FREE WEBINAR ON USING SATELLITE DATA TO MODEL WATER QUALITY, APRIL 26 NOON EDT
A free webinar on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 12:00 pm EDT will feature key insights from researchers using data from the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) to help model water quality. Register here for the webinar and question-and-answer session with the panel.
Speakers during the live, hour-long "OpTIS 3.0: Unlocking Water Quality ... more. |
VirtualNational Recreational Water Quality Workshop
April 6-8, 2021
About the Workshop:
This virtual format, 3-day workshop will be a forum for recreational water quality managers, stakeholders, researchers and public health officials at all levels to share information and ideas about implementing a successful recreational water program. The focus of this workshop is on two common challenges in ambient recreational waters: fe ... more. |
Working closely with US EPA, CTIC is taking the agency's three-day National Recreational Water Quality Workshop virtual this year. Click here for the agenda.
The workshop provides a nationwide forum for recreational water quality managers, stakeholders, researchers and public health officials at all levels to share information and ideas about implementing successful recreational water quality programs. The program will focus on fecal contamination and harmful algal blooms (HABs) ... more. |
... to create a market-driven reduction in phosphorus (P) runoff in the Ohio watersheds—with more than $472,000.
Mike Komp, CTIC's executive director, pointed out that the project will link not only extensive data collection, modeling, and on-the-ground action, but also link farmers with food companies and other players in the agricultural supply chain seeking to improve water quality.
“This grant will kick start an effort to link farmers who work to reduce nutrient loss with supply chain participants," said Komp. "Through this partnership with farmers, researchers, market makers, and nonprofits, we will create the ability to quantify and reward farmers for their reductions in phosphorus loss. With all the issues related to water quality in ... 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 otherwise—with diverse watershed management and communication strategies. Their first forum to ... more. |
... taken for total suspended solids and phosphorus.
A Hydrolab probe was also used to gather dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, and conductivity data during each visit. Since July 2011, all parameters were sampled monthly through March 2012, when weekly sampling will began again. This sampling occurs at four sites located along Indian Creek and on one tributary.
Water quality sampling station locations.
US Geological Survey, with financial support from IEPA, installed a stream gage to monitor flow. In September 2011, the nitrate probe was installed. 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.
&n ... more. |
CTIC has worked closely with U.S. EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW) to organize a national, invitation-only NARS (National Aquatic Resource Surveys) meeting for 125 water quality professionals. Participants from federal, state and tribal agencies, as well as contract partners, will attend.
The NARS meeting, held in Denver March 25-29 in conjunction with the National Water Quality Monitoring Conference, will explore the direction of EPA's NARS protocols and data analysis systems. Dialogues among partners and EPA will help guide the development and refineme ... more. |
Wallaces Farmer, August 2018
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Whatcom County Dairy Farmers Tackle Water Quality Challenges
Using an innovative online tool to schedule late winter and early spring manure applications, Terry and Troy Lenssen of Lenssen Dairy in Lynden, Washington, can give soil microbes a chance to convert slurry nutrients into plant-available forms before spring growth starts in earnest, while also protecting local waterways from runoff of nutrients and bacteria. The Application Risk Man ... 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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... in the Wabash River watershed identify sources of nutrient loads. Theseinclude agricultural nonpoint source runoff and a variety of permitted point source discharges, including municipal and industrial wastewater discharges, storm water discharges, combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows.
The nutrient issues associated with these sources not only affect local water quality issues, but also drive the Gulf hypoxia problems.Water quality trading is a potential tool for effectively addressing both local water quality issues and downstream Gulf hypoxia issues. This market feasibility analysis will determine if the necessary conditions exist in the Wabash River watershed to support the development and implementation of a viable, sustainable water quality trading program ... more. |
Ron Rice and Luigi Trotta
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Water quality credit trading may be, in many areas,a successful market-based approach to improve water quality. It is an innovative, voluntary tool that connects industrial and municipal facilities, subject to wastewater permit requirements, with agricultural producers to economically achieve water quality improvements. It has the potential to bea flexible and cost-effective approach for maintainin ... more. |
In 2009, CTIC received federal funding to study the feasibility of a water quality credit trading program in the Wabash River basin.
Water quality credit trading may prove to be a useful, innovative, market-based approach to bolstering farm income while improving water quality. This voluntary tool connects industrial and municipal facilities with agricultural producers to economically achieve water
quality improvements.
This concept is beginni ... more. |
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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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 magazine, a manure management web si ... more. |
Getting Paid for Stewardship: An Agricultural Community Water Quality Trading Guide
This guide introduces the elements that are key to the trading process, noting critical questions to keep in mind as you go. References for additional information are also included.
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Water quality trading is a valuable concept
for the electric and agricultural industries.
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
recently secured $1.3 million in grants from
the EPA and the USDA to launch a regional
water quality trading program in the Ohio
River Basin.
Photo courtesy of EPRI
Trading Up for Water Quality
Producers and indust ... more. |
Trading Up for Water Quality
Producers and industry pursue growing interest in the market-based approach of water quality trading
By Christy Couch Lee
A guide to water quality trading terms:
Point-source contributors: A concentrated source of pollution. For example, permitted facilities, such as wastewater treatment plants and electric companies.
Nonpoint-source contributors: Pollution that r ... more. |
Speaker Presentations
Benefits and Obstacles in Water Quality Trading - George Kelly, Environmental Banc & Exchange
Ohio's Great Miami River Watershed - Dusty Hall, The Miami Conservancy 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 & Assoc ... more. |
... with its partners, Environmental Trading Network, the International Certified Crop Advisers, the Water Environment Federation, and the Maryland Departments of Agriculture and the Environment, the Conservation Technology Information Center hosted this interactive event as part of Maryland’s public outreach on its newly developed nonpoint-source trading program.
Water quality trading is a market-based approach to improve water quality. It is an innovative, voluntary tool that connects industrial and municipal facilities (point sources) with agricultural producers or other landowners (nonpoint sources) to economically achieve water quality improvements and to accommodate growth. It is a flexible and cost-effective approach for maintaining, restoring, or enhancing water ... more. |
Water Quality Credit Trading Workshop
August 19 - 20, 2008
Troy-Hayner Cultural Center
Troy, Ohio
Water Quality Credit Trading programs bring together agriculture and the wastewater community to solve difficult water quality issues.The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), in conjunction with the Environmental Trading Network (ETN), the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and Certified ... more. |
When: July 8 - 9, 2009
Where: Atwood Lake Resort and Conference Center
2650 Lodge Road
Sherrodsville, OH 44675
888-819-8042
**To make reservations - call and reference the Water Quality Workshop to receive the group rate of $89 per night.
To view the Agenda, click here.
Together with its partners, Environmental Trading Network, the International Certified Crop Advisers, and the Water Environment Federation, the Conservation Technology Information Center will host a Water Quality Credit Trading Workshop at Atwood Lake Resort and Conference Center (30 miles south of Can ... more. |
Water Quality Credit Trading Workshop
July 8-9, 2009
Sherrodsville, Ohio
Speaker Presentations:
Ohio's Water Quality Trading Rules - Gary Stuhlfauth, Ohio EPA
Ohio's Great Miami River Watershed - Dusty Hall, The Miami Conservancy District
Great Miami River Watershed Water Quality Credit Trading Program - Sarah Hippensteel
Community-Based Water Quality Trading: ... more. |
... helping make agriculture stronger for today and tomorrow.
Illinois Corn Growers Association
www.ilcorn.org
The Illinois Corn Growers Association (ICGA)is a grassroots membership organization for corn farmers and those connected to the industry. They focus on a wide variety of educational and legislative priorities including conservation, market development, transportation, and water quality. The group sustains a notable legislative presence in Springfield, IL, and Washington, DC.
Lessiter Media Conservation Ag Division
www.no-tillfarmer.com
Lessiter Media offers grower an array of publications, books, and wide array of multi-media to assist in the successful application of conservation practices on their farms. Among LM’s titles are the flagship No-Till Farm ... more. |
At CTIC it is our mission to champion, promote and provide information on sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable.
CTIC is proud to bea clearinghouse of information on conservation agriculture.CTIC continues toadvance practical systems that improve soil health and water quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance resilience to intensifying climate change, and deliver other environmental benefits. We also vowto connect stakeholders committed to improving the sustainability of American agriculture, including reducing agriculture’s greenhouse gas footprint, and serve as an unbiased source of information for the trends in adoption of conservation practices ... more. |
... Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force. Private-sector players throughout agri-food system supply chains can better understand market trends in the adoption of cover crops and specific tillage systems that impact environmental sustainability, such as GHG emissions and soil carbon sequestration. Conservation organizations can better understand where efforts are most needed to improve soil health and water quality outcomes.
ViewOpTIS Data
Regrowprovides OpTIS-based data services to clients seeking to understand the adoption of conservation practices at a range of scales, from sub-field to regional. Please contact Regrow for more information.
How does OpTIS Work?
OpTIS produces spatially comprehensive maps of tillage, crop residue c ... more. |
... Conservation in Action Tour to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The tour theme was, "Bringing Back the Bay: Partnerships, Profitable Farms, Clean Water and Innovative Conservation.”
The tour highlighted farmers who have taken the charge to protect Chesapeake Bay seriously, voluntarily going above and beyond the regions's regulations to use practices that not only benefit water quality, but also protect productivity and profitability on the farm.
Conservation in Action Tour 2017
CTIC’s 2017 Conservation in Action Tour brought us back home to Indiana, where we saw how conservation agriculture has advanced over the last ten years and explored where it’s headed.
Farmers, researchers, policy makers, crop consultants, association leaders and more cam ... more. |
... National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) program is an EPA and State/Tribal effort to survey the condition of the nation’s waters.
Initiated in 2005, these statistically-based surveys have begun to provide EPA, States, Tribes and others partners with information to provide nationally consistent reports on the condition of the nation’s waters, to identify national and regional water quality priorities and to evaluate the effectiveness of the nation’s investment in water quality protection and restoration. These assessments report on core indicators of aquatic life and public health using standardized field and laboratory methods and a national quality control program.
The NARS reports provide unbiased estimates of the condition of the broader population of a water resource ... more. |
... of conservation systems—including precision irrigation, tailwater management, reduced tillage and cover crops, among others—to cost-share programs that can have direct benefits to farmers' bottom lines.
We also visited the Dabbs Farm outside of Stuttgart for a close-up look at the family's reservoir and tailwater management system and the Arkansas Discovery Farm's water quality monitoring program.
Click here for full video coverage of each of the presentations in the two-day program.
Des Moines, IA March 2019
More than 60 crop consultants attended a CTIC training at the Iowa Agribusiness Showcase and Conference in Des Moines. With insight from the Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC), the Iowa Land Improvement Contractors Association (LICA) ... more. |
... 2022, the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) celebrated 40 years of Conservation in Action. That's four decades of bringing a wide range of people to the table to advance conservation agriculture...from our early projects promoting no-till to our current programs that help farmers, conservationists, agribusiness professionals, academics and policymakers protect soil health, water quality and the atmosphere.
In 2023, CTIC will continue that legacy as the trusted source for data on conservation farming practices, the coordinator of demonstration projects, a builder of local capacity, and a partner in developing high-impact education on conservation systems.
We’re going to keep our boots on the ground and our hands in the soil as we continue to be at ... more. |
... 2022, the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) celebrated 40 years of Conservation in Action. That's four decades of bringing a wide range of people to the table to advance conservation agriculture...from our early projects promoting no-till to our current programs that help farmers, conservationists, agribusiness professionals, academics and policymakers protect soil health, water quality and the atmosphere.In 2023, CTIC will continue that legacy as the trusted source for data on conservation farming practices, the coordinator of demonstration projects, a builder of local capacity, and a partner in developing high-impact education on conservation systems.We’re going to keep our boots on the ground and our hands in the soil as we continue to be at the forefront of conservatio ... more. |
Drawing on talent from across the U.S. and around the world, St. Louis is a vibrant hub for agriculture and technology- the perfect place to celebrate 40 years of conservation in action. Download the agenda HERE.
Monday, September 12th:
6:30-9:30pm CTIC 40th Anniversary Celebration
Trolley Room, St. Louis, Forest Park
Speakers include:
-Rod Snyder, Agriculture Advisor, EPA
- Sco ... more. |
... 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 credits and BMP (best management practice) efforts where they can do the most good.
Through PLUS-UP, we also demonstrated that a phosphorus trading program with supply chain support—in the case of our pilot project, ... more. |
... our PLUS-UP/Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Here's a rundown:
The Andersons
1947 Briarfield Blvd.
Maumee, OH
8:00 am to 2:30 pm
Join us for a free nutrient stewardship training workshop that will include presentations from:
Dr. Laura Johnson and Judy Smith of the National Water Quality Research Center at Heidelberg University
Julie Payeff of The Andersons
CTIC Staff and the Bayer Carbon Program
Ron Restum of Ostara
Kip Studer of H2Ohio
Greg LaBarge, Ohio State University
We have applied for 4 CEU credits from the American Society of Agronomy's CCA program.
Lunch will be served, and participation is free. Click here to register and see m ... more. |
... 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 developed a credit-based system to raise and disburse stimulus funds that help farmers cover the cost and management of practices that reduce phosphorus loads. The Bayer Carbon Program underwrote the DRP credits.
"Our goal with the PLUS-UP pilot project has been to develop an efficient, effective prog ... more. |
... waters, The Bayer Carbon Program stepped up to underwrite the DRP credits. In turn, we are delivering those funds to program farmers as stimulus payments for no-till and cover crops—two practices that can significantly reduce the off-farm movement of dissolved reactive phosphorus.
PLUS-UP is driven by science. Our partners at Heidelberg University's National Center for Water Quality Research are using data from each participating farm to model the amount of DRP that is being retained on PLUS-UP fields. Based on those results, the farmers will be paid for the DRP that they didn't release into the waterways.
The payments to individual farmers are relatively modest: we estimate they will average about $3 per acre for no-till, $5 per acre for cover crops, and $1 ... more. |
... waters, The Bayer Carbon Program stepped up to underwrite the DRP credits. In turn, we are delivering those funds to program farmers as stimulus payments for no-till and cover crops—two practices that can significantly reduce the off-farm movement of dissolved reactive phosphorus.
PLUS-UP is driven by science. Our partners at Heidelberg University's National Center for Water Quality Research are using data from each participating farm to model the amount of DRP that is being retained on PLUS-UP fields. Based on those results, the farmers will be paid for the DRP that they didn't release into the waterways.
