Conservation 2015 by Iowa Farm Bureau

In our 2015 conservation and water quality section, the Spokesman: • Explores precision techniques Iowa farmers are using when applying fertilizer • Looks at why the timing of crop growth, not the misapplication of fertilizer, are behind nitrogen loss • Highlights three farmers leading the way in conservation and water quality improvements • Views conservation progress through the eyes of a veteran water quality official • Provides a graphic snapshot of where Iowa stands today in conservation and water quality

April 1, 2015

APRIL 1, 2015 IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN

Iowa farmers using precision when applying fertilizer By spreading out applications and using the latest tech nology, farmers are becoming far more precise in how they apply fertilizer. That’s good for crops and the environment. BY TOM BLOCK

owa farmers are taking a more detailed approach to fertilizer management that balances crop needs, economics and environmental risks. Growmark FS started introducing nitrogen management systems to its customers several years ago, says Nate Pierce, western region agronomy marketing manager for Growmark co-ops. Instead of applying a pre-determined amount of fertilizer in a single application before planting, Growmark and other farm co-ops across Iowa are working with farmers to spread applications throughout the PIERCE growing season, based on soil and plant tests that tell how much fertilizer is needed to optimize yields. “Nitrogen management revolves around multiple applications of nitrogen to a farmer’s field, different forms of nitrogen,” Pierce says. “Really, it’s based around the 4 R’s concept, which is right rate, right source, right time and right place for the application.” Growmark further breaks its recommendations into a three-pronged approach aimed at minimizing environmental impact, optimizing yield and maximizing input utilization, Pierce says. “If we hit all three of those, everybody wins,” he says.

Farmers are adopting fertilizer programs that include multiple applications, which are often bet ter for the crop and help protect against nutrient loss. FILE PHOTO

Multiple applications Many farmers begin with a fall or spring application of anhydrous ammonia, which remains a lower-cost nitrogen source, but are using a reduced rate compared to previous years. “What we’re observing is guys are putting on fall anhydrous, but at a lower rate,” he said. “We’re trying to manage the nutrients so they’re in the field when it’s more utilized by the plant.” Spring and early summer side-dressing applications have increased significantly in recent years as growers try to sync nitrogen applications with plant needs, Pierce reports. The post-emergence side-dress applications of UAN or urea allow growers to adjust rates depending on crop needs and reduce the risk of leaching from spring rainfall before crops are growing.

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“It seems like that’s a more commonsense way,” says Charles City farmer Den nis Brinkman, who splits his nitrogen applications into three increments. “There’s a better chance of having that nitrogen there when the plant needs it. Ideally, you would be able to put it on right when the plant needs it, but you’re kind of at the mercy of the weather.” While using split applications and nitrification inhibitors incurs additional costs, the practices reduce the risk of nitrogen loss and often allow farmers to reduce their overall fertilizer use — which saves money and benefits the environment, Pierce says. Timing nitrogen applications according to plant needs can also increase yields, he adds. The use of nitrification inhibitors, which keep nitrogen in the soil longer, has also dramatically increased in the past five

years, Pierce added. A 2013 study by Beck’s Hybrids evaluated the performance of four nitrogen stabilizers: Nutrisphere-N, Instinct, Agrotain Plus and Factor. The products on average increased yields by 5.9 bushels per acre with an average positive return on investment of nearly $16 per acre. Four-year data evaluating Nutrisphere-N and Agrotain Plus provides an average yield increase of 10.4 bushels per acre with net returns of more than $32, according to Beck’s research. The increased farmer demand for stabilizers has prompted ag companies to develop new products, promising even better results. BASF says its new Limus nitrogen management product can reduce ammonia losses by more than 90 percent and increase crop yields an average of 6 percent. Limus can be blended with urea and UAN fertilizers to protect against volatilization and nitrogen loss, enhancing nitrogen availability for an additional three weeks. “Growers can lose over 40 percent of surface-applied urea due to volatilization within weeks of application,” said Nick Fassler, BASF product manager. “From a grower’s standpoint, when you make that application, you want to ensure it’s there and it stays on its intended target. The nitrogen loss prevented by Limus nitrogen management protects plant nutrition, allowing crops to reach their maximum yield potential.”

