and conservation tillage systems on 15,000 acres by April 2013. Producers will receive technical, educational and social support to fully understand the benefits of cover crops and conservation tillage, to correctly incorporate the practices into their operation, to evaluate the changes and adapt management to optimize yield and resource protection. By providing this three-tiered support, this project builds producer capacity to effectively manage, adapt and commit to the long-term implementation of these conservation practices.
Partners
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Midwest Cover Crops Council, Ohio No-Till Council, The Ohio State University, Purdue University, Mich ... more. |
... conduct his own on-farm NUE using field-scale equipment with minimal disruption of his normal field operations
show how RTK guidance and variable-rate application equipment can improve nitrogen application efficiency
show how RTK yield monitoring equipment works at harvest time
show how the farmer and his advisers can collect data and make management decisions during the winter months.
We set plot sizes to match the farmer’s equipment width, which allowed him to do all of the plot work needed for the demonstration.
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... around 19,500 people in over 90 countries.
INSTITUTIONAL
CropLife America, Gold Institutional Member, is the national trade organization representing the nation's developers, manufacturers, formulators and distributors of plant science solutions for agriculture and pest management in the U.S.
INDIVIDUAL
Harold Reetz
We thank individual member Harold Reetz for his long-standing membership and participation in the Conservation In Action Tour.
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Economic Benefits with Environmental Protection
Explores many of the challenges, opportunities management tactics and successful marketing efforts that helped shape promotion of conservation in the Great Lakes watershed and North Central region.
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CTIC Silver Corporate Member, Agri Drain Corp, America's most complete supplier of water management products for wetlands, ponds, lakes, controlled drainage, and subsurface irrigation with the best guarantee. To learn more about Agri Drain Corp, visit www.agridrain.com
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... soil is improved.
Planning ahead
Are selected species suited to your soil types?
Have you chosen species that will help you reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides?
Have you chosen species that will meet the needs of your livestock?
Tech notes
Do not mix warm and cool season grasses in the same pasture.
Selected grass and legumes should be compatible with the planned management.
When only two grass species are selected, they should make up equal proportions of the seeding mixture.
Add legumes to improve forage quality and extend the grazing season.
Drill seed uniformly to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch.
Leave residues and till on the contour.
If erosion is a problem, leave at least 30% residue cover after planting.
Plant a nurse crop on steeper slopes or where w ... more. |
The Living Landscape
An interactive computer game that takes learners of all ages through various best management and conservation practices to turn a rundown farm and landscape into an environmental showplace! Point and click on various areas of the farm to answer related multiple choice questions. With each correct answer the farm scape changes to show the improvement made (complete with sound effects!). Once you make it through the set of questions correctly, the farm is set in motion with animation. A le ... more. |
On November 23, 2009, Agstar released FarmWare Version 3.3. FarmWare is an analytical tool designed to provide a preliminary assessment on the feasibility of integrating anaerobic digestion into an existing or planned manure management system. The new version contains updated computations for biogas generation and costs of digester systems. The software can be downloaded free from the AgSTAR Web site.
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Strips of grass or legumes in a contoured field, which help trap sediment and nutrients. Similar to stripcropping, but with narrower grass or
legume strips.
How it works
A series of grass strips are placed across the slope on a contour. The alternating strips of grass or other permanent vegetation slow runoff flow, trap sediment from the crop strips above, and increase water infiltration. Because the buffer strip is established on the contour, runoff flows evenly across ... more. |
CTIC Institutional Member, No-Till Farmer, provides the management information for farmers interested in and practicing reduced tillage techniques. To learn more about No-Till Farmer, visit www.no-tillfarmer.com/
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CTIC Institutional Member, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), is the nonprofit organization that represents America’s 3,000 conservation districts and the 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. Conservation districts are local units of government established under state law to carry out natural resource management programs at the local level. Districts work with millions of cooperating landowners and operators to help them manage and protect land and water resources on all private lands and many public lands in the United States.NACD's mission is to serve conservation districts by providing national leadership and a unified voice for natural resource conservation. To learn more about NACD, visit ... more. |
CTIC Institutional Member, LandPro LLC, specializes in consulting, property management, referrals, sales and acquisitions of agricultural land. To learn more about LandPro LLC, visit www.landprollc.com.