The payments to individual farmers are relatively modest: we estimate they will average about $3 per acre for no-till, $5 per acre for cover crops, and $1 ... more. |
... in the Western Lake Erie Basin.
Here are the highlights, by the numbers:
10 growers in the Maumee, Sandusky, and Cedar-Portage watersheds signed up
5,000 acres enrolled in PLUS-UP
Bayer Carbon Program underwrites DRP credits
Participating farmers are sharing field data from the 2021 cropping season and the winter of 2021-2022 with the National Center for Water Quality Research at Heidelberg University. The Heidelberg 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 ... more. |
CTIC
National Water Quality Research Center, Heidelberg University
Geospatial Services, St. Mary's University of Minnesota
Bayer Carbon Program
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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 pastur ... more. |
... Erie. Even better, signing a one-year PLUS-UP contract will not disqualify participants from other programs (like H2Ohio) within the watershed. Farmers who are participating in the Bayer Carbon Program can double their payment by signing up for the CTIC program and implementing the same practices.
Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus
Laura Johnson, director of the National Center for Water Quality Research at Heidelberg University, points out that while particulate phosphorus has been most widely studied, dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) is the form that is immediately available to algae—and crops. That makes it the most important form of phosphorus to keep on the farm and out of surface waters.
“What we've been learning over time, especially with more recen ... more. |
What do farms, water quality and the Great Lakes have in common? They all are helped by cover crops. Through the Great Lakes Cover Crop Initiative, CTIC and partners planted 36,970 acres of cover crops, providing many benefits to farmers in the Great Lakes region. Hear from three farmers in the Great Lakes basin, a researcher on Lake Erie and a Michigan State University Extension educator as they present "The Cover Crop ... more. |
... management practices, including bioreactors and saturated buffers, that can help farmers meet nutrient loading goals in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy and other environmental plans.
Conservation Practices for Sloping Landscapes
Farmer and land improvement contractor Tim Recker of Arlington, Iowa, shares his insight on constructed conservation systems that help protect water quality. Tim describes practices on his farm as well as on the demonstration farm owned by the Iowa Land Improvement Contractors Association (LICA).
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Download the Abstract Book & Poster Session Presenter List
Get your copy of the Virtual National Recreational Water Quality Workshop Abstract booktoday! Download the PDFfile and view all of the available abstracts.
DownloadSpeaker List
Download Abstract Book
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... and their human health risks. He has served on many advisory boards, scientific and technical work groups and in other expert advisory capacities for many organizations, including the World Health Organization, The World Bank, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the State of North Carolina.
Video Length - 10:12
Risk-based Water Quality Threshold for Coliphage in Surface Waters of Different Temperatures
Alexandria Boehm
Speaker Bio
Alexandria Boehm is a professor at Stanford University in the department of civil and environmental engineering. She received her BS from Caltech in engineering and applied science, and her MS and PhD in environmental engineering from Univ California Irvine. Her research focuses on pathogen ... more. |
Building Partnerships in Rec. Water Monitoring and Remedation
Citizen Science at the EPA: Streamlining Water Quality Testing and Future Visions
Jay Benforado
Speaker Bio
Jay Benforado is the Chief Innovation Officer in EPA’s Office of Research and Development. Jay is a founding co-chair of the Federal Community of Practice for Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science, helping to guide it from a small informal group to an influential network of over 400 members representing 60 agencies. Jay&rsquo ... 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 Soller Environmental, LLC. He conducts microbial risk assessments, evaluates, interprets, and communicates water quality issues, and specializes in working at the interface of risk-based science and envi ... more. |
Notification and Risk Communication
Beach Report Card and NowCast: Successes and Challenges of Public Water Quality Notifications
Luke Ginger
Speaker Bio
Luke Ginger is a Water Quality Scientist at the Southern California nonprofit Heal the Bay. He spends his time looking out for the people who go to the beaches, rivers, and streams by managing the organization’s recreational water quality programs. He has a B.S. in Biology from The University of St. Thomas and a M.S. in Biology from Miami Uni ... more. |
... who specializes in micro/molecular biology for recreational water and drinking water in sub-Saharan Africa. He has worked in this field since 2014 at Georgia Southern University and most recently in Chicago Illinois from 2016 onward at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Chicago Park District. Currently Kendall is employed by the Chicago Park District as the project manager for beach water quality in which he oversees 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 wit ... 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 ... more. |
... 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 conservation practices that reduce phosphorus ... more. |
2020 National Recreational Water Quality Workshop
This 3.5 day workshop open to the public will focus on two common challenges in recreational waters. April 21-24, 2020
Read More
The Conservation Technology Information Center
The Conservation Technology Information Center promotes, supports and provides information on conservation technologies & sustainable agricultural systems.
Read More
Latest ... more. |
... and from farm fields.
Buffers include: contour buffer strips, field borders, filter strips, grassed waterways, living snow fences, riparian buffers, shelterbelts/windbreaks, (grass, shrubs and trees), and wetlands.
The small amount of land taken out of production helps producers meet environmental and economic goals.
Key Messages
Conservation buffers protect soil, improve air and water quality, enhance fish and wildlife habitat, and beautify the landscape.
Conservation buffers shows a producer’s commitment to conservation and their willingness to protect the environment.
Benefits of Conservation Buffers
* Slow water runoff.
* Remove up to 50% or more of nutrients and pesticides in runoff.
* Remove up do 60% or more of pathogens in runoff.
* Remove up to 75% or more of ... more. |
... OpTIS data show we’re moving in the right direction, but we want to work with farmers to increase adoption and help them learn from the growers who have been experiencing the benefits from cover crops and conservation tillage for years.”
By adopting soil health practices, farmers can improve productivity of their fields, reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and increase soil carbon storage. In fact, agricultural soils are among the planet's largest reservoirs of carbon. Improving soil management practices on U.S. croplands has the potential to mitigate 25 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. That’s the equivalent to taking 5 million passenger cars off the road for one year.
Easily Accessible Data Can Help Advance S ... more. |
... transportation, stops and all meals.
For more information on the Conservation in Action Tour, visit CTIC's website or call CTIC at (765) 494-9555.
The CTIC Conservation in Action Tour is sponsored in part by our Diamond-level sponsors—Bayer CropScience, The Mosaic Company, Syngenta and The Conservation Infrastructure Initiative co-led by the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA) and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS)—and our Platinum sponsors, The Fertilizer Institute and Corteva.
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... 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/cia_tour/registration. The $175 registration fee includes transportation, stops and all meals. A limited number of rooms are available at the Embassy Suites Downtown in Des Moines at a special Conservation in Action Tour rate o ... more. |
... of fertilizer, seed treatments and other inputs. The FS team will also provide an exploration of the role of Certified Crop Advisors in implementing conservation and production goals.
LICA Demonstration Farm, Melbourne. The tour will visit the 80-acre home of a wide range of constructed conservation systems for an up-close look at many in-field and edge-of-field practices that protect water quality and build healthy soils.
Tesdell Century Farm, Slater. This fifth-generation farm is home to an installation of prairie strips, which Lee Tesdell and Iowa State University researchers use to study and demonstrate the power of plant diversity in building soils and habitat on the farm.
The tour also includes lunch at New Century FS and dinner and a keynote speaker at Jester Park Lodge in Gra ... more. |
... seed treatments and other inputs. The FS team will also provide an exploration of the role of Certified Crop Advisors in implementing conservation and production goals.
LICA Demonstration Farm, Melbourne. The tour will visit the 80-acre home of a wide range of constructed conservation systems for an up-close look at many in-field and edge-of-field practices that protect water quality and build healthy soils.
Tesdell Century Farm, Slater. This fifth-generation farm is home to an installation of prairie strips, which Lee Tesdell and Iowa State University researchers use to study and demonstrate the power of plant diversity in building soils and habitat on the farm.
The tour also includes lunch at New Century FS and dinner and a keynote speaker a ... more. |
... —- more than 180 crops ranging from potatoes to dairy products to trout.. Farmers, crop consultants, agribusiness professionals, state and federal agency representatives, and conservation group leaders visited four farms to see conservation agriculture and innovative conservation systems up-close.
What We Learned:
Stop #1 - Dixon Farm, Greenleaf, Idaho
Water quality and availability as it impacts high-efficiency irrigation
Irrigation/water delivery system
Semi-permanent drip irrigation
Managing multi-year crops in highly variable 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 &n ... more. |
The Conservation In Action Tour keeps growing! On May 31, 2012, nearly 250 participants gathered in the Mississippi Delta to meet and learn from farmers who face unique challenges in water quality, herbicide resistance and wildlife management. The Tour, organized by CTIC and partner Delta F.A.R.M., highlighted innovative conservation practices that producers and partners implement to protect and 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, M ... more. |
Participants found out how agriculture protects water quality and improves soil health during
the Conservation In Action Tour 2010.
WHEN: August 2-3, 2010
WHERE: Williamsburg, Virginia
WHAT: Visited farms and farmers in east central Virginia who run profitable operations and provide communities with valuable ecosystem services.
Fill out an Evaluation Form from the Conservation In Action Tour 2010.
View photo ... more. |
... the cover crops of the Hmong American Farmers Association farm near Hastings to Northfield farmer Dave Legvold’s saturated buffers and the impeccable dairy and manure handling system at Burfeind Dairy Farm near Goodhue, participants in the Conservation Technology Information Center’s (CTIC) eighth annual Conservation in Action Tour got a first-hand look at systems that protect water quality, build soil health and improve farm profitability.
What people enjoyed most about the tour:
The opportunity to see conservation practices in person and to hear directly from farmers what works and what doesn't.
Wide range of practices and respect for variety of approaches.
Seeing great practices put into action and hearing inspiring stories from farmer stewards.
The diverse ... more. |
... 21st century heir to CTIC's long-time Crop Residue Management (CRM) Survey, OpTIS will provide comprehensive maps of crop residue management practices and cover crops down to the HUC8 scale. Annual maps and data—with the capability of tracking practices longitudinally over time—will be invaluable to researchers analyzing carbon sequestration, soil erosion, water quality and soil health.
Policy makers can use OpTIS data to study the adoption of conservation practices or support emerging environmental markets in carbon or water quality credits, adds Dave Gustafson, CTIC interim executive director, who has been managing the OpTIS program.
CTIC has worked with Applied GeoSolutions and The Nature Conservancy to develop and ground-truth OpTIS.
& ... more. |
... Residue Management (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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... of the benefits of conservation, providing detailed information on successful implementation of practices, and sharing perspective on the needs and real-world challenges facing farmers trying to protect soil, water and air quality as well as their economic sustainability.
Watershed Success Forums
Working with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) through the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI), CTIC is identifying successful watershed management activities that engage landowners, farmers, and the broader public to protect water quality. Five forums in five states are 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 ... 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.
Agrium's ESN v. Urea
Agrium designed ESN®, a polymer coated urea, to slow the release of nitrogen into the environment. This is allows the plant to access nitrogen when it needs it the most... Read more.
Application Timing
We designed this study to demonstrate the differences in nitrogen rates and yields with different urea application ... more. |
Over the course of six years, the Indian Creek Watershed Project proved to be a significant model for voluntary water quality improvement efforts—not just in Livingston County, Illinois, but across the country.
Project organizers talked to every single producer in the watershed about conservation practices and water quality, and by the end of the project, conservation systems and best management practices (BMPs) were in place on at least 57% of the agricultural acreage in the Indian Creek drainage.
Goals and ... more. |
... N to the crop all season long, not just when it's applied, allowing the crop to reach full genetic potential. The unique polymer coating helps prevent against all forms of N loss, including volatilization, denitrification, and leaching.
When used correctly, ESN® can substantially reduce N losses to surface water, subsurface drainage water, and groundwater, a positive impact to water quality.
Producers!
Interested in trying one of our demonstration practices? Contact Terry Bachtold at 815-848-4455.
Right Source
Match fertilizer type to crop needs
Select appropriate nutrient sources for cropping system
Test soils
Consider N, P, K secondary and micronutrient
Consider enhanced efficiency fertilizers
Plan nutrient regimen
... more. |
Argonne National Laboratory found a home for its biomass test site on the Ray Popejoy farm in the Indian Creek watershed.
Argonne is exploring the potential for farmers to employ underused or marginal land to produce crops for biomass energy. Factors studied include economic potential and water quality benefits.
As this project moves forward, funding from the Department of Energy is expected to support the scientific investigation and field study. Agribusiness will assist with identifying potential supply chain participants.
The project will address:
the disconnection between producers and users (potential new conversion facilities are constrained by the lack of lignocel ... more. |
Facilitated by CTIC, local farmers and interested others lead this project to demonstrate and test best conservation practices on Indian Creek Watershed farms.
The project, sponsored by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (with funds provided through Section 319 of the Clean Water Act) will show how conservation practices installed on Indian Creek watershed farms will affect water quality.
Goal
Determine what water quality improvements result when 50-75% of producers and acres in a small watershed adopt comprehensive agriculture conservation systems over a six-year period.
Activities
Outreach activities include field tours, public meetings, email and website updates, news releases and more.
On-farm demonstra ... more. |
Location
Lyden, WA
Documents
Whatcom County Dairy Farmers Tackle Water Quality Challenges, Capital Press, February 3, 2017
Images
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Click the below images to enlarge them
... more. |
Ag Consultant Training in Systems that Protect Water Quality National Aquatic Resources Workshop National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI)Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) Cover Crop Surveys
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... programs between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), states and tribes that assess the quality of the nation's inland and coastal waters, providing vital data that can help guide conservation efforts on the landscape.
CTIC works with EPA and its partners on technical training to carry out NARS assessments, and to promote conservation systems that help protect and improve water quality.
Through articles, videos and other media, we hope to inform farmers and landowners about water quality issues, inspire them to adopt practices that help address those challenges, and show their neighbors the steps that these dedicated stewards are taking to protect and improve our nation's water resources.
View individual cases using the menu
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... even more of the crops that clothe, fuel and feed the world. One way to help alleviate this pressure is to significantly improvesoil healthon cropland.
By adopting practices like planting winter cover crops and reducing—or better yet eliminating—tillage practices, farmers can significantly improve productivity of their fields, reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and increase carbon storage. In fact, agricultural soils are among the planet's largest reservoirs (orsinks) of carbon. Improving soil on American croplands has the potential to mitigate 25 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. That’s the equivalent to taking 5 million passenger cars off the road for one year.
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CONNECT
CTIC brings people together. We build coalitions. We connect farmers, researchers, policymakers, agribusiness, and lead discussions that move conversations ahead.
INFORM
CTIC is a clearinghouse for convservation information, from Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) regional trend data to how to implement practices on your farm.