Technology at work Farmers are also using technology to improve fertilizer management, says Ron Woeste, operations manager for Linn Co-op Oil Co. Some 80 percent of the co-op’s customers are utilizing variable rate technology to optimize fertilizer use, according to Woeste. PRECISION PAGE 5A

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IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN APRIL 1, 2015

Crop timing, not fertilizer overuse, reason for nitrate losses BY DIRCK STEIMEL

he primary cause of nitrate loss into Iowa’s surface water is bare soils during periods when crops aren’t growing and not because of a misapplication of fertilizer by farmers, Iowa agronomists and soil scientists said. “More than anything else, the amount of nitrate that ends up in surface water is controlled by temperature and precipitation during periods when crops aren’t growing,” said Michael Castellano, an Iowa State University (ISU) assistant professor of agronomy who specializes in nutrient movement through soils. “There is room for improvement on rate, placement, timing and source of nitrogen applications, CASTELLANO but that improvement will be a relatively small contributor to reduction of nitrogen loss from our soils and crop systems.” Because of that, regulations that attempt to reduce fertilizer rates below agronomic recommendations or force one-size-fits-all conservation regulations on 89,000 Iowa farms are a folly and likely to fail and could actually increase nutrient loss from fields, said Rick Robinson, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation environmental policy advisor. “This scientific aspect of the source of nitrate loss is critical to consider as Iowans work to reduce the amount of the nutrient in rivers that are the source of drinking water for Des Moines and other Iowa communities,” Robinson said. “That’s why it is so important to support the science-based Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, which

takes a broad look at reducing the factors of the loss of nutrients from farm fields and point sources. It offers farmers an array of practices based on science, and demonstration programs to find the ones that best fit their operation and reduce nutrient loss.”

Soil nitrogen naturally high

Nitrogen levels are naturally very high in Iowa’s famous deep, black soils. That’s especially true in the area known as the Des Moines lobe in north-central Iowa. Average Iowa soil contains 10,000 pounds of nitrogen per acre in organic matter, far more than the 150 to 200 pounds per acre that farmers typically apply to raise corn. “It’s really a remarkable soil formation, and only a few other places in the world have it,” Castellano said. “It’s those rich soils that help make Iowa the global leader in crop production.” Most of the time, that organic nitrogen is locked in as 3 to 5 percent soil organic matter and is not susceptible to loss. However, warm and moist conditions prompt microbes to transform the organic nitrogen into nitrate, which is susceptible to loss and can end up in surface water. That transformation into nitrate often occurs in the early spring when fields are either not yet planted or crops have barely emerged, Castellano said. “If there are no living roots there to absorb the nitrate, then it could be lost from the soil profile and wind up in waterways,” he said. Cover crops can be a very effective tool to offset that loss, Castellano said. “They address that window of bare soil after harvest and before planting.” More and more farmers are experimenting with cover crops. Acreage in 2014 jumped to an estimated 300,000 acres, up from less than 10,000 in 2009. A survey

completed in late 2014 showed that nearly one-quarter of Iowa farmers had tried cover crops. However, Castellano cautioned, cover crops aren’t the single answer for every farmer in Iowa to reduce nitrate loss because they don’t work everywhere and in every year, just like most practices. In some parts of the state, particularly northern counties, the growing season is

typically not long enough to get a crop harvested and a cover crop established. Many farmers also find it difficult in the spring to terminate a cover crop and plant corn on time. “Cover crops are a good tool. They won’t work in all cases, but they are good tool,” Castellano said. SCIENCE PAGE 7

Conservation and water quality links: • Go to http://bit.ly/1pTMKZr for an Iowa Minute video presentation on how Cedar Rapids is collaborating with farmers to improve drinking water quality. • Go to http://bit.ly/1pTMKZr for an Iowa Minute video presentation on how a southern Iowa water district has worked with farmers to reduce sediment in Lake Rathbun. • Go to http://bit.ly/1ePxp5x for the Iowa Farm Bureau Conservation Counts website, where you’ll find additional conservation and water quality success stories, statistics and more resources.