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CTIC Institutional Member, the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), is a new not-for-profit organization dedicated to responsible management of plant nutrients - N, P, K, secondary nutrients, and micronutrients - for the benefit of the human family. As world population and demand for food, fuel, feed, and fiber continue to increase, there is also a growing need for knowledge and information based on sound science. That's where IPNI comes in. To learn more about the International Plant Nutrition Institute, visit www.ipni.net
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CTIC Institutional Gold Member, CropLife America, is the national trade organization representing the nation's developers, manufacturers, formulators and distributors of plant science solutions for agriculture and pest management in the U.S. To find out more about CropLife America, visit www.croplifeamerica.org
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... specializes in restoration design, water resources, planning, and environmental engineering. TFG was founded and organized on the principles of flexible client services coupled with creative solutions, and we strive to produce a successful product not just for their clients, but with their clients. The quality of TFG's professional services is excellent and their status under management ownership has brought an unequalled level of effort and commitment to their product, from proposal to project completion. To learn more about The Flatwater Group, visit www.flatwatergroup.com.
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... media coverage by AgWired (for in-depth stories, interviews and photos visit Agwired). Find additional coverage at Farm Futures' tour article "Tour Proves Why Conservation is Still Cool" and No-Till Farmer's tweets the day of the event. CTIC thanks all members of the media who attended.
CTIC will partner with Delta F.A.R.M. (Delta Farmers Advocating Resource Management) to host the 2012 Conservation In Action Tour in Mississippi, early June 2012.
2011 Conservation In Action Tour sponsors included Agri Drain, AgRobotics/Agrium Advanced Technologies, AGROTAIN International, The Andersons, Case IH, The Fertilizer Institute, John Deere, Monsanto, The Mosaic Company, The Nature Conservancy, Ohio Corn and Wheat Association, Ohio Soybean Council, Pioneer ... more. |
... interviews and a survey to learn from farmers about their willingness to adopt offset-eligible practices. Those interested in learning more about the adoption of conservation tillage systems were provided with a sheet comparing conservation tillage systems and resources for further information. In addition, CTIC can provide interested farms with information about conservation tillage and related management practices that make conservation systems successful, including referral to a local tillage expert in their area.
For More Information
Click here to view helpful resources concerning conservation tillage systems.
View references of Understanding Conservation Tillage Systems.
Contact Karen Scanlon at Tel: (765) 494-9555 or Email: scanlon@ctic.org
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Crop Residue Management (CRM)
A year-round system beginning with the selection of crops that produce sufficient quantities of residue and may include the use of cover crops after low residue producing crops. CRM includes all field operations that affect residue amounts, orientation and distribution throughout the period requiring protection. Site-specific residue cover amounts needed are usually expressed in percent ... more. |
... 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 chemicals from entering water supplies.
Meadow or small grains cut soil erosion dramatically.
Crop rotations add diversity to an operation.
Planning ahead
Do you have use for other crops?
Cover crops may help in crop rotation.
Tech notes
Crops must be suited to your soils.
Design crop rotations to meet the residue needs of your crop residue management plans ... more. |
... 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 be state conservationist in Alabama.
CTIC – Tour planned for July 29, 2009 and invites all CASA to attend. Requested success
stories for information campaign.
Next Steps:
•KS send ema ... more. |
... member Earl Hafner of Panora says a mix of cover crops serve a vital purpose for his organic row crop and livestock operation. He plants winter hardy grains (cereal rye), winter hardy legumes (red clover and hairy vetch), and forage covers (radishes). Hafner says many different types of root systems improve soil quality and its holding capacity. “A mix of cover crops allows water soluble nutrients to be captured and available for the next year’s crop,” he said.
Hafner grows corn, soybeans, hay and small grains on about 1,500 acres, and runs a 250-cow/calf herd on another 500 acres. Hafner practices tillage, but only the top four inches of soil. He says cover crops help keep fall-applied manure from washing away. “When you turn cover crops over that are 6, 8 or 10 i ... more. |
... practices on carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas releases, as well as other environmental impacts of conservation farming practices, notes Dr. Rich Joost, Director of Production Research for USB in Chesterfield, Mo.
Collecting data from researchers around the world in a single, concise, readable document provides growers with important talking points about the benefits of their management choices, Joost says – insight that can help other stakeholders understand the dramatic improvements in environmental sustainability and productivity over the past several years.
“The bottom line is growers make decisions that help them do a good job and remain economically successful, but at the same time, they’re also doing things that are good for the environment,&rdquo ... more. |
... conservation stakeholders in the Pacific Northwest works to develop CRP exit strategies to encourage, allow and assist farmers with pursuing direct-seed no-till methods.