... more. |
CTIC Projects « Promoting Conservation « NARS Water Quality Spotlights
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Scaling Up Water Quality 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 Manag ... more. |
... completing a successful pilot year in 2017, Bee Integrated is on track to enroll additional farmer-beekeeper pairs this spring. The project’s first year yielded valuable insight into what it takes to integrate individual best practices into a practical system for working farms and beekeeping operations. Contact Mike Smith at smith@ctic.org for more information.
National Water Quality Initiative:
CTIC is currently working with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on a project in support of the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI). 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 effort ... more. |
... system of best practices to improve pollinator health outcomes. After completing a successful pilot year in 2017, Bee Integrated is on track to enroll additional farmer-beekeeper pairs this spring. The project’s first year yielded valuable insight into what it takes to integrate individual best practices into a practical system for working farms and beekeeping operations.
National Water Quality Initiative:
CTIC is currently working with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on a project in support of the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI). 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 effort ... more. |
... Tour will be held in the Maryland/Washington D.C. area this summer. Plans are already underway, and we’re thrilled to share more information with you in the coming months.
Working with USDA on a project to highlight successful strategies for organizing local watershed protection efforts that engage local stakeholders and effectively communicate how agriculture is actively addressing water quality concerns.
Helping farmers and members of the supply chain document how they are 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 public ... more. |
... diet was supplied by habitat this project established on participating farms. The DNA identification method used is new and developed partially through this project’s support. These pollen ID results are on track to be delivered later this spring and are expected to provide the greatest indicator of our success providing cost-effective on-farm pollinator habitat.
National Water Quality Initiative:
CTIC is currently working with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on a project in support of the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI). 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 effort ... more. |
... system of best practices to improve pollinator health outcomes. After completing a successful pilot year in 2017, Bee Integrated is on track to enroll additional farmer-beekeeper pairs this spring. The project’s first year yielded valuable insight into what it takes to integrate individual best practices into a practical system for working farms and beekeeping operations.
National Water Quality Initiative:
CTIC is currently working with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on a project in support of the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI). 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 effort ... more. |
... diet was supplied by habitat this project established on participating farms. The DNA identification method used is new and developed partially through this project's support. These pollen ID results are on track to be delivered later this spring and are expexted to provide the greatest indicator of our success providing cost-effective on-farm pollinator habitat.
National Water Quality Initiative:
CTIC is currently working with USDA's Natural Recources Conservation Service (NRCS) on a project in support of the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI). 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 effort ... more. |
... 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 conservation adoption - Mike Daniels, Arkansas Discov ... more. |
Ag Consultant Training in Systems that Protect Water Quality National Aquatic Resources Workshop National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) Cover Crop Surveys
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Ag Consultant Training in Systems that Protect Water Quality National Aquatic Resources Workshop National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) Cover Crop Surveys
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Ag Consultant Training in Systems that Protect Water Quality National Aquatic Resources Workshop National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI)Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) Cover Crop Surveys
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Ag Consultant Training in Systems that Protect Water Quality National Aquatic Resources Workshop National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) Cover Crop Surveys
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... Tour will be held in the Maryland/Washington D.C. area this summer. Plans are already underway, and we’re thrilled to share more information with you in the coming months.
Working with USDA on a project to highlight successful strategies for organizing local watershed protection efforts that engage local stakeholders and effectively communicate how agriculture is actively addressing water quality concerns.
Helping farmers and members of the supply chain document how they are 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 public ... more. |
Have you checked your mailbox for CTIC’s annual membership renewal notice? Renewing your membership helps us continue to make a difference in conservation agriculture and helps us continue to grow our organization. CTIC members play a critical role in spreading the message about how conservation practices can help improve soil and water quality, boost profitability and more. We couldn’t do it without you!
As a CTIC member, you:
Network with leaders in conservation and agriculture
Collaborate on projects that encourage and steer conservation efforts
Access the latest research and information
Gain national recognition for your support of agricultural conservation.
Have recognition on CTIC's w ... more. |
Practical Conservation Planning in the Field
August 22-23, 2017
Stuttgart Public Library
Stuttgard, Arkansas
Ph: 870-673-1966
This workshop will 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
... more. |
2010 NLA Workshop
November 1-2, 2010
Oklahoma City, OK
Draft Agenda
November 1, 2010
1:00 - 1:30 pm
2012 NLA overview,Amina Pollard, EPA
Each indicator group will have two hours to present their analysis of potential indicators for the 2012 lakes survey and discuss their thoughts with the steering committee.
1:30 - 3:30 pm
Water Quality Indicators
3:30 - 5:30 pm
Physical Habitat Indicators
November 2, 2010
9:00 - 11:00 am
Biological Indicators
11:00 - 12:30 pm
Lunch (on own)
12:30 - 2:30 pm
Recreational Indicators
2:30 - 4:00 pm
Recap, discussion and next steps,Amina Pollard, EPA
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Cincinnati, Ohio
This training was co-located with the National Water Quality Monitoring Council’s (NWQMC) Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 28-May 2.
The R training was a one day, interactive session held on May 1 or May 2, 2014 and focused on the analysis of NARS data using the R computing language.
Topics included:
Data preparation: building a state-level dataset.
How to compute population estimates of the ecological condition of aquatic systems ... more. |
... 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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Terry and Troy Lenssen of Lenssen Dairy in Lynden, Washington, safeguard water quality in a variety of ways, including:
The Application Risk Management tool from Whatcom Conservation District, which 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 blow ... more. |
Farmers in Washington’s Whatcom County are engaged in a wide range of water quality improvement projects. TMDLs (total maximum daily loads) in local waterways cover fecal coliform, ammonia-nitrogen, biochemical oxygen demand, chlorine and temperature.
The presence of commercial shellfish beds not far from the mouth of the Nooksack River puts added pressure on farmers and shellfish harvesters to work together on water quality improvements.
The U.S. Environmental Protection ... more. |
... 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 conservation adoption - Mike Daniels, Arkansas Discovery Farms (30 mins.)
Dabbs Farm: ... more. |
CTIC's 11th annual Conservation in Action Tour is heading to the eastern shore! Join us in Maryland as we visit part of the country's largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay, to get a front row view of how the area is leading the way in innovative conservation to improve water quality.
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The Indian Creek Watershed Project demonstrated the power of voluntary conservation practices to impact local water quality. Hear local farmers explain how their community banded together to put conservation systems into action.
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Focusing 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 nitrog ... more. |
... 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’s Boone River and Illinois’ Mackinaw River.Additionally, The Mosaic Company supports theFlorida Farm Bureau’s CARES program, which recognizes superior natural resource conservation by agricultural producers.Since its inception in 2001, more than ... more. |
Mark your calendar for the 2013 Conservation In Action Tour, July 9 and 10 in Livingston County, Ill. We’ll be visiting the hub of several outstanding watershed conservation projects, with stops at demonstration plots, on-farm trials and in-stream water quality testing stations.
More than 40 percent of the farm acreage in the 80-square-mile watershed is enrolled in conservation programs, and many of the watershed’s 160 farmers are on the CTIC-facilitated Indian Creek Watershed Project advisory board.
That dramatic level of involvement was the subject of the webinar that launched the Great Rivers/Upstream Heroes Waters ... more. |
Illinois EPA and other partners will conduct water quality monitoring in the watershed to document and determine if conservation practices are making a difference.
This project funded in part by IL EPA through Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. |
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. |
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. |
... 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
Water Quality Monitoring Workshop
October 2009
Agenda
Presentations
Which Data Are Important and Why
Using Data to Support Watershed Protection & Restoration Decisions
Watershed Planning and Management
Water Quality Standards & Other Regulatory Issues
Permitting, Funding and Project Coordination
Integrating Watershed Man ... more. |
... the crop all season long, not just when it's applied, allowing the crop to reach full genetic potential. The unique polymer coating helps prevent against all forms of N loss, including volatilization, denitrification, and leaching.
When used correctly, ESN® can substantially reduce N losses to surface water, subsurface drainage water, and groundwater, a positive impact to water quality.
Producers!
Interested in trying one of our demonstration practices? Contact Terry Bachtold at 815-848-4455.
More...
Right Source
Match fertilizer type to crop needs
+ Select appropriate nutrient sources for cropping system
... more. |
... to provide one on one technical support to the producers who participate in this program. These people will meet with producers and help them make important decisions to ensure a successful transition to using a cover crop and conservation tillage system.
Lake Michigan Coordinator
Christina Curell
Central Region Water Quality Educator, Mecosta
14485 Northland Drive
Big Rapids, MI, 49307
Phone: (231) 592-0792
Cell: (231) 287-8617
Email: curellc@msu.edu
Christina graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelors of Science in Animal Science. Following graduation she worked briefly with a agricultural consulting firm as an IPM scout in potatoes. She then accept ... more. |
AgDay featured CTIC in a story as part of its ongoing "Future of Farming" series. Tyne Morgan, national reporter, visited the CTIC office in early March to interview Karen Scanlon, CTIC executive director. The story aired Wednesday, March 21.
Karen and Upstream Hero Larry Bonnell, interviewed on his farm in Michigan, discussed conservation successes, cover crops and water quality in the broadcast.
The AgDay report also promoted CTIC's Conservation In Action Tour 2012 in the Mississippi Delta this year.
To view the broadcast, click here, or for a written summary click here.
CTIC thanks AgDay and Tyne Morgan for great promotion of conservation and the Conservation In Action Tour.
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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.
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What is agriculture doing to protect water quality and improve soil health? Find out on CTIC's Conservation in Action Tour 2010. Participants will visit farms and farmers in east central Virginia who have built successful, profitable farming operations through conservation and are providing their community with valuable ecosystem services. Recognizing, supporting and paying for agriculture’s ecosystem services – through government ... more. |
...
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 helps ensure adequate forage throughout the grazing season.
Increases forage quality and production which helps increase feed efficiency and can improve profits.
Rotating also evenly distributes manure nutrient resources.
Planning ahead
Is there enough water of good quality available in all pastures to meet the needs of your livestock?
Is the mix ... more. |
... it works
Drill or broadcast adapted grass or legumes into a low-producing pasture or a steep, eroding cropland field.
How it helps
Heavy grass cover slows water flow, reducing soil erosion.
Good pastures protect water quality by filtering runoff water and increasing infiltration.
Lush pastures give cover and habitat for wildlife.
As plants recycle and roots die, organic matter in the 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 y ... more. |
... computer game that delivers information on non-point source pollution in a fast-paced and entertaining format. Appealing for audiences of all ages, it teaches fundamental concepts about non-point source pollution prevention measures in a farm, city, and neighborhood setting. Point and click screens that move and have sound help players learn how day-to-day decisions can affect the water quality of lakes and streams.
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... on the contour, runoff flows evenly across the entire surface of the grass strip, reducing sheet and rill erosion.
How it helps
Vegetation provides cover and habitat for small birds and animals.
The strips reduce erosion by slowing water flow and increasing water infiltration.
By reducing siltation and filtering nutrients and chemicals from runoff, grass strips improve water quality.
Planning ahead
Have you decided whether you want parallel crop strips or parallel buffer strips?
Are other conservation measures such as crop residue management installed or planned to help reduce siltation of grass strips?
Will planned acres in row crops meet your production objectives?
Tech notes
Buffer strips must be at least 15 feet wide. *
Either crop strips ... more. |
... critical to environmental success. ADMC members serve as a resource on the latest technologies in drainage water management systems. Together, they utilize a public/private approach to quantify the impact of drainage water management on many environmental and economic issues.
For example, a $2 million, 20-site project involving Midwestern farmers is gathering yield, soil tilth and water quality data to assess the impact of drainage water management. The ADMC is funding this project, in part, with the help of a $972,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation Innovation Grant. Preliminary results show yields may be increased by as much as 15 percent in some years.
One leader in the movement for water drainage management education is ADMC member Agri Drain Corpor ... more. |
... and private sector perspectives make this tour something special.”
Participants appreciated the variety of information shared and time to visit with others from around the country.
CTIC Executive Director Karen Scanlon comments, “This tour is a chance for people to visit farms and see real agricultural producers implementing technology and solutions for better soil and water quality. And these farmers, who make a profit while protecting resources, share their stories and offer advice to others wanting to make similar changes.”
Tour stops included The Andersons, where participants learned how this company aids the region’s producers in applying the right fertilizer source at the right rate, at the right time and in the right place.
At Bridgewater Da ... more. |
... annual Conservation In Action Tour 2011. This year’s Tour will focus on agriculture’s influence on the environmental and economic health of Maumee River and Bay, as well as Lake Erie.
WHEN: August 9, 2011
WHERE: Northwest Ohio
WHAT: The Tour will highlight producers implementing innovative conservation practices and solutions to water quality issues.
"Early Bird" registration for the Conservation In Action Tour 2011 is now open!
Click here to register.
Visit the Tour Website to learn more about the Cocktail Social, Lodging Information, Sponsorship Opportunities and more.
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... the church at 3:00 PM central time. The church is located at 701 North 7th Street, Fairbury, IL 61739-1595. Participants will meet at the church then board a bus to visit the tour sites.
Farmers and corporate sponsors at the sites will focus on effective agricultural systems while they showcase products, practices and technology 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 ... 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 stories about our Upstream Heroes.
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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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... to improving soil organic matter and infiltration with continuous no-till.
Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology explores environmental benefits of conservation tillage, facilitated significantly by biotechnology crops.
A Review of BMPs for Managing Crop Nutrients and Conservation Tillage to Improve Water Quality reviews research on nutrient best management practices (BMPs) for nitrogen and phosphorus, with emphasis on integrating BMPs with conservation tillage.
CTIC leads initiatives to promote and encourage adoption of conservation systems. Click here to learn more about CTIC Initiatives.
CTIC recommends the following sources for more information about agricultural conservation syste ... more. |
Participants found out how agriculture protects water quality and improves soil health during
the Conservation In Action Tour 2010.
WHEN: August 2-3, 2010
WHERE: Williamsburg, Virginia
WHAT: Visited farms and farmers in east central Virginia who run profitable operations and provide communities with valuable ecosystem services.
Fill out an Evaluation Form from the Conservation In Action Tour ... more. |
Markets for water quality and carbon trading credits could allow growers to earn money for the environmental services they provide.
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... 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
Corn Belt N Guidelines
- Dr. John Lamb, University of Minnesota
What is Manure Really Worth? Maximizing the E ... more. |
... Crop rotation is a common practice on sloping soils because of its potential for soil saving. Rotation also reduces fertilizer needs, because alfalfa and other legumes replace some of the nitrogen corn and other grain crops remove.