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APRIL 1, 2015 IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN

Conservation work second nature for farmer Guthrie County’s Bryan Mowrer says he’s not unusual because conservation farming methods are mainstream on Iowa farms.

It’s been a good decision both for the farm and for the environment, Mowrer said. He now saves $30 to $35 per acre on inputs.

Planting cover crops

BY TERRI QUECK MATZIE

ryan Mowrer of Guthrie County is a farmer who goes to sleep at night dreaming of terraces, who enjoys experimenting with cover crops, who can barely remember when they tilled the ground. And, as he emphasizes, he is not alone. “I’m just an ordinary guy out here doing what everybody else is doing,” says Mowrer. Modern conservation methods are common on Iowa farms, and Mowrer is eager to let the public know. “Good conservation is mainstream,” says Mowrer. “It’s not unique. We just need to tell people about it.” Mowrer farms row crops, plus some pasture and hay ground on land that ranges from hilly to river bottom and includes a variety of soil types, including red clay. He also runs about 70 cows in his cow-calf operation, as much as available pasture will allow. Mowrer’s conservation work is extensive and growing. He utilizes an extensive terrace system and was an early adopter of no-till in the 1980s.

Bryan Mowrer checks the residue on his farm in Guthrie County. He has been using no-till since the 1980s and has installed terraces and buffer strips. He’s also increased his acreage of cover crops. PHOTO/TERRI QUECK-MATZIE

“Early on I had landlords who guided me and set the standard,” said Mowrer, who is president of the Guthrie County Farm Bureau. “That’s how they expected me to farm their land.”

He now uses turn and buffer strips in his fields, and has utilized the Conservation Stewardship Program to limit nitrate usage and adopt variable phosphorous and potassium application.

With a wide range of conservation practices, Russell is dedicated to environmental gains A young Linn County farmer adopts a wide-ranging plan to save soil, improve water quality and create wildlife habitat. BY JODY KORTHAUS y applying conservation practices such as wind turbines, solar panels and manure management, Jason Russell has helped his family farm pave the way in conservation and water quality. Russell and his wife, Sarah, both come from family farms, and the Russell family has been farming in the Monticello area for the past 60 years. Today, Jason and Sara Russell grow hay, corn, soybeans and hogs with Jason’s brother, Eric, his father, Dennis, and four uncles, Ralph, Moe, Dave and John. Jason Russell manages the two 7,200 hog finishers, marketing more than 14,000 hogs per year as a partner of The Maschhoffs production network. The Russells started building the two sites in 2001, and the hog confinement operation began in 2003. “We’ve gotten even more involved with conservation after building the hog barns,” Russell said. “We felt it was the right thing to do for the environment, it was better for public image and helped us gain support from neighbors and legislators.” Russell Brothers has been recognized for their conservation efforts with stewardship awards from the Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Department of Ag and Land Stewardship and the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers.

Renewable energy and habitat

In March 2011, the Russells added a 50-kilowatt wind turbine, and in November 2014, they incorporated solar energy. Since installing the solar panels, Russell Brothers is now up to 100 kilowatts of renewable energy generation. The wind turbine currently accounts for 60 to 80 percent of the farm’s electric bill, and in a good year, Russell projects the solar array will cover the rest.

Jason Russell explains his operation to visitors last summer at a conservation field day. The Linn County Farm Bureau member has planted trees, installed buffer strips and created wildlife habitat on his farm. PHOTO/TOM BLOCK

“The economics of it just made it a very easy decision,” he said. “It’s so windy here that we wanted to feel good when the wind blew. It’s amazing how much power it can produce.” Russell has also been planting a number of trees around the farm over the years. After finding a Vermeer tree transplanter truck, he began to do side jobs for neighbors in the area. He says most of the trees he’s planted on the farm were free from people who wanted them cut down. “We’re learning more about timber management and trying to get invasive species out,” Russell said. “The trees smell

good and look good around the site, and they also provide a habitat for wildlife.” Russell has planted about 1,000 trees on the farm so far, and would still like to add thousands more. Trees planted include Austrees, arborvitae evergreens, spruces, cotton wood and swamp white oak.