Photo courtesy of PNDSA
A local Pacific Northwest working group has been formed to find a solution. Representatives from the PNDSA, Spokane County Conservation District, Washington State University, USDA Risk Management Agency, NRCS and Washington State Farm Service Agency have worked to develop CRP exit strategies to encourage, allow and assist farmers with maintaining the environmental benefits of land formerly under CRP.
The working group has investigated some options, and will ask for input from groups with a vested interest in the outcome.
The best option for some CRP land is to remain under perma ... more. |
... 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.
Minnesota Project Releases Biofuels Study
The Minnesota Project, a nonprofit organization th ... more. |
... to create oil from hog manure.
The net result in either case is a net production of electricity and a substantial reduction in waste to be managed – just pounds of dry ash or char for every ton of wet manure that started the process. Compared to heavy, bulky loads of wet manure, dry ash is cheap to move and easy to apply, opening up a huge new land base for leftover nutrients.
Mark Wiese, who built a manure-fueled power plant on the family dairy near Greenleaf, Wis., with his brothers Dave, Ken and Dick, says the reduction in the volume of end product is dramatic.
“We produce 4,500 to 5,000 semi loads of manure per year,” Wiese says. “Now we reduce that to 18 dump trailers of ash. That's less than two percent of the s ... 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, pru ... more. |
... dikes or embankments—are built to trap water. These practices maintain a predetermined water level in an existing wetland. Adjustable outlets allow the landowner to fluctuate the water level during different seasons. Enhancement 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 pl ... more. |
... the basin large enough to control the runoff from a 10-year storm without overtopping.
Install a tile or infiltration outlet. *
Use fill material free if sod, roots, frozen materials and stones larger than 6 inches in diameter. It should also have correct moisture content
for adequate compaction.
Spacing for water and sediment control basins depends on the land slope, tillage and management system. Consult NRCS for recommended
spacing.
Maintenance
Reseed and fertilize as needed to maintain vegetative cover.
Check the basin after each large storm, and make any needed repairs.
* Check local recommendations.
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Various planner resources and research, educational programs and materials focus on economically feasible and environmentally-sound manure handling systems that also meet Federal, state, and local air and water quality protection regulations.
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... local recommendations.
Include a food plot if possible.
Encourage shrub growth between woodlands and grasslands.
Include bird houses and feeding stations in habitat areas.
Plant fruit and nut bearing trees or shrubs to the windward side of a woodland habitat area.
Maintenance
Prescribed burning may be necessary to regenerate growth and eliminate undesirable species.
Use weed management to maintain desirable plant and animal species.
Replant vegetation and trees if habitat area is damaged by disease or poor weather.
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This site is intended to bring together those having manure with those needing manure and includes a manure management planner. There are many other links to resources as well, including a listing of many Midwest testing labs, manure spreader calibration information, compost tipsheets and much more.
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Components of a Plan
Know your pests
Today, we are armed with improved controls of weeds, insects and diseases. The arsenal of management strategies available allows for better control with less environmental risk.
Know your action thresholds
Just the presence of weeds or pests doesn’t justify the application of a control measure. The weed and pest pressure must be a threat to reduce yields or quality enough to make sense. This level of pressure to justify a control measure is called the action threshold.
Know you ... more. |
Know Your Watershed
Livestock Waste Management
Core 4
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Innovative Cropping Systems Incentive Program (ICS)
Established 1996
ICS is a cooperative program that strives to furnish incentives that advance cropping management systems that offer efficiencies in crop production and enhance pollution reduction performance. ICS adoption incentives include outreach, technical transfer, education, demonstration, research, cooperation, development, partnerships and financial assistance.
Mission, Goals and Contact Information
http://colonialswcd.vaswcd.org
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Georgia Conservation Tillage Alliance
The mission of the Georgia Conservation Tillage Alliance is to promote the adoption of conservation tillage and other economically viable and environmentally sound agricultural and natural resource management practices through research, education, and communication.
Contact Information
www.gcta-ga.org
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... that the workgroup conducts. In addition 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 ... more. |
... the Individual Silver level
* Ad space in two issues of Partners magazine ($600 value)
* Recognition at two CTIC event during your annual membership term
* Two complimentary registrations to CTIC’s Conservation In Action Tour
* Recognition on CTIC’s Website
* One-year subscription to Partners magazine and Member Mail e-newsletter
* Access to Crop Residue Management Survey data from 1989 to 2004 through CTIC Website
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Quick Links
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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. |