How it helps
Pesticide costs may be reduced by naturally breaking the cycles of weeds, insects and diseases.
Grass and legumes in a rotation protect water quality by preventing excess nutrients or 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 ... more. |
... snow over the winter to provide more moisture for the newly emerging (green) soybean plants. The stalks and other crop residue will slowly decompose to help nourish the new plants.
Size: 1000 x 668 pixels (297k)
Source: CTIC
New corn plants growing among crop residues left from a previous harvest. Crop residues reduce runoff from farm fields to improve water quality.
Size: 1000 x 672 pixels (447k)
Source: CTIC
Standing stalks of corn (in the foreground) will slowly decompose to provide a natural mulch for the new seeds that are to be planted by the oncoming tractor.
Size: 671 x 1000 pixels (176k)
Source: Farm Journal
Rows of soybean plants emerge from a field covered with old corn stalks fr ... more. |
... maximize soil productivity, Hubbs said. Conservation practices, including conservation tillage, buffers, weed and pest management (IPM) and crop nutrient management, can help increase organic matter and infiltration rates, support earthworm populations and maintain ideal soil chemical conditions.
“Improving the soil quality is a critical step to improving and enhancing soil and water quality, generating greater profits and securing a brighter future on the farm,” said Hubbs.
More information on soil quality is available on theNRCS Soil Quality Institute web page.
Photo credits: CathySeybold, Soil Quality Institute
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... continuous no-till can result in as much as two additional inches of water available to plants in late summer.
7. Reduces soil erosion
Crop residues on the soil surface reduce erosion by water and wind. Depending on the amount of residues present, soil erosion can be reduced by up to 90% compared to an unprotected, intensively tilled field.
8. Improves water quality
Crop residue helps hold soil along with associated nutrients (particularly phosphorous) and pesticides on the field to reduce runoff into surface water. In fact, residue can cut herbicide runoff rates in half. Additionally, microbes that live in carbon-rich soils quickly degrade pesticides and utilize nutrients to protect groundwater quality.
9. Increases wildlife
... more. |
Farmers throughout the Mississippi River basin are making the right choices for nutrient efficiency and water quality protection, and CTIC is telling their story.
Photo courtesy of USEPA
Upstream Heroes: CTIC Spreads Nutrient
Management Success Stories from along the
Mississippi River
ByAmy Raley
With current recession-generated challenges on the minds and balance sheets of every business and industry, farmers are as vigil ... more. |
... advancements in conservation and identify future needs
Click here for more information.
Conservation 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 ... more. |
... 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 Agriculture recently accepted proposals for the Mississippi River Basin Initiative grants program, an effort to focus $320 million, over the next four years, for nutrient best managemen ... more. |
... or by hand in understocked woodlands or open fields. Tree species are matched with soil types and selected to prevent soil erosion, increase income, or boost productivity of existing woodland.
How it helps
Improving stands of woodlands can increase profits.
Ground cover created by trees and associated debris protects soil from rill and sheet erosion.
Ground cover also protects water quality by filtering excess nutrients and chemicals from surface runoff and increasing infiltration rates.
Healthy, well-managed woodlands provide long-term wildlife habitat.
Planning ahead
Is the soil suitable for producing wood crops?
Is the soil suitable for the tree species you have selected?
Is there a market for the species you want to plant?
Do you need this land for crops or lives ... more. |
... it works
Crop row ridges built by tilling and/or planting on the contour create hundreds of small dams. These ridges or dams slow water flow and increase infiltration which reduces erosion.
How it helps
Contouring can reduce soil erosion by as much as 50% from up and down hill farming. *
By reducing sediment and runoff, and increasing water infiltration, contouring promotes better water quality.
Planning ahead
Will more than one key contour line be needed because of steep or irregular slopes?
Are terraces or stripcropping needed for steeper slopes?
Are field borders needed to replace end rows in the contouring system to control sheet and rill erosion?
Tech notes
Establish a key line around the hill by using a hand level or contour gauge.
Contour key l ... more. |
To better manage nutrients, Lancaster County, Penn. dairy producers install manure storage tanks as part of their conservation plans.
Photo courtesy of USDA-NRCS
Manure Du Jour
Serving Pennsylvania's Best Practices on Animal Ag. Air, and Water Quality
By Kristen Saacke-Blunk
Pennsylvania dairy cow.
Photo courtesy of USDA-NRCS.
In January 2009, Penn State Cooperative Extension and its Agriculture and Environment Center debuted the Manure du jour webcast series in response to findings of the 2008 Agriculture in Balance conference. At the conference, Pennsylvania’s agriculture and environmen ... more. |
... 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 how-to documents and profiles of successful no-tillers allows readers to explore no-till and conservation layer by layer.
Do You Really Need to Go to Continuous Corn?
One of the challenges facing no-till promoters is the often-heard line, “I ... more. |
... responsibility for stewardship, carbon markets and profitable conservation;
lunch at the Shirley Plantation, the oldest family-owned business in North America;
the Carter farm where no-till cotton grows successfully in cool soil temperatures; and
a series of presentations at the Paul Davis farm. These will include how agriculture will play a significant role in removing water quality impairments in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and what Clean Water Act and Total Maximum Daily Load regulations could mean to agriculture and the region.
The day will end with a steak dinner on the banks of the Pamunkey River, a major tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. Plan to join us on Aug. 2 for a social event the evening before the one-day tour. Lodging and travel details will be av ... more. |
... New products, such as inhibitors and controlled-release nitrogen, supply tools to follow the 4R stewardship initiative discussed in the December 2009 issue of Partners. (Click here for article.)
A popular topic today is excess nutrients in the environment. From the Gulf of Mexico to the Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes to the Pacific Northwest, policymakers look to agriculture to improve water quality and help reduce nutrients in ground and surface water.
Many conventional nitrogen application methods apply fertilizer in advance of crop needs. The delay between nitrogen application and crop uptake increases the chance for environmental losses through leaching, volatilization, and denitrification.
* Leaching: the movement of plant nutrients in the soil solution below the root zone. Th ... more. |
... to encourage producers to conserve soil.
Several decades later, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency implemented a regulatory approach to resource conservation.
Both efforts succeeded to a point. However, their shortcomings have initiated ecoservice markets.
After a decade of progress, ecoservice markets seemed to backslide in 2009. Relatively few of the nearly 80 water quality credit markets in the United States have generated viable trades and function as true market systems.
Sequestered carbon credits are worth about a dime per ton on the Chicago Climate Exchange, and the cap-and-trade system to address climate change is losing support. U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, who played a major role securing rural lawmakers’ support fo ... more. |
... of these macronutrients in many states.
The absence of any single nutrient in the soil can limit plant growth, even when all other nutrients are present in adequate amounts. In addition, potash plays a critical role in drought and disease resistance.
Adding to farmers’ challenges is the growing awareness of environmental issues, such as climate change and water quality. Research is underway to determine how a comprehensive set of fertilizer best management practices (BMP) and conservation best management practices may help reduce nutrient pollution and soil erosion.
To help address these issues, the 4R nutrient stewardship system was developed. This peer-reviewed set of BMPs promotes the use of the right fertilizer source at the right rate, the r ... more. |
... our customers, and our investors. We’ve set ambitious goals for ourselves. And, we hope that our sustainability efforts will help make us stronger as we help the world grow the food it needs.”
To view the Mosaic Sustainability Report, click here.
Mosaic and CTIC
Mosaic is a strong supporter of the CTIC Upstream Heroes project, which focuses on water quality in agricultural operations.
Photo courtesy of Mosaic
In 2009, Mosaic became CTIC's first Gold Corporate Member – a support level of $8,500 above basic membership – which entitles Mosaic to the most benefits available from the organization.
Ron says the move was an easy one.
“We looked at the level of support we were already devoting to CTIC ... more. |
... highlights recent changes in the biofuels production process, biomass development and policies. The study focuses on four main cellulosic feedstocks, including: corn stover, miscanthus, switchgrass and wood.
The full report is available at http://www.mnproject.org/pdf/TMP_Transportation-Biofuels-Update_Aug09.pdf
USDA Announces $320 Million to Improve Mississippi River Basin Water Quality and Wildlife Habitat
In September, USDA announced the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI), which will provide $80 million in each of the next four fiscal years (for a total of $320 million) for voluntary projects in priority watersheds located in 12 key states. Managed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the MRBI will help producers adopt conservation sys ... more. |
... sheet and rill erosion and prevent gullies from forming.
Photo courtesy of Jason Johnson
No-till means planting into last year’s crop residue without tilling the soil. The primary benefits of no-till farming are reduced soil erosion and sediment runoff. Schroeder says other benefits he sees from no-till include cutting back on time in the field, less equipment needed, improved water quality and better soil quality.
Farming in four counties on several different slopes and soil types requires adaptability. Five years ago the Schroeders began grid sampling their soils, which proved to be more accurate than the 20-acre samples they previously used. “We quickly learned where we need to fertilize, and where we don’t,” said Butch Schroeder. “There are some soil ... more. |
... 2 University of Missouri Delta Center Field Day. USDA NRCS Resource Conservation & Development Coordinator Scott Crumpecker spoke to field day participants, including area high school students. He highlighted nitrogen management, issues related to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone, and how agricultural producers can fine tune their nitrogen application practices to save money and benefit water quality. Mike Milam, University of Missouri Extension Service, spoke with high school students about how watersheds work and how we all have an impact on water quality downstream.
For more information on efficient use of nitrogen, or future educational opportunities, contact David Dunn, University of Missouri Delta Center, at 573-379-5431 or dunnd@missouri.edu.
Profitability Through Nitrogen ... more. |
... in the 2003 rule was still the most effective, cost-reasonable technology available.
Like BCT, best available technology economically achievable (BAT) takes into account the cost as well as the availability, and effectiveness of the treatments. BCT and BAT for fecal coliform remain the same under the new rule as they were under the 2003 rule.
However, in some areas, water quality-based effluent limitations (WQBELs) may be required in permits. WQBELs may be established without consideration of cost or what technologies are available. The new rule also states that state water quality limitations, if more stringent than federal standards, must take precedence.
“I do not expect this to be a large problem,” says Wiedeman. “It may be locally for so ... more. |
... " At a certain time of year, they let that water go but they would like to have it back."
Grower Appeal
Many progressive growers across the Midwest and the South — where drainage management was first practiced — are exploring drainage water management to see if they can achieve higher yields by saving subsurface moisture while also benefiting water quality locally and downstream.
"If we could improve water quality on discharge, it's important to us," says grower Nathan Rettig of Napoleon, Ohio. "We all have to manage our environment. From a pure business standpoint, we're at least optimistic about yield potential."
If a thirsty crop responded to captured subsurface moisture during a dry season and ... more. |
... profitable and sustainable. I hope you all will join us in 2009 for the Tour in western Illinois (see more details).
CTIC broke new ground this year, too, with new workshops and conferences on important topics for agriculture. In August, CTIC hosted a pilot workshop in Ohio that brought together agricultural producers and advisors and wastewater and energy utilities to learn about water quality credit trading. The positive feedback we received on the format and content of the workshop was inspiring and will help us to deliver three more workshops in 2009.
In September, CTIC was awarded a Conservation Innovation Grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service(NRCS) for a project that promotes the use of cover crops to transition producers to a continuous no-till farming sys ... more. |
... and harvested to maintain desired production. Twigs, limbs and other debris are not removed, maintaining ground cover, reducing soil erosion and providing wildlife habitat. As trees mature they are harvested, and replacements are established.
How it helps
Adds income to your farm.
Adds beauty to your farm.
Ground cover provides wildlife habitat, reduces soil erosion and improves water quality.
Planning ahead
Do you need this land for livestock or crops?
Are the trees you harvest going to be a marketable product?
Can the soil support the type of trees and product you want?
Tech notes
Plant trees that are suitable to your soils.
Protect from grazing.
Cut undesirable trees and shrubs that are competing with desired species for sunlight and moisture.
... more. |
...
is impractical; usually part of a terrace system.
How it works
An embankment is built across a depressional area of concentrated water runoff to act similar to a terrace. It traps sediment and water running off farmland above the structure, preventing it from reaching farmland below.
How it helps
Basins improve water quality by trapping sediment on uplands and preventing it from reaching water bodies.
Structures reduce gully erosion by controlling water flow within a drainage area. Grass cover may provide habitat for wildlife.
Planning ahead
Will basins be part of an existing terrace system?
Is the site too steep for the basin to work properly or be economically feasible?
Can adequate outlets be provide ... more. |
... intercept water and guide it to an outlet. There are two basic types of terraces—storage terraces and gradient terraces. Storage terraces collect water and store it until it can infiltrate into the ground or be released through a stable outlet. Gradient terraces are designed as a channel to slow runoff water and carry it to a stable outlet like a grassed waterway.
How it helps
Both water quality and soil quality are improved.
Terraces with grass on front or backslopes can provide nesting habitat.
Planning ahead
Will other conservation practices be used in conjunction with terraces to prevent sedimentation?
Tech notes
Chisel the parts of the terrace that will be farmed to loosen compacted soil.
Fertilize and seed according to NRCS recommendations.
Grassed backslope t ... more. |
... the banks from heavy stream flow and reduce erosion. Fencing prevents cattle from trampling banks, destroying vegetation and stirring up sediment in the streambed. A buffer zone of vegetation along the streambank filters runoff and may also absorb excess nutrients and chemicals.
How it helps
Streambanks are covered with rocks, grass, trees or other cover to reduce erosion.
Better water quality results from reducing amounts of nutrients, chemicals, animal waste and sediment entering the stream.
Buffer zones provide cover and habitat for birds and small animals.
Planning ahead
Have you planned to install an offstream water system for livestock or limited livestock access to the stream?
Are proper soil conservation measures installed in the stream watershed to prevent siltatio ... more. |
... against the cost
of control. Finally, if pest control is economical, all alternatives are evaluated based on
cost, results, and environmental impact. Precaution is taken to keep any chemicals from
leaving the field by leaching, runoff or drift.
How it helps
Scouting and spot treatment for only those pests that are threatening can save money.
Using fewer chemicals improves water quality.
Specific treatments for specific pests on specific areas of a field prevents over-treatment of pests.
Planning ahead
Which soils on your farm are likely to leach pesticides?
Did you establish filter strips along streams?
Did you consider pest control alternatives?
Did you use records of crops and pest control for reference?
Did you rotate crops to reduce the chance of pest prob ... more. |
Applying the correct amount, form, and timing of plant nutrients for optimum yield and minimum impact on water quality.