Water quality and conservation

The farm has built buffer strips, grassed waterways and riparian buffers in the fields to protect water quality. The Russells also switched from conventional tillage to verRUSSELL PAGE 5A

Two years ago, he tried cover crops on 80 acres. Last year, he increased to 140 acres and says there will be more this year. “I wasn’t sure I could believe the hype, and that first year I thought, ‘This is just like planting into sod. This will never work.’ But I sure can’t argue now,” Mowrer said. He reduced soil erosion and nutrient runoff on his southern Guthrie County hilly ground and made strides toward the longterm viability of his land. Like many new to cover crops, Mowrer was leery of the potential yield drag on corn and working the timing into his routine. “But now it’s nothing when we chop silage to sow oats behind.” And there is cost – the cost of seed, and a plane to sow it. “It is an investment,” says Mowrer. One many Iowa farmers are willing to make. Iowa farmers invested $13 million to install and improve conservation practices last year. State funds added another $9.5 million to the pot, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). IDALS says 1,600 farmers invested $4.2 million over the past two years on water quality initiatives — money that was again matched by the state. Mowrer says that is only part of the picture. He says many farmers grow tired of waiting on the government cost-share money and proceed on their own, making use of free consultations and advice, then doing the work themselves.

A conservation waiting list

There are currently around $18 million worth of requests pending from farmers and landowners for cost-share conservation practices, according to IDALS Communications Director Dustin Vande Hoef. That sometimes translates to two or three years on the ground for projects like a new terrace, Mowrer says. Yet, it doesn’t seem to deter farmers like Mowrer from making improvements. “I’d rather not have the government involved,” says Mowrer, though he acknowledges the benefits of the help, with nearly all current cover crop users getting their start through cost-share programs. Modern technology has made it easier for the conservationist. In the early days of no-till, equipment didn’t always match the task, but times, like conservation practices, have changed. Now, not only does planting and application equipment do the job required, but monitoring equipment controls nutrient levels and planting practices. Row-by-row fertilizer application, on-spot soil testing, even auto-steer features that set a contour line for planting — all conserve money and resources and benefit the environment. Whether the investment is in practices or tech tools, or utilizes public or private funds, it’s an investment that can pay. Mowrer’s use of cereal rye (annual rye this year) as a cover crop has shown he can sequester up to 80 pounds of nitrogen. “That drops 80 pounds of nitrogen off my bill. Believe me, I’d rather keep those nutrients on my fields than pass them on to the guy downstream.” So how do farmers let the public know they are leading the conservation charge? Mowrer says farmers just need to speak up. “We need to let the public know what we’re doing. It’s time for guys like me to get out there and talk about it.” After all, conserving resources and protecting the environment for all Iowans is business as usual for the state’s farmers. “Conservation is a mind-set,” Mowrer said. “It’s a long-term commitment. And we, as farmers, are on board with that. It’s nothing new. We’ve been doing it all along. It’s just how we farm.” Queck-Matzie is a freelance writer in Fontanelle.

IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN APRIL 1, 2015

Dial builds a legacy of caring for soil and water

Calhoun County farmer is always looking for better ways to preserve soil and protect water. BY DARCY MAULSBY

hen Dwight Dial of Lake City began no-tilling in the 1980s, he wasn’t deterred by the comments of other farmers who weren’t impressed with this farming method. “‘I’d quit farming before I’d become a trash farmer’ is how they put it,” said Dial, who grows 700 acres of soybeans and corn in southwestern Calhoun County. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, however. Decades of no-till on Dial’s 50/50 corn-soybean rotation have improved his soil’s organic matter from 0.5 percent to nearly 6 percent today. “Each point of nitrogen will give you about 10 pounds of nitrogen per acre,” Dial said. Hog manure from Dial’s nursery/finish swine operation, along with anhydrous ammonia, provide the rest of the nitrogen his crops need. “I’ve been able to cut my nitrogen use in half through my conservation farming practices,” Dial said. “Higher organic matter makes nitrogen available all season long, which helps me produce 200plus bushel corn.”

A better way

Keeping this nitrogen in place where it can nourish his crops is important to Dial, who has a hard time understanding why Des Moines Water Works is suing three northwest Iowa counties for allegedly allowing nitrates from 10 drainage districts under their control to pollute the Raccoon River, a primary water source for the utility. “We’re not deliberately dumping our nitrogen into the Raccoon River or other waterways,” said Dial, who raises sheep in addition to corn, soybeans and hogs. “We’re doing everything we can to retain nutrients in the field for our plants, but we can’t control Mother Nature.” The lawsuit won’t deter Dial from im plementing conservation practices to im prove water quality in the Raccoon River watershed and beyond. He has extended an open invitation for Des Moines Water Works’ CEO and General Manager Bill Stowe to visit his farm. “Come up and see what’s going on here, because we have a good story to tell,” Dial said. To date, Water Works officials have not

RUSSELL FROM PAGE 4A

tical tillage and plant 150 acres of winter wheat and rye cover crops to improve yields and reduce soil erosion. “We’ve actually built our organic matter in our soil in 10 years of continuous corn,” said Russell. “The organic matter and good earthworms also help the water soak up instead of run off.” The Russells use their hog manure as fertilizer, using a custom manure application system. Manure runs through a drag hose from the hog finisher pits to the applicator in the field. That system is 42 feet wide and pulled with a track tractor,

PRECISION FROM PAGE 2A

Grid sampling provides a map showing applicators where fertilizer rates need to be increased or decreased, instead of applying a flat rate across an entire field. “In the 20 years we’ve been doing this, our phosphate (application rate) is probably down 30 percent from where we were,” he says. Crop sensors can also be used to optimize nitrogen applications during the season, according to Mike Olson, sales manager for Ag Leader. A study using Ag Leader’s OptRx crop sensors to vary nitrogen rates showed potential profits of more

water runoff, along with using nitrification inhibitors and incorporating hog manure into the soil to mitigate leaching. “I’m doing everything I can to retain nitrogen for my crops,” said Dial, who became one of the first farmers in his area to meet the highest levels of the voluntary Conservation Security Program from the Natural Resources Conservation Service. “The last thing I want to do is send nutrients down the river.” In 2011-2012, Dial participated in the Certified Conservation Farmer program from AGREN in Carroll. He completed more than 40 hours of conservation education in the classroom and spent more time observing conservation on farms to learn about innovative methods for protecting the land from soil erosion, building soil organic matter and optimizing soil fertility while preserving water quality. “Dwight uses an effective combination of conservation practices, including cover crops, on his farm,” said Tom Buman, owner of AGREN. “He’s not just doing things because someone thinks they’re a good idea. Instead he thoughtfully evaluates his options.” All these efforts have earned Dial an Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) Environmental Lead er Award, which recognizes the exemplary voluntary efforts of Iowa farmers who are Residue protects Dwight Dial’s fields from erosion during the winter months. Dial has imple- committed to healthy soils and improved mented a wide range of conservation practices on his farm, including no-till, buffer strips and water quality. nitrogen stabilizers. PHOTO/DARCY MAULSBY “Iowa has tremendous farmers who are not only the most productive in the world, taken Dial up on his invitation. my dad, Gerald, and I didn’t have to use as but who also understand that we must care much equipment, and our fuel bill dropped for the soil and water and preserve it for way down. This helped us survive the the next generation,” said Iowa Secretary of Learning and sharing Agriculture Bill Northey. Learning from others and sharing best 1980s.” No-till has also helped Dial withstand practices is important to this former ag teacher. “When I taught at Iowa Valley in the drought that hit his area in 2012. “More Benefits are adding up Marengo from 1972 to 1974, I noticed that organic matter means the soil’s water retenInnovating for the future is the hallmark farmers there weren’t moldboard plowing tion capacity skyrockets,” said Dial, whose of farmers like Dial who love the land. Dial, every acre,” said Dial, who earned his bach- fields include Clarion-Nicollet-Webster an avid gardener, plans to install a new elor’s degree in ag education from Iowa soils. “My crops stayed green, even when windbreak at his mother’s farm this year, State University, where he later worked on the rain quit falling.” complete with nearly 250 crabapple and Less compaction is an ongoing advan- cedar trees. He encourages other farmers to his master’s degree in animal science. “It was a different system than I was used to, tage of no-till, which fosters a thriving eco- re-evaluate their farming practices and test system in the soil. “The earthworm growth a new conservation practice on a portion of but it was working.” Dial was also inspired by Jim Owens, is phenomenal, which leads to more air and their acres this year. an experienced no-till farmer from Lake water channels that benefit the crops,” Dial While the benefits of conservation won’t City. “Parts of Jim’s operation made a lot noted. accrue immediately, they do add up in the of sense to me, especially when it came to long run. “My goal has always been to build Learning from the land reducing erosion,” he said. a sustainable farming operation and pass the No-till is just one of many conservation land onto my children in better shape than I No-till made even more sense to Dial when the farm crisis hit in the 1980s. “The practices Dial has implemented on his farm. got it,” Dial said. “I want to leave a legacy bottom line is always a key consideration He has built terraces, added grass water- of conservation.” for any farmer. Switching to no-till meant ways and installed buffer strips to slow Maulsby is freelance writer in Lake City. so there is virtually no ground disturbance or compaction. The machine is steered by precision agriculture to monitor the flow and keep the application rate on target. “Last fall, because of the weather, we were able to inject manure on all the ground we own,” said Russell. “We even have a field 10 miles away we were able to put manure on with semis.”