How it works
After taking a soil test, setting realistic yield goals, and taking credit for contributions from previous years' crops and manure applications, crop nutrient needs are determined. Nutrients are then applied at the proper time by the proper application method. Nutrient sources include animal manure, biosolids, and commercial fertilizers. These steps reduce the potential ... more. |
... manure and sending it to an approved lab for analysis to determine nutrient content is the first step in a manure management system. This data is used to match application rates to plant nutrient needs and soil test data.
How it helps
Manure testing and proper application to the land can reduce crop input costs.
Preventing over-application of manure to crop fields results in improved water quality.
Planning ahead
What form of manure do you plan to apply?
Have you calibrated your spreader to apply the volume of manure called for according to plant needs and nutrient value of manure?
Have you reduced commercial fertilizer use after accounting for nutrients supplied by manure?
Will you hire someone or take manure samples yourself?
Do you plan to take soil samples to help deter ... more. |
... 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, visibility, aesthetic value and compatibility with existing farm buildings?
Will the structure store manure in a form you hav ... more. |
... and reduces water flow. The structure drops water from one stabilized grade to another and prevents overfall gullies from advancing up a slope.
How it helps
Grade control structures are often used at the outlet of a grassed waterway to stabilize the waterway outlet, preventing gully erosion.
Grassed, non-eroding waterways made possible with a grade control structure give better water quality, can be crossed with equipment, and
look better than non-stabilized gullies.
If it is planned to store water, a grade control structure may provide a water source and habitat for wildlife.
Planning ahead
Are adequate conservation practices installed above the structure to prevent sedimentation?
Is the planned location in the proper place to achieve the level of control you want?
... more. |
... Collected nutrients are used by the vegetation, rather than entering water supplies. Filtered water then enters water bodies.
How it helps
Grass, trees and shrubs provide cover for small birds and animals.
Ground cover reduces soil erosion.
The vegetative strip moves rowcrop operations farther from a stream.
Vegetation prevents contaminants from entering water bodies, protecting water quality.
Planning ahead
Are adequate soil conservation measures installed above filter strips?
Are plants adapted to your soil types?
Have you selected the correct species of vegetation for the control you need? For example, are you establishing the filter strip around a sinkhole, to control runoff from a feedlot or to filter runoff from cropland?
Tech notes
Filter strips are most eff ... more. |
... referred to as picture frames of grass, and are used with contour farming, terrace, buffer strip and contour stripcropping systems. The grass or legume in the strip protects steep field edges from soil erosion, and provides turning and travel lanes around the field.
How it helps
Vegetative cover reduces sheet and rill erosion by slowing water flow.
Vegetation filters runoff to improve water quality.
Grass and legume strips may be harvested in some cases and are easier to turn on than end rows.
Vegetation provides cover and habitat for small birds and animals.
Planning ahead
Will the width be wide enough to turn your equipment?
Can that land qualify for set aside?
Tech notes
Borders must be at least 16 feet wide, or wide enough for your equipment. *
Borders need to be ... more. |
... a dam across an existing gully or low lying area. Earth for the dam is dug out above the dam with heavy machinery to form a bowl. Generally the ponded area fills with water within a year. An overflow pipe is installed through the dam to control the water level and allow water to spill through the dam without causing erosion.
How it helps
Prevents soil erosion and protects water quality by collecting and storing runoff water.
Provides water for livestock, fish and wildlife, and recreational opportunities.
Adds value and beauty to a farm or farmstead.
Provides a water supply for emergencies.
Planning ahead
Are adequate soil conservation measures installed near the proposed pond site to protect it from filling with sediment?
Is there a dependable source of clean wa ... more. |
... is often built at the base of a slope to divert runoff away from bottom lands. A diversion may also be used to divert runoff flows away from a feedlot, or to collect and direct water to a pond.
How it helps
Reduces soil erosion on lowlands by catching runoff water and preventing it from reaching farmland below.
Vegetation in the diversion channel filters runoff water, improving water quality.
Vegetation provides cover for small birds and animals.
Allows better crop growth on bottom land soils.
Planning ahead
Are there proper soil conservation measures installed to prevent the diversion from filling with sediment?
Is the outlet planned in a location which will not cause erosion?
Is the diversion and outlet large enough to handle the runoff amount for that location?
... more. |
... on the surface before and during planting operations provides cover for the soil at a critical time of the year. The residue is left on the surface by reducing tillage operations and turning the soil less. Pieces of crop residue shield soil particles from rain and wind until plants can produce a protective 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 ... 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 ordered for NRCS offices, partners, and the public, without cost, by e-m ... more. |
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.
|
Planting grass or other vegetation to protect a badly eroding area from soil erosion.
How it works
Grass, legumes, trees or shrubs are established in small, isolated areas of excessive erosion. The vegetation provides surface cover to stop the raindrop splash and slow water flow.
How it helps
It reduces soil erosion.
A vegetated area improves water quality by reducing the amount of sediment, nutrients and chemicals running off farmland.
Protects areas such as dams, terrace backslopes or gullied areas when vegetation may be difficult to establish.
Vegetation can be planted to provide small areas of nesting cover for birds and small animals.
Planning ahead
Will protection provided by the critical area planting be adequate?
Ar ... more. |
... be tailored to meet a farmer’s specific needs.
Better soil
Sustainable soils that increase long-term productivity result from increased organic matter, improved soil moisture, reduced compaction, sequestered carbon and reduced erosion from water and wind.
Cleaner water
In addition to food, fiber, energy and other renewable resources, agriculture can also protect and improve water quality.
Greater on-farm profits
Sharpening management skills and utilizing the latest appropriate technologies result in higher levels of economic efficiency and cropland productivity
A brighter future for all of us.
Consumer expectations include more than abundant food, fiber and energy. They also expect agriculture to protect air, soil, water and wildlife.
What do farmers need to d ... more. |
... traps sediment and provides surface cover. Ridges formed by contoured rows slow water flow which reduces erosion. Rotating the strips from corn to legumes allows nutrient-needy crops to benefit from the nitrogen added to the soil by legumes. This practice combines the beneficial effects of contouring and crop rotation.
How it helps
Contour stripcropping reduces soil erosion and protects water quality.
Contour stripcropping may help reduce fertilizer costs.
Planning ahead
How many acres of row crops do you need?
Does your crop rotation allow for alternating row crops with small grains and
forages?
Will herbicide carryover be a problem?
Tech notes
Row crop strips need to be nearly the same width as small grains or meadow.
A 10% variance is allowed.
Plant grass or legu ... more. |
... the adoption of sustainable production systems based on reduced tillage.
Increase awareness of the positive effects of reduced tillage systems on climate change adaptation, greenhouse gas emissions or carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, and carbon sequestration.
Reduce cropping risk.
Increase the awareness of the positive effects of reduced tillage on surface water quality.
www.reducedtillage.ca
|
... to be taken to make the change happen, along with: the time frame for the change to occur; what, if any funding is needed; how success will be measured; and who is responsible for ensuring the change takes place.
Water Resources Concerns
There are numerous and diverse issues related to water resources in the Southern Plains region. Many water bodies have regulatory issues, i.e., water quality does not comply with some aspect of state standards. In this region, sediments and elevated nutrient (N, P) content are key water quality issues. Sedimentation effects storage capacity in reservoirs and can cause excessive turbidity. Elevated nutrients can result in oxygen depletion and in extreme cases fish kills. Degraded stream channels in the region contribute to problems in reservoirs. Reser ... more. |
... 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 general public, including members of environmental groups involved in water quality issues. CTIC's networks reach into the non-farm conservation community, allowing us to show members of the public the steps farmers are taking to protect water quality upstream The campaign will explain the hypoxia issue and need for nutrient management in terms and messages that appeal to agricultural audiences and deliver those messages at the right time and place to capture the attention a ... more. |
... Later
by Steve Werblow
Assessing an animal feeding operation’s manure storage and handling systems, and being sure to prevent discharges into waters of the state or U.S., can keep a producer from having to apply for an NPDES permit.
The livestock industry’s intense interest in upcoming revisions to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) livestock water quality rule has renewed talk about the need for large Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to apply for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. Set to limit the discharges of pathogens, ammonia and other water quality parameters like biological oxygen demand, NPDES permits put the livestock operations, at some levels, in the same category as industrial facilities like wast ... more. |
... 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.
“We hope others will realize cover crops are important to the overall system of farming and to water quality,” she says.
Kladivko is one of the six executive committee members who envisioned the idea of coming together to pool resources and connect with others interested in cover crops and then share that with the public through a Web site.
“There is a lot of knowledge in the Midwest, but it was never well-linked,” she says.
Now farmers and others interested in ... more. |
National Soil Tilth Laboratory
USDA Agricultural Research Service
Established 1989
Research laboratory within the USDA-ARS organization charged with conducting research on farming systems and their impact on air, soil, and water quality. Multidisciplinary research teams address problems using multiple scales of studies that range from basic laboratory analyses of soils to watershed and regional assessment of farming systems impacts on environmental quality and production efficiency.
Mission, Goals and Contact Information
www.ars.usda.gov/mwa/ames/nstl
|
5-minute video about how The Nature Conservancy and partners work with farmers to improve water quality in the Pecatonica River. |
John Vrieze's on-farm wastewater treatment system starts with manure (left), removes the suspended solids to create low-P "tea water" (center), then filters out dissolved solids to yield clear water (right).
Graphic courtesy of Integrated Separation Systems
Wastewater Treatment Plants Dewater Dairy Manure
by Steve Werblow
... 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 adopti ... more. |
... 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 and distributing high-quality, durable products for the land improvement and water management industry.
Case IH
www.caseih.com
Case IH is a global leader in agricultural equipment, committed to collaborating with its customers to develop the most powerful, productive, reliable equipment — designed to meet today’s agricultural challenges. With headquarters in the United States, Case IH has a network of dealers and distributors that operates in over 1 ... more. |
Installing practices such as dikes in existing wetlands to manage water levels and improve habitat.
How it works
Most wetland enhancement work includes small structures built to add water or regulate water levels in an existing wetland. Subsurface and surface drains and tiles are plugged. Concrete and earthen structures—usually d ... more. |
Mike Beard and his family have built a national reputation as top managers of feed, water and manure on their 15,000-head hog operation in Indiana.
Photo courtesy of Steve Werblow
Integrated Manure Management: Good Neighbors, Good Business
by Steve Werblow
There aren’t many 15,000-head hog operations that open their doors to neighbors for an annual open house. But Me ... more. |
... Research Service National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment (NLAE) shows cover crops planted in the fall between harvest and planting of spring crops help reduce soil erosion, limit nitrogen leaching, suppress weeds, increase soil organic matter and improve overall soil quality. Small grain cover crops increase surface cover, anchor corn and soybean residues, and increase water infiltration. Several cover crops, like turnips and radishes, are also suitable for grazing by livestock and wildlife. Aerial seeding of cover crops in August or after harvest is also an option.
Cover Crop Success with Organic Farming
Workshop panel 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 ... more. |
... webinars
Barry Toning
Jim Kreissl
Vic D'Amato
Khalid Alvi
Juli Beth Hinds
will focus on information in regards to wastewater treatment for upcoming and existing development.
Presentations will be given by the 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
S ... more. |
... and farmers could lose nitrogen.”
In addition to protecting against erosion and helping to build soil quality, residue left on the field in no-till cropping systems can help producers get into the field earlier in cold, wet harvest seasons.
Photo courtesy of NRCS
Not only could farmers lose the nitrogen applied to their fields, that nitrogen can enter nearby waterways, creating water-quality issues and adding to already established hypoxic zones, he adds.
Another potential problem with applying anhydrous in a wet fall: heavy, silty clay soils will not crumble and reseal the slot though which nitrogen is applied, Reicosky says.
“Unless a farmer takes the precautions to cover that gap, he runs the risk of losing some of that nitrogen,&rdq ... more. |
Marsh-type area with saturated soils and water-loving plants.
Wetlands provide wildlife habitat and serve as natural filters for agricultural runoff.
How it works
Na ... more. |
... explanations of soil health, how we can improve it, and the progress that’s being made to ensure we have the healthy soils necessary to feed, clothe and fuel the world in the future.
The PED Talks series was created by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), Soil Health Institute (SHI), Soil Health Partnership (SHP), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
The inaugural PED Talks include a video introduction from NRCS Chief Matt Lohr and the following presentations:
Shannon Cappellazzi of SHI on “Soil Health Diagnosed as You’ve Never Heard Before”
Alex Fiock of SHP on “Focusing on Soil ... more. |
... of soil health, how we can improve it, and the progress that’s being made to ensure we have the healthy soils necessary to feed, clothe and fuel the world in the future.
The PED Talks series was created by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), Soil Health Institute (SHI), Soil Health Partnership (SHP), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
The inaugural PED Talks include a video introduction from NRCS Chief Matt Lohr and the following presentations:
Shannon Cappellazzi of SHI on “Soil Health Diagnosed as You’ve Never Heard Before”
Alex Fiock of SHP on “Focusing on Soil ... more. |
Changing farming practices which occur on or near the farmstead in order to reduce the risk of contamination of water sources — mainly the well.& ... more. |
... goals, we have also been pursuing means and opportunities for increasing the adoption of CT in California.
This workgroup directly addresses the following DANR program priorities:
1) Issue 1. Productivity and Efficiency of Agriculture. Actions 1, 2 and 3 by evaluating and developing comprehensive management systems for crop health and soil quality, and for potentially increasing the water use efficiency of a variety of cropping systems throughout the state by the use of reduced tillage practices.
2) Issue 3. Environmental Quality and Resource Conservation. Actions 1, 5 and 6 by evaluating and developing production systems that may improve input use efficiencies, conserve soil quality and reduce health and environmental risks from agriculture.
The Conservation Tillage Wor ... more. |
... resources for 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, ... more. |
... improves structure and balances the nutrients in your soil. Plus, it offers a variety of other valuable benefits:
Flushes out unwanted Magnesium, Aluminum, and Sodium
Aids biological processes in building soil structure
Loosens soil and reduces compaction
Improves residue breakdown, which adds more nutrients to your soil
Enhances soil's water infiltration and water-holding capacity
Allows for faster drainage, which can mean more days in the field
Helps soil release nutrients to the crop
Improves rooting of plants for better drought tolerance
Reduce expensive fertilizer applications
You already have literally hundreds of years of nutrients trapped in your soil. The main issue is balancing these nut ... more. |
Maintaining environmental quality implies sustainable agricultural production systems that preserve and prated soil resources.
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;Calibri" ,"sans-serif";times="" new="" roman";times="" roman";"="">Cover crop and soil quality interactions in agroecosystems.
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MY CONSERVATION STORY...
BAMERT SEED
BOOSTING BIODIVERSITY AND WATER AVAILABILITY ON RANGELAND
Most conversations about the Ogallala Aquifer in the southern High Plains revolve around water scarcity. But ask Chris Grotegut about his 11,000-acre farming and ranching operation outside of Hereford, Texas, and you'll find out he pulled out 75% of his pivots and shifted to a largely dryland system.
Grotegut's secret weapon: b ... more. |
Conservation Buffer Facts
Conservation Buffers are small areas or strips of land in vegetation, designed to slow water runoff, provide
shelter and stabilize riparian areas. Strategically placed in the agricultural landscape, buffers can effectively mitigate
the movement of sediment, nutrients, and pesticides within farm fields. Buffers include: contour buffer strips, field
orders, filter strips, windbreaks, and wetlands. A small amount of land in buffers can assist producers in meeting
both econo ... more. |
... lakes are the focal point for millions, and in some cases billions, of dollars worth of food, tourism, transportation and recreation. A high quality lake valued for water supply, recreation and aesthetic appeal, can benefit all watershed residents.
Wetlands
Wetlands are a key link in watershed management. The role that they play in our watersheds is critical to protecting water quality and moderating water quantity. Wetland habitat serves as home for many plants and animals. Even the national- and in many areas the local- economy has a signifcant connection to wetlands.
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... tilth and, ultimately increases soil productivity.
Why is soil quality important?
Better soil retains more moisture for dry periods, yet the improved structure speeds natural infiltration in wet spots.
In the Great Plains, continuous no-till conserves 2-4" of soil moisture
annually when compared to intensive tillage systems.
In other areas, it improves water infiltration after the soil reaches its
maximum water holding capacity.
The improved soil structure also reduces compaction enabling plant roots
to be stronger, healthier.
Cleaner water
Soil erosion can be reduced by 90% (compared to intensive tillage). While we have
long thought of soil erosion as reducing top soil, we now know it's one of the
top &lsqu ... more. |
... tilth and, ultimately increases soil productivity.
Why is soil quality important?
Better soil retains more moisture for dry periods, yet the improved structure speeds natural infiltration in wet spots.
In the Great Plains, continuous no-till conserves 2-4" of soil moisture annually when compared to intensive tillage systems.
In other areas, it improves water infiltration after the soil reaches its maximum water holding capacity.
The improved soil structure also reduces compaction enabling plant roots to be stronger, healthier.
Cleaner water
Soil erosion can be reduced by 90% (compared to intensive tillage). While we have long thought of
soil erosion as reducing top soil, we now know it's one of the top ‘pollutants ... more. |
... 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 implements more conservation practices on the ground. The beauty of conservation districts is that they exist in virtually every county ... more. |
... bacteria work their way through the manure over the course of days or weeks, the gas is captured, cleansed to enhance its energy value and fed to methane-powered engines that generate electricity. Heat from the process feeds the manure-warming system and other industrial processes, including Inland Empire’s reverse-osmosis desalination plant, which produces 14 million gallons of drinking water daily for local residents.
While the generators spin out 1 megawatt (MW) of electricity per day—enough to supply about half of what IEUA consumes—the environment wins in other ways, too. Odors and pathogens are controlled, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter are reduced by 99 percent and more than five tons of salts and nitrates are kept out of the Santa Ana ... more. |
Intro to Watershed Planning & 9 Elements
Getting the Big Picture
Purposes of Chemical, Physical, and Biological Monitoring
Common Monitoring Parameters
Accessing Existing and Web Based Data
Using Hoosier RiverWatch Data for Assessment and Planning
Observational Approaches to Monitoring and Assessment
Characterizing Baseline Water Body Conditions
Interpreting and Using Existing Data to Identi ... more. |
Agricultural biotechnology delivers more than just streamlined pest management options or the promise of healthier, higher quality crops. Biotech-derived crops allow growers to adopt sustainable farming practices ranging from conservation tillage to integrated pest management. Those practices protect soil, water and air quality and allow producers to sustain our natural resources as well as our lives and lifestyles.
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), with funding from the United Soybean Board, has produced Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology, a thorough exploration of the environmental benefits of ... more. |
... on the future of conservation in US row crop agriculture. In doing so, I realize some of what I have to say could be regarded as controversial, so let me be very clear that these are my words alone, and not those of CTIC. There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that practices like cover crops and continuous no-till have tremendous potential to deliver a future of improved soil and water conservation outcomes. But the bad news is that this future is now imperiled by rising levels of aggressive litigation targeted against agriculture, such as (1) the 2015 Des Moines Water Works lawsuit (eventually dismissed in 2017 after two years of costly legal wrangling); (2) a second March 2019 lawsuit against the State of Iowa brought by two activist organizations and a bevy of California-led ... more. |
Cover crops help control erosion, prevent nutrient leaching, fix nitrogen, improve sail conditions, and protect seedlings, but also use water, thus affecting soil water relationships far the next crop.
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;Calibri" ,"sans-serif";times="" new="" roman";times="" roman";"="">Cover crop effects on soil water relationships.
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CTIC Institutional Gold Member, Soil and Water Conservation Society, has a mission to foster the science and art of natural resource conservation. Their work targets conservation of soil, water, and related natural resources on working land - the land used to produce food, fiber, and other services that improve the quailty of life people experience in rural and urban communities. They work to discover, develop, implement, and cons ... more. |
Phosphorus runoff contributes to the shoreline of Lake Erie accumulating algae.
Photo courtesy of EPA
Experts Dispute Study That Relates No-Till to Algae Problem
Rachel Doctor
Last spring, a study conducted by Hiedelberg College's water lab in Tiffin, Ohio, reported that no-till farming was contributing to the dissolved phosphorus that enters the water supply and causes an accumulation of algae in Lake Erie.
According to Norm Widman, national agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), no-till systems are not the reason for this dissolved phosphorus, but several things have caused a “perfect st ... more. |
... brand-new website at www.ctic.org. The easy-to-search, simple-to-navigate site contains thousands of documents and links to information on conservation farming systems. Among the highlights are:
A searchable database from the Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), which uses satellite imagery to provide detailed data on tillage practices and cover crops at the county or watershed (HUC-8) scale;
Cover crop insight, including details of the economic and environmental benefits of cover crops and the results of five annual farmer surveys on cover crop use;
Tips on organizing watershed groups and multi-stakeholder conservation efforts, including tips, analysis of knowledge transfer, and ideas for creating effective demonstration plots;
Real-world perspective on conse ... more. |
... emerging issues in conservation and sustainable agriculture and plans to extend this recognition internationally. CTIC benefits from and serves a strong network comprised of leaders in agriculture and conservation. Through this network, CTIC promotes and disseminates comprehensive data, research and materials related to conservation and sustainable agriculture that achieves better soil, cleaner water, greater profits and a brighter future.
Mission Statement
CTIC champions, promotes and provides information on technologies and sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable.
Values
Respect: CTIC treats every member and partner with respect, efficient service and a dedication to quality.
Dedica ... more. |
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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... are a company that manufactures or sells a product used in no-till agriculture, CTIC is the organization you should support. CTIC is the only organization that I am aware of that promotes the agricultural conservation practice that truly minimizes the impact of agriculture on the environment – continuous no-till.
Continuous no-till agriculture is smart agriculture. It reduces air and water pollution associated with tillage, improves soil quality and results in higher profits to producers.
If you are a company that consumes agricultural products, CTIC is an organization deserving your support. Most businesses involved in processing ag products to produce consumer goods have to comply with air and water regulations. A company can take their commitment to product stewardship one ... more. |
We live our values by making sustainability goals part of everything we do throughout the soybean lifecycle - from soil to seed to marketplace. Our environmental stewardship programs encourage reduced tillage as well as other tactics to improve energy efficiency, water conservation, water and air quality, and a variety of best management practices. |
CTIC Institutional Member, the National Pork Board, has a mission to provide the scientific support for identifying and addressing issues affecting the health, safety and quality of the pork industry’s animals, products or people. Broad areas of responsibility include pork quality, environment, food safety, swine health, animal welfare and producer health and safety. To learn more about the National Pork Board, visit www.pork.org
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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 quiz modules, an ADMC course certificate will be a ... more. |
Risks to Recreation
Integrating Children’s Exposure in Risk Assessment
Helena Solo-Gabriele
No Bio Available
No Bio Delivered
Video Length - 9:10
Outbreaks Associated with Untreated Recreational Water — United States, 2009-2017
Michele Hlavsa
Speaker Bio
Michele Hlavsa is chief of the U.S. CDC's Healthy Swimming Program and the agency’s lead on the Model Aquatic Health Code. She collaborates with U.S. and non-U.S. public health authorities and the aquatics sector to develop evidence-based measures to prevent recreational water–associated illness and pool chemic ... more. |
... from 20 states heard this unique story. The audience represented numerous roles in the agriculture industry, such as growers, agricultural retailers, members of the media, agricultural and conservation organization representatives, federal 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 Okeecho ... more. |
... practices in their profitable operations.
Starkey Farms Partnership , Brownsburg, Indiana
• 8 years of continuous no-till
• Gradually incorporated 200 acres of annual ryegrass as cover crop
• Gypsum added as a soil amendment to improve soil structure and infiltration
• Tile Nitrogen outflow monitored by a local university because the farm is within a watershed that supplies drinking water to nearby Indianapolis
Lamb Farms , Lebanon, Indiana
• 84% of corn and soybeans are no-till or strip-till
• RTK systems used to apply and manage nutrients
• 98 percent of compost produced is used on their farm for fertilizer and soil amendment
• Nearly 50 acres of conservation buffers along ditches
Meadowlane Farms , Frankf ... more. |
... 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 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 ... more. |
... in the soil.
A webinar on Friday, April 14 will delve into the new data, new algorithm, and an exploration of how people are using OpTIS in their research. Check ctic.org/OpTIS for webinar details in the coming weeks.
Free Online Access
An intuitive visualization tool on the CTIC website (ctic.org/OpTIS) allows users to explore the data, zooming in on watersheds of interest and moving sliders to vary the date range they want to study. OpTIS data are available free on the site at the HUC 8 watershed or Crop Reporting District (CRD) level. CTIC members have access to customized data formats, and finer granularity can be arranged through Regrow via its Sustainability Insights platform.
“Since its introduction in 2019, OpTIS has provi ... more. |
... Anniversary this year, looking back at the evolution of the organization—and of conservation agriculture in America—and looking forward to the next 40 years of the organization's mission.
Over the years, CTIC has progressed from a strong focus on no-till and reduced tillage to a broader approach to economic and environmental sustainability that grew to include water and air quality, soil health, and climate-smart agriculture. Through it all, CTIC has been a clearinghouse for information and a hub for bringing a wide range of people together to share insights and ideas on making conservation farming systems more successful.
The 40th Anniversary celebration will kick off at the CTIC Conservation in Action Tour in September. For opportunities to sp ... more. |
For more than 35 years, the Conservation Technology Information Center has brought together people, information, and insight to move agricultural sustainability ahead. We provide the safe space where farmers, regulators, researchers, agribusiness, conservation group staffers and other stakeholders can explore conservation systems that improve soil health, water and air quality, and the producer's bottom line.
In short, we Connect, Inform and Champion.
To do all that, we need your involvement. Please renew your membership in CTIC, or join us today. Encourage your colleagues to join, too.
Several members have upgraded their membership status, including:
Case IH (Corporate Silver)
Indiana Corn Marketing Co ... more. |
... Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) is a unique public-private partnership that brings together farmers, researchers, policy makers, regulators, agribusiness leaders, conservation group organizers and others at the same table to share information on conservation farming systems. In short, we Connect, Inform and Champion to encourage the adoption of practices that protect soil, water and air quality as well as farmers’ economic sustainability.
There has never been a better time to join CTIC. We’ve got great programs in the field and a clearinghouse full of information on everything from selecting the right cover crops to organizing watershed-wide conservation projects.
In addition to the information below, a membership application is now available online at ... more. |
... 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 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 ... more. |
... 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 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 ... more. |
... 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 Crops Rotations after Cash Grain Crop
... more. |
... CTIC’s 30th anniversary is a perfect opportunity to take stock of the conservation achievements of American agriculture over the last 30 years, trace the path that the industry has taken to get where we are, and chart a course for the future,” said CTIC board member Ron Olson of The Mosaic Company, the lead sponsor for the event. “Information about the stewardship of soil, water and air quality is absolutely critical to agriculture and to society as a whole. CTIC has a long and proud history of sharing the information that helps put conservation practices on the ground to everybody’s benefit.”
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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 ... more. |
CTIC Corporate Member, The Flatwater Group (TFG), 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 stat ... more. |
... microbes healthy (again through minimal soil disturbance), fertilizing crops adequately, avoiding soil compaction and rotating crops. “It's really site-specific, and we really need to understand the crop system we're talking about,” said Amado.
Got to Pay
Building carbon levels in the soil delivers a variety of important benefits, from improved soil quality to better water-holding capacity, higher fertility and resistance to erosion. Still, the biggest enticement to sequestering carbon will be creating markets through which farmers can sell the service they provide.
“I think what we're really looking for as a farm organization, or society in general, is some way to reward farmers and ranchers for doing things like storing carbon and some other envir ... more. |
... found their solution a little closer to home in the $3.6-million Elimanure system, designed by Wisconsin-based Skill Associates. Though their 2,600 owned acres and 2,600 rented acres represented enough land for agronomically acceptable manure application, building a power plant on the dairy reduced their manure movement from an 8-mile radius to about 1,000 feet of pipeline.
Because water comprises more than half of the weight of dairy manure, the Wieses' Elimanure facility dries the manure before heating it in a combustion chamber. That's a big challenge with dairy manure, but the Elimanure design channels heat from the furnace back to the biodryer building to dry the incoming fuel, blowing off the moisture as clean steam. Wiese calls the energy expended in drying the wet ... more. |
By Nigel Key, William D. McBride, and Marc Ribaudo
Economic Information Bulletin No. (EIB-50) 29 pp, March 2009
In recent years, structural changes in the hog sector, including increased farm size and regional shifts in production, have altered manure management practices. Also, changes to the Clean Water Act, State regulations, and increasing local conflicts over air 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 polic ... more. |
CTIC WRAPS UP ISDA BLUE CREEK PROJECT WITH INTERACTIVE TRAINING
Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) staff learned how to enroll farmers into Field to Market's FieldPrint Calculator and help growers in the Blue Creek Watershed Project put the tool to use in measuring the environmental impacts of commodity crop production and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
CTIC staff—including Sue Tull, Hans Kok and Callie Cleveland—organized and hosted a virtual, two-hour training session on September 29 on the grower sustainability tools used in the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) ... more. |
Bayer CropScience, The Mosaic Company, Syngenta and the Conservation Infrastructure Initiative co-led by the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA) and Iowa’s Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) 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 CTIC's 12th annual program of its type.