Rigorous testing

Russell explains that while hog manure is a great source of fertilizer, it isn’t as predictable as commercial fertilizer. Therefore, what some spend on fertilizer, the Russells spend on nitrogen testing. “With the Conservation Stewardship

Program, we’ve started doing more spring nitrate testing and tissue testing,” said Russell. “This tells us how the manure is reacting with weather conditions and to see if it’s necessary to add any fertilizers.” Right after the corn reaches physiological maturity in the fall, the Russells also do a stalk nitrate test to see how well they did with nitrogen management that year. This is the third year the Russells have been using precision agriculture to assist them with their conservation efforts. The farm has incorporated yield monitors, row shutoffs and auto-steering into their operation to achieve efficient and effective application methods.

“Precision agriculture can help you understand areas that may never need fertilizer, because they’ve been fertilized for years or with livestock manure,” said Russell. “Without precision agriculture, such as sampling, grid sampling, tissue testing and yield monitors, you could be wasting dollars.” The technology has allowed the Russells to see if what they’re doing is working, and how these practices effect their production. “Doing what you’ve done for the last 40 years isn’t necessarily the best thing,” said Russell. “We’re always open to change, and we’ve been fortunate to make these modifications and have it work.”

Always looking ahead than $20 per acre compared to using a flat rate, Olson says. The sensors are attached to a sprayer to read plant health and adjust nitrogen rates in real time, applying higher rates to nitrogen-deficient plants and cutting back rates where crop nutrition is sufficient. “Nitrogen is a nutrient that moves on us a lot. It’s not 100 percent dependable,” Olson says. “In wet years, we tend to un derestimate the amount of nitrogen loss.”

Tracking N movement

Growers can also track nitrogen availability with regular soil sampling like Growmark’s N-Watch program. Samples are taken every two weeks to see how

nitrogen changes form and moves through the soil profile. “It’s a way to bring the nitrogen cycle to life,” says John Grandin, Growmark western region senior field sales agronomist. “We’re able to show (growers) where the nitrogen is at and what the impacts of an application or rainfall have been on (nitrogen) availability. We’re able to take that and make better management decisions.” Ultimately, nitrogen management strategies will change from farm to farm, or even field to field, to achieve each farmer’s yield and environmental goals, Pierce says. “There’s multiple right ways to (manage nitrogen),” he says. “It’s based on the way the farmer farms.”

Moving forward, the Russells are thinking about putting in an anaerobic digester as part of a pilot project for an engineering firm next year. The anaerobic digester would be used to turn the hog manure into energy. In the process, micro-organisms break down the waste to produce biogas, which can be used for electricity and heat. “We’re excited to put another leg on the stool as far as renewable energy goes,” said Russell. “The biggest things we’re going to continue to do is minimize tillage and maximize yield without added unnecessary nutrients.” Korthaus is a freelance writer in Urbandale.

APRIL 1, 2015 IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN

Prairie strips show promise as effective conservation tool Part of conservation tool box

BY DARCY MAULSBY

rairie strips placed strategically within Iowa fields are providing impressive results to help row-crop farms reduce nutrient loss. “We’ve seen dramatic environmental improvements with as little as 10 percent of the land in prairie strips placed on the contours of rowcropped watersheds,” said Lisa Schulte Moore, associate professor of natural resource ecology and management at Iowa State University (ISU). Improvements from strategically placed prairie strips include a 95 percent reduction in sediment transport, 90 percent reduction in phosphorus and total nitrogen transport and 60 percent reduction of surface water flow from ISU’s experimental sites, which are cropped on a corn-soybean rotation using no-till. Positive results can be measured in the first year after a prairie strip is installed. This spring, the ISU project team is working with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to add 25 prairie strip demonstration sites at commercial farms across Iowa, along with the Whiterock Conservancy near Coon Rapids and Cedar Rapids’ Eastern Iowa Airport. Tim Smith, who farms 800 acres near Eagle Grove, is participating in one of the 2015 demonstration sites. “Our most precious assets are our soil and water, and we need to protect them,” he said. “The more I heard about the benefits of prairie strips, the more I wanted to try them on my farm.”

Iowa State University research, in cooperation with the Leopold Center, has shown that prairie strips are a flexible and cost-effective tool for farmers to reduce soil and nutrient loss. PHOTO COURTESY OF LEOPOLD CENTER

Keeping soil, nutrients in place

Prairie strips are placed perpendicular to the flow of water with spacing and configuration designed to fit farming and machinery needs. There is the potential that the strips can be moved as sediment is deposited on the upslope edge or machinery needs change, making them a flexible alternative to terraces for certain slopes and soil types. “Prairie strips could involve as little as 1 percent of the land in a field or 10 to 15 percent or more, depending on the topography and soil type,” said Schulte Moore, who is working closely with landowners to determine how many acres of prairie strips are needed on various soil types. Prairie strips include a diverse mix of warmseason and cool-season native grasses, along with wildflowers. The stiff, upright stems and deep roots of prairie plants slow the flow of water and encourage infiltration, keeping soil and nutrients

in the field where they are needed. With minimal upkeep, diverse prairie communities are able to withstand drought and intense rain. It’s a plus that prairie strips rank among the least expensive in-field management practices. “They cost approximately $40 per treated acre per year for establishment and management,” said Matt Helmers, an ISU Extension agricultural engineer, who noted this cost is spread over a 15-year average. Prairie strips can include big bluestem, Canada anemone, black-eyed Susan, partridge pea and more, along with early-season plants that benefit pollinators. Smith said he is also seeding extra milkweed in his prairie strips for monarch butterflies, which depend on milkweed for nutrition. In addition, Smith has Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) ground with filter strips along with 550 acres of cover crops.

Today’s growers look to the cloud for more than just rain.

Cost-share funding for prairie strips is available through various programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Smith received a grant from Trees Forever to help install his prairie strips. “I view conservation as a total system,” he said. “Prairie strips can be an important part of this system.” Prairie strips show that farmers can find costeffective solutions that provide substantial environmental benefits while ensuring good crop production. “We’re really excited about prairie strips’ potential,” Schulte Moore said. “They could become a major tool in the toolbox to provide a practical solution for helping Iowa farmers meet conservation and yield objectives.” For more information about ISU’s prairie strip research, log onto www.nrem.iastate.edu/ research/STRIPs. Maulsby is a freelance writer in Lake City.

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Survey to tally farmers’ conservation, water quality work BY BETHANY BARATTA

here’s no doubt Iowa farmers are implementing a myriad of farming practices to protect both soil and water quality. A new farmer survey from Iowa State University (ISU) and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) plans to capture the breadth ARBUCKLE of those practices and show the influence of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. “The purpose of the survey is to gain a better understanding of the types of methods and practices farmers are using to minimize nutrient loss,” said J. Arbuckle, ISU Extension and Outreach sociologist. The survey, which may have already reached some mailboxes, will be used for education and outreach efforts, Arbuckle said. “The information obtained will help

SCIENCE FROM PAGE 3A

Along with cover crops, farmers are using a number of other technologies to reduce nitrate loss, said Nate Pierce, western region agronomy business director for ag-supplier Growmark. Technologies like nitrogen stabilizers and precision nitrogen programs, which were experimental a few years ago, are becoming common practices for a lot of farmers, he said. In addition, Growmark’s N-Watch program, which is designed as an educational

us improve extension and outreach information and programs to support farmers’ efforts to minimize nutrient loss,” Arbuckle said. Farmers throughout the state will be selected at random to participate in the survey, he said. Farmers in six watersheds across Iowa will be asked questions regarding nutrient management and conservation practices they used in 2014, Arbuckle said. “We will be asking farmers about some of the challenges they face as they work to minimize loss of nutrients into waterways while maintaining high levels of production,” Arbuckle said.

Two watersheds in Iowa

The survey will be implemented in stages, with farmers in the Iowa River and Missouri-Little Sioux rivers watersheds surveyed this year. The survey will be rotated to other watersheds across Iowa over the next four year, he said. “We will ask farmers to help us identify challenges that they and other farmers might face as they strive to reduce nutrient loss so ISU Extension, IDALS and other agencies and organization can help them to tool to help farmers learn to monitor the nitrogen in the top 2 feet of their soil and consider factors such as weather that influence nitrogen movement, is also gaining popularity, Pierce said. “Farmers are really learning more about the nitrogen system and how they can help reduce losses,” he said. Several edge-of-field technologies have shown promise in reducing nitrate loss. Many farmers are adopting some of those, such as wetlands, bioreactors and saturated buffers, in combinational with in-field management techniques to reduce nitrate loss from fields.

Reduced applications could hurt

grain than you are putting in with fertilizer, you will eventually deplete your balance and you would only exacerbate the water quality challenges.” It’s about retaining a nitrogen balance, Castellano said. “Nitrogen fertilizer inputs that are insufficient to maximize economic return for the farmer can cause a long-term soil organic matter loss,” he said. “However, nitrogen fertilizer inputs in excess of crop demand can increase nitrate loss and reduce profitability. That’s why it is important to fertilize at ISU recommended rates.”

While there are a lot of practices to reduce nitrate loss, lowering fertilizer application rates below the ISU recommendations is not recommended, Castellano said. A farmer who reduced fertilization levels below ISU recommendations risks a longterm decline in the soil organic matter, the ISU agronomist explained. That organic matter is needed to hold onto organic nitrogen, he said. “Soil is like a bank account,” Castellano said. “If you are taking more nitrogen out in

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each year of the survey, he said. To learn more about what Iowa farmers are doing to protect water quality, go to www.conservationcountsiowa.com.

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overcome those challenges,” Arbuckle said. Farmers’ information will be kept confidential, and no identifying information will be printed in the report, published during

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Money does not grow on trees. It grows on stalks. Yield is money and accuracy affects your yields. That’s why our planters are built with speciﬁc technologies at the crucial points in the planter’s operation to allow seed to move efﬁciently and uninterrupted from hopper to trench- right where you want it.

A survey conducted by Iowa State University will ask farmers about practices they are using to minimize nutrient and soil