The tour will include a wide range of practices, from p ... more. |
... 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/cia_tour/registration. The $175 registration fee includes transportation, stops and all meals. A limited number of rooms are available at the Embassy Suites Downtown in Des Moines at a special Conservation in Action Tour rate o ... 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 CTIC's 12th annual program of its type.
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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 CTIC's 12th annual program of its type.
The tour will include a wide range of practices, from prairie strips t ... more. |
About 130 farmers, agency staffers, soil and water conservation district personnel, environmental and agribusiness leaders, and others gathered on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay for CTIC’s “Bringing Back the Bay” Conservation in Action Tour July 10 and 11.
The Chesapeake Bay has become the proving ground for a wide range of best management practices (BMPs) designed to protect the fragile system from excess nutrien ... more. |
... 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 Management Coal ... more. |
... CTIC will design the workshops with the following groups in mind:
- Agricultural retailers
- Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs)
- Land Improvement Contractors of America (LICA)
- Members of Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC)
- National Alliance of Independent Crop Consultants (NAICC)
- NRCS Technical Service Providers (TSPs)
- Soil and Water Conservation District staff and engineers
Through a collaborative agreement with the US EPA, CTIC will provide leadership and technical support to successfully plan, organize, coordinate, evaluate and share information from five workshops held between 2015 and 2020.
These workshops will provide attendees the foundation to target, design, and implement conservation pr ... more. |
In different studies conducted during the last 10 years, underground well water NO3−-N concentrations have been found to exceed drinking water standards of 10 mg NO3−-N L−1 (10 ppm) for some areas of the San Luis Valley of south central Colorado.
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;Calibri" ,"sans-serif";times="" new="" roman";times="" roman";"="">Sequential NLEAP ... more. |
... Hays and Tribune, Kan., and theUniversity of Nebraska at Sidney.
Algae Put to Work
Algae may become a biofuel source in the future, but could be employed todayto remove nitrogen and phosphorus in livestock manure runoff, according to the Agricultural Research Service (ARS).This may be an option for reducing nutrient delivery to the Chesapeake Bay and other water bodies. More...
Natural Resources Inventory Details Trends in Conservation Agriculture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released new data on soil erosion and development trends on non-federal lands. This latest National Resources Inventory (NRI), focused onthe years between 1982 and 2007,highlights data suggesting thatthat soil erosion has ... more. |
... no-till works to reverse these problems.
• Cover crops reduce soil compaction and improve carbon inputs and nitrogen recycling.
• As soil organic matter levels build, more nitrogen and phosphorus are efficiently recycled and released to the soil through increased microbial populations.
• Nitrogen losses decrease as soil compaction decreases, due to improved water infiltration.
• Ultimately, soil nutrient storage, water infiltration, soil structure and soil tilth improve.
The benefits of cover crops may help the soil’s ecological balance be restored in two to four years, rather than seven to nine. Soil type and prior management will influence the time required for these changes.
With dedicated effort and the input of cons ... more. |
... Redux.”
Robertson and the Ecological Society of America are encouraging development of policy programs to provide incentives for ethanol producers to follow proper management and use appropriate conservation practices.
To view ESA's position statement on biofuel sustainability, visit: www.esa.org/pao/policyStatements/Statements/biofuel.php
EPA Promotes Safe Drinking Water with New Brochure
A new brochure from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made its debut at the National FFA Convention in late October. The brochure is intended to provide access to key information on best agricultural practices to protect sources of drinking water. The target audience is high school ag science students, their advisors and instructors, as well as a broader agricultur ... more. |
Shaping and establishing grass in a natural drainage way to prevent gullies from forming.
How it works
A natural drainage way is graded and shaped to form a smooth, bowl-shaped channel. This area is seeded to sod-forming grasses. Runoff water that flows down the drainage way flows across the grass rather than tearing away soil and forming a larger gully. An outlet is often installed at the base of the drainage way to stabilize the waterway and prevent a new gully from forming.
How it helps
Grass cover protects the drainage way from gully erosion.
Vegetation may act as a filter, absorbing some of the chemicals and nutrients i ... more. |
... 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 important: 57% of cover crop users always look for a seed tag and 27% sometimes request them.
Available Online
The 2022-2023 National Cover Crop Survey report is available free online.
"We are glad to make the new survey report—an ... more. |
2023 NARS National Conference
April 24-28th, 2023
CTICis cordinating theNational Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) National Workshop under a Cooperative Agreement with EPA’s NARS program.
NARS is acollaborative program between EPA, states and tribes designed to assess the quality of the nation's coastal waters, lakes and reservoirs, rivers and streams, and wetlands using a statistical survey design. The workshop will cover topics relevant to all four waterbody types and the NARS program generally.
For the NARS workshop being held in conjunction with the National Monitoring Conference in Virginia Beach, we are planning to have a get-together on Monday evening (~5 -8 PM ET) and wo ... more. |
On April 24-28th, 2023,CTICis cordinating theNational Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) National Workshop under a Cooperative Agreement with EPA’s NARS program.
NARS is acollaborative program between EPA, states and tribes designed to assess the quality of the nation's coastal waters, lakes and reservoirs, rivers and streams, and wetlands using a statistical survey design. The workshop coveredtopics relevant to all four waterbody types and the NARS program generally.
For the NARS workshop being held in conjunction with the National Monitoring Conference in Virginia Beach, we are planning to have a get-together on Monday evening (~5 -8 PM ET) and se ... more. |
... Workshop, a three-day event featuring speakers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state environmental agencies, and partners from tribes and other entities. Dozens of presentations and breakout sessions are available free on CTIC's website.
NARS is acollaborative program between EPA, states and tribes designed to assess the quality of the nation's coastal waters, lakes and reservoirs, rivers and streams, and wetlands using a statistical survey design. The workshop coveredtopics relevant to all four waterbody types. The program included an address and Q&A session with John Goodin, director of US EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.
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... workshop coveredtopics relevant to all four waterbody types and the NARS program generally.
Before the NARS National Workshop attendees were encouraged to watch this video, NARS Improving Training, from a training held in Dallas, TX in 2018:
On March 17, 2022,US EPA and CTIC hosted a webinar and brought together 5 experts to explore key new water quality research indicators.
On February 22, 2022 EPA & CTIC held the History of NARS and the Monitoring Initiative webinar, view this webinar here:
This presentation provided background on how and why NARS was initiated; and the monitoring initiative which provides funding for statistical surveys as well as other monitoring program enhancements for states ... more. |
... 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, conservationists, agribusiness professionals, academics and policy experts collaborate to protect soil health, water quality and the atmosphere.
Thanks to our members, CTIC has grown over the last four decades, expanded our reach, increased and diversified our partners and worked with thousands of people across the country to advance conservation.
We will be celebrating 40 years of conservation in action throughout 2022, culminating in a major event for members, partners and friends in the latter half ... more. |
... is seeking applicants interested in 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.
... more. |
Join CTIC and GYPSOIL for a major symposium on soil quality presented by research scientists, producers and crop consultants. The event will be held at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, on March 7, 2013.
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CTIC's cover crop projects are working with numerous partners to bring quality field days to producers throughout our project areas. Click here to find details about the many events.
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... cover crops into the transitioning farmer’s continuous no-till system
Form social support networks in Indiana and Ohio for farmers who are transitioning to continuous no-till
Develop an online and printed cover crop matrix for the Midwest which aids farmers in choosing the correct cover crop for their location and operation
Extensive soil quality testing to show the benefits of cover crops paired with no-till
For More Information
Contact Chad Watts, CTIC Project Director, at Tel: 574.242.0147 or Email: watts@ctic.org.
Get Involved
Assist with promotion of the project to generate participation among farmers and recognition of the benefits of cover crops and continuous no-till. Provide financial suppo ... more. |
CTIC Institutional Bronze Member, the National Farmers Union, was founded in 1902 in Point, Texas, to help the family farmer address profitability issues and monopolistic practices. NFU has been working since 1902 to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities through advocating grassroots-driven policy positions adopted by its membership. To learn more about the National Farmers Union, visit www.nfu.org.
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CTIC Corporate Member, Yetter Manufacturing, is committed toward providing you with products built for years of use. From design to final assembly, Yetter products are constructed to withstand the rigors of even the toughest field conditions. They have a relentless pursuit of quality and are always looking for ways to improve equipment while controlling the cost of the final product. To learn more about Yetter Manufacturing, visit www.yetterco.com.
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CTIC Bronze Corporate Member, Bayer CropScience, has a vision to be a leading partner in providing innovative products and combined solutions for the production of quality food, feed and fiber to meet the global challenges of tomorrow. To learn more about Bayer CropScience, visit www.bayercropscience.com.
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Tuesday, August 25th
9am to 5pm
East Main Street Christian Church
Elwood, Indiana
Presentations from the meeting are below:
Cover Crops, No-till, and Soil Quality, Dan Towery
Indiana Specific Niches, Dave Robison
You have heard about the benefits of cover crops, now learn how to make them work! Spend the day with an all star cast of speakers from Purdue University, NRCS, Michigan State University, CISCO seeds and Ag Conservation Solutions and learn how to use cover crops on your operation.
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC ... more. |
... 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 your fields
Scouting is following a routine designed to detect a weed or pest problem that is serious enough (action threshold) to trigger a control measure.
Know your options
There are numerous approaches to effectively controlling problems. Resistant plants, cultural co ... more. |
For over 28 years, CTIC has been collecting and disseminating information on agricultural conservation. From air quality to yield, we have information to share.
Click on the first letter of your topic to see the resources we have available. Don't see what you're looking for? E-mail us at ctic@ctic.org.
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... damage and saving spray applications.
4.
Biological Controls: Growers should promote and attract many natural enemies that can inhibit pest populations. Import and use additional biologicals where cost effective.
3.
Thresholds: Before treating, the pest population should reach a level that could cause economic damage. Until that threshold is reached, the cost of yield and quality will be far less than the cost for control.
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Chemical Controls: Growers select the most effective and appropriate pesticide and properly calibrate sprayer. Weather conditions are checked prior to spraying to confirm proper coverage and minimum drift.
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Record Keeping: Records of soil management, planting dates, weather data, treatments and other appropriate information are ... more. |
CTIC Data Licensing Agreement
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) provides Data to the public as part of its mission to champion, promote, and provide information about comprehensive conservation and sustainable agricultural systems that are beneficial for soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable for agriculture. By using Data from the CTIC web-site, the User agrees to the following Data Licensing Terms (modeled after “Attribution ShareAlike CC BY-SA”):
(1) The User will properly attribute all Data as having been obtained from CTIC (www.CTIC.org) and the designated Data Provider.
(2) Commercial and non-comme ... more. |
... National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, University of Missouri Center for Regenerative and the National Center for Appropriate Technology’s ATTRA. FSH is being funded by Climate Smart Commodity grants from USDA.
CTIC is a 501(c)(3) organization that promotes and provides information on climate smart technologies and sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable. The organization was founded in 1982 to support the widespread use of economically and environmentally beneficial agricultural systems.
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... Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities program.The Connectoris an app being developed by CTIC and its partners to connectthe relevant participants in the emerging climate smart commodity marketplace—buyers, producers, technical service providers, and certifiers–with each other and with the information needed to support transactions among them.
Indian Creek Watershed Project
The Indian Creek Watershed Project brought together farmers and other stakeholders in a central Illinois watershed in a remarkable collaboration that resulted in conservation practices being adopted on at least 57% of the agricultural acreage in the watershed and measurable reductions in nutrients in the creek. The project yielded perspective on conservation practices from demonstr ... more. |
Phosphorus Load-Reduction Stimulus Program:
PLUS-UP
Background
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) is leading a new effort to pilot a phosphorus load reduction market in the Western Lake Erie Basin (Maumee, Sandusky, and Cedar-Portage watersheds, see map). Growers within the indicated watersheds are now being sought to participate in this pilot market. The “Phosphorus Load-Reduction Stimulation Program” (PLUS-UP) payments now being offered to growers are 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 ... more. |
... agribusiness leaders, conservation group personnel, farm media, and others. The organization is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other public entities. CTIC’s mission is to champion, promote and provide information on climate smart technologies and sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable. Learn more about CTIC at www.ctic.org.
About Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment
Wolfe's Neck Center is a nonprofit, farm-based education, research, and visitor center on a mission to transform our relationship with food and farming for a healthier planet. By facilitating knowledge and bes ... more. |
... agribusiness leaders, conservation group personnel, farm media, and others. The organization is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other public entities. CTIC’s mission is to champion, promote and provide information on climate smart technologies and sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable. Learn more about CTIC at www.ctic.org.
About Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment
Wolfe's Neck Center is a nonprofit, farm-based education, research, and visitor center on a mission to transform our relationship with food and farming for a healthier planet. By facilitating knowledge and bes ... more. |
... agribusiness leaders, conservation group personnel, farm media, and others. The organization is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other public entities.
It is our mission to champion, promote and provide information on climate smart technologies and sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable.
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... conservation practices (e.g. no-till and cover crops) that are now known to have major climate benefits, we have played a direct role in US row crop farmers sequestering or avoiding at least 50 million metric tons of CO2e annually, for a cumulative total of more than 2 gigatons over our first four decades of operation. CTIC will continue to advance practical systems that improve soil health and water quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance resilience to intensifying climate change, and deliver other environmental benefits. We will also continue to connect stakeholders committed to improving the sustainability of American agriculture, including reducing agriculture’s greenhouse gas footprint, and serve as an unbiased source of information for the trends in adoption of conservation prac ... more. |
... 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 State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas
Precision Irrigation and Its Place in a Practical System
Steve Steve ... more. |
... 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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... transportation, stops and all meals.
For more information on the Conservation in Action Tour, visit CTIC's website or call CTIC at (765) 494-9555.
The CTIC Conservation in Action Tour is sponsored in part by our Diamond-level sponsors—Bayer CropScience, The Mosaic Company, Syngenta and The Conservation Infrastructure Initiative co-led by the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA) and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS)—and our Platinum sponsors, The Fertilizer Institute and Corteva Agriscience.
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... transportation, stops and all meals.
For more information on the Conservation in Action Tour, visit CTIC's website or call CTIC at (765) 494-9555.
The CTIC Conservation in Action Tour is sponsored in part by our Diamond-level sponsors—Bayer CropScience, The Mosaic Company, Syngenta and The Conservation Infrastructure Initiative co-led by the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA) and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS)—and our Platinum sponsors, The Fertilizer Institute and Corteva Agriscience.
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... Service (NRCS)
Katie Flahive, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Bill and Tim Couser, Couser Cattle Company
Tim Recker, Iowa farmer and former chair of Iowa Land Improvement Contractors Association (LICA)
Omar de Kok-Delgado and Tim Youngquist, Iowa State University
Lee Tesdell, Iowa farmer and prairie strip pioneer
Sean McMahon, Executive Director, Iowa Agricultural Water Alliance (IAWA)
Shawn Richmond, Environmental Services Director, Agribusiness Association of Iowa
and more.
"Our Conservation in Action Tours bring together speakers from across agriculture, from farmers to regulators, agribusiness leaders, researchers and representatives of various conservation groups, to provide insights on what's working in the field to help farmers operate sus ... more. |
... 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 secure the block rate,so please make sure you book your room by the deadline,June 8. The Westin is ... more. |
... of the acres and rotate planting of corn and soybeans on the rest of the land. Their minimum tillage practices leave at least 30% of the previous crops’ residue on the soil surface. This residue decreases soil erosion and feeds nutrients back to the soil.
They apply nitrogen after the corn plants emerge, when nutrient needs are the greatest. This minimizes nitrogen lost to air and water.
To maximize efficiency, farmers must select the right nutrient source. A controlled-release nitrogen source such as Koch Agronomic Service’s Agrotain® may offer benefits.
Agrotain® blocks the enzyme urease to prevent nitrogen loss, which begins the moment the farmer applies fertilizer or manure. Losses add up over time, decreasing profitability and increasing nitrogen’s ... more. |
... 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 secure the block rate. The Westin is honoring the block rate three days before the tour and three days post-to ... more. |
... Corn Marketing Council
Indiana Soybean Alliance
Innovation Center for U.S.Dairy
Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
IPNI
James Lake
John Deere
Joseph Glassmeyer
Land Pro LLC
Larry Heatherly
Michael Adsit
Monsanto
National Association of Conservation Districts
National Corn Growers Association
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
No-Till Farmer
Scott Fritz
Soil & Water Conservation Society
Steve Bruere
The Fertilizer Institute
The Nature Conservancy
Timothy Healey
Truax Company, Inc.
To renew, please email Crystal Hatfield at hatfield@ctic.org or call 765-494-9555.
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CTIC champions, promotes and provides information on technologies and sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable.
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This national workshop will bring together 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 o ... more. |
This national workshop will bring together 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 o ... more. |
... The first-ever CTIC Dialogues briefed Washington, DC, staffers on how good policy yields good conservation.
• The 6th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture brought people from 51 countries to Winnipeg to share their insight and BMPs.
• We hosted a hypoxia panel for leading farm journalists at the Agricultural Media Summit.
• Our Indian Creek Watershed Project yielded a highly successful tour and three great presentations at the 2014 International Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference.
• We kicked off our 2.5-year Economic, Agronomic and Environmental Benefits of Cover Crops CIG project.
• Our 7th annual Conservation in Action Tour brought more than 150 conservation-minded participants to Florida for a look at ... more. |
Richard Budell
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South Florida Water Management District
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South Florida Water Management District
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Penn State University, University of Maryland, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service have all been testing various soil parameters on the Cedar Meadow Farm.
Groff, Steve. 2008. Mixtures and cocktails: Soil is meant to be covered. J. Soil Water Conserv. 63(4):110A-111A.
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Cover crops can provide a multitude of environmental benefits, including reducing soil erosion, minimizing nitrogen leaching, and increasing soil carbon storage (Delgado et al. 2007; Singer et al. 2007; Hargrove 1991).
Anderson-Wilk, M. 2008. The gap between cover crop knowledge and practice. J. Soil Water Conserv. 63(4):96A.
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Cover cropping impacts soil properties in many positive ways. These include higher total carbon, which usually contributes to increased cation exchange capacity and water-holding capacity.
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;Calibri" ,"sans-serif";times="" new="" roman";times="" roman";"="">Biological and biochemical soil properties in no-till corn with different cover crops.
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Monsanto works with farmers from around the world to make agriculture more productive and sustainable. We've strengthened our goal of doubling crop yields by committing to doing it with one-third fewer resources such as land, water and energy per unit produced. We're working with our partners to develop conservation systems that are better for the plant. |
The Mosaic Company's mission is to help the world grow the food it needs. As the world's largest supplier of phosphate and potash, we consider this mission to be a compelling one that carries vast responsibilities.
From water conservation and energy efficiency to stringent safety programs and community investment, sustainability is embedded in virtually everything we do. We believe that lasting success comes from making smart choices about our stewardship of the environment, how we engage our people, and how we manage our resources.
The Mosaic Company is a long and active sponsor of CTIC activities. |
Provides local technical assistance, contact with area producers and guidance for project outreach and growth. |
The Soil and Water Conservation Society will hold their 67th annual conference in Fort Worth, Texas from July 22-25, 2012. This year's conference theme is "Choosing Conservation: Considering Ecology, Economics and Ethics" and will feature presentations, workshops, symposia, and technical tours to facilitate the sharing of resource conservation knowledge. In honor of our 30th anniversary celebrat ... more. |
... of the acres and rotate planting of corn and soybeans on the rest of the land. Their minimum tillage practices leave at least 30% of the previous crops’ residue on the soil surface. This residue decreases soil erosion and feeds nutrients back to the soil.
They apply nitrogen after the corn plants emerge, when nutrient needs are the greatest. This minimizes nitrogen lost to air and water.
To maximize efficiency, farmers must select the right nutrient source. A controlled-release nitrogen source such as Koch Agronomic Service’s Agrotain® may offer benefits.
Agrotain® blocks the enzyme urease to prevent nitrogen loss, which begins the moment the farmer applies fertilizer or manure. Losses add up over time, decreasing profitability and increasing nitro ... more. |
Agricultural conservation systems produce good yields and strong profits while responsibly managing environmental resources. These systems efficiently manage nutrients and pests, control irrigation and drainage water flows, use cover crops, rotate crops to maximize conservation benefits and
minimize equipment wear. See CTIC's conservation systems information sheet HERE.
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CTIC took a party theme to the 67th International Annual Conference of the Soil and Water Conservation Society, titled "Choosing Conservation: Considering Ecology, Economics and Ethics," held July 22-25 in Fort Worth, Texas. Our exhibit stood out with balloons and festive gift bags to celebrate our 30 years of service to agriculture.
Karen Scanlon, CTIC executive director, and Chad Watts, CTIC project director, talked with co ... more. |
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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No-Till Farming Systems
The highly anticipated World Association of Soil and Water Conservation - Special Publication No. 3 - No-Till Farming Systems book has been released in the United States. As co-publisher, CTIC is honored to be the designated U.S. distributor.
"No-till farming systems have been developed and applied around the world over several decades. The technology is dynamic: it develops and changes as we overcome obstacles in soil opening, seed placement, ... more. |
This full-color publication defines a wetland, describes the role of wetlands, wetlands protection, and status and trends associated with wetlands. Developed and published by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
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... 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 www.NACDnet.org
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CTIC Institutional Gold Member, Environmental Resources Coalition (ERC), believes that it's possible for government, private industry, and citizen stakeholder groups to work together. They understand that when it comes to water protection efforts, one size does not fit all. Successful groups will use sound science, common sense and have an appreciation for the cause and effect relationships between economics, the environment and politics. To learn more about Environmental Resources Coalition, visit www.erc-env.org/.
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CTIC champions, promotes and provides information on technologies and sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable.
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Providing communities with the tools to research and adopt a viable solution for their waste water treatment. This workshop is designed to introduce participants to two free database management tools that can help improve wastewater management efforts in your communities.
When: October 7 and 8, 2010
Photo courtesy of NRCS
Where: Pike Bay Town Hall
&nbs ... more. |
By facilitating the switch to conservation tillage, biotech crops have helped dramatically reduce soil erosion and water pollution, increase carbon sequestration, and lower the use of crop protection chemicals by millions of pounds per year.
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... 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@state.mn.us
Please register by calling 651-201-6141. Your fee of $10 at the door will cover your refreshments and lunch.
Conference Presentations
Speaker Contact Information and Biographies
News Release
Download Confer ... more. |
... but may also be in pounds. CRM is an “umbrella” term encompassing several tillage systems including no-till, ridge-till, mulch-till, and reduced-till.
Conservation Tillage Types (30 percent or more crop residue left, after planting).
Any tillage and planting system that covers 30 percent or more of the soil surface with crop residue, after planting, to reduce soil erosion by water. Where soil erosion by wind is the primary concern, any system that maintains at least 1,000 pounds per acre of flat, small grain residue equivalent on the surface throughout the critical wind erosion period.
No-till/strip-till
The soil is left undisturbed from harvest to planting except for strips up to 1/3 of the row width (strips may involve only residue disturbance or may include soil ... more. |
Upcoming Events
July
Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference
July 18-21,2010, St. Louis, Mo.
Fellows Forum, Sunday, July 18th, 2010:“Gulf Hypoxia – A Midwest Perspective”
The 32nd Southern Conservation Agriculture Systems Conference: Conservation Agriculture Impacts--Local and Global
July 20-22, 2010,Jackson and Milan, Tenn.
... more. |
... tour will feature stops in western Illinois!
An engrossed group of Conservation In Action Tour participants listens to a discussion at one of the Beck's Hybrids seed company's greenhouses.
Photo Courtesy of Purity Mason
Side-by-side demonstration models at Rulon Enterprises show how ground water appears in a conventional tilled field (left) versus a no-till field (right) with residue on the soil surface.
Photo Courtesy of Purity Mason
At Lamb Farms, drywall scrap from construction projects is ground into gypsum and spread on fields as a soil amendment.
Photo courtesy of Randall Reeder
... more. |
... say farmers who apply manure as a fertilizer to their no-till field can decrease the chance that pathogens end up in runoff, which can pose environmental and health hazards.
These researchers studied the transport of Cryptosporidium – a parasite present in animal waste – through no-till and tilled fields. They found that a greater amount of the parasite moved along with excess water through no-till fields and into tile drains than in tilled fields, especially during a rain event.
However, they say, by following a few simple recommendations, pathogens in runoff can be reduced.
For the full story, visit www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/newsitem.asp?id=5501.
New report outlines trade-offs of biofuel production
The Ecological Society of America (ESA) recently re ... more. |
... sustainability from an industry perspective, in relation to sustainable agriculture,” Mann says.
Increasing efficiency and precision in the application of inputs is one way agricultural producers can approach sustainability. With the right tools and technology, producers are reducing fuel use and emissions, keeping nutrients and chemicals on the field and reducing runoff to nearby waterways, Mann says.
Precision and efficiency
Last year, Deere spent more than $2.5 million per day on research and development, Mann says. That investment in efficiency and technology is paying off for the company, for producers and for the environment.
For example, Mann says, Deere’s smallest U.S.-made combine is more productive than Deere’s largest machine of jus ... more. |
... Research Service (ARS) have improved the precision of calculating the costs and benefits of using conservation tillage in cotton production.
Learn more at this web site: www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2009/090317.htm.
EPA Announces Video Contest
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will award $2,500 to the winning video that educates homeowners, farmers and communities about water pollution issues. Video submissions must be 30- or 60-second video that can be used as a TV public service announcement or a 1- to 3-minute instructional video (one winner in each category). The deadline for submitting videos to EPA is Earth Day, April 22, 2009.
Get more details at: www.epa.gov/owow/videocontest.html.
Three Factors Sent Farm Prices Up, Same Three Driving Prices ... more. |
... In fact, the company is the leading international producer of nitrogen products for agricultural, industrial and environmental markets. Terra owns and operates nitrogen manufacturing facilities in six North American locations and own 50 percent interest in joint ventures in the United Kingdom and The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Terra takes pride in protecting the land, air and water and having superior customer relations in the communities in which they operate. Since 1987, Terra has reduced their nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions by about 80 percent by installing selective catalytic reduction systems in its facilities and has implemented projects to reduce toxic emissions of ammonia, nitrate and methanol. Currently, the company is installing low-NOx burners and greenhouse aba ... more. |
... help protect?
How close do you want the habitat area to your farmstead?
Tech notes
Plant the wildlife area with a vegetative cover of grass, trees or shrubs.
Exclude livestock.
To attract a specific wildlife species, choose cover and habitat for that species.
Create a diverse habitat to attract a wider variety of wildlife.
Consult with a local wildlife biologist, Soil & Water Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or wildlife group in your area for 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
Prescrib ... more. |
... supplies are in short supply.
How it helps
Standing crops with unharvested grain give food to wildlife that may
otherwise not be accessible after heavy snows or ice.
A food plot helps maintain wildlife on your farm by providing food.
Planning ahead
Will the crop you plan to plant or leave standing in the field attract the
wildlife you want?
Is there adequate cover and water near the food plot to support wildlife?
Are you endangering wildlife by placing the food plot too close to high
traffic areas?
Tech notes
Planting dates range from March 1 to June 15 depending on the crop. *
Food plots should be planted on the least erosive areas of the selected
field.
Plots on slopes steeper than 5% should be planted on the contour.
A plot can be planted on t ... more. |
Initiatives, publications, and opportunities for multi-state collaboration in animal waste management.
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A close-growing crop that temporarily protects the soil when crop residues are not adequate.
How it works
Crops including cereal rye, oats, clover, hairy vetch, and winter wheat are planted to temporarily protect the ground from wind and water erosion during times when cropland isn't adequately protected against soil erosion.
How it helps
Cover crops keep ground covered, add organic matter to the soil, trap nutrients, improve soil tilth and reduce weed competition.
Planning ahead
Do you have a seeding method that won't harm standing crops?
Are adequate soil conservation measures installed?
Tech notes
C ... more. |
... areas. What’s out of the ordinary about your field plan? Is it irrigated? Next to a stream or lake? Especially sandy in one area? Steep slope or low area? Manure applied in one area for generations due to proximity of dairy barn? Extremely productive—or unproductive—in a portion of the field? Are there buffers that protect streams, drainage ditches, wellheads, and other water collection points? How far away are the neighbors? What’s the general wind direction? This is the place to note these and other special conditions.
7. Recommended rates. Here’s the place where science, technology, and art meet. Given everything you’ve noted, what is the optimum rate of N-P-K, lime, and any other nutrients. While science tells us your crop has changing nutri ... more. |
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 addressing erosion problems and using best management ... more. |
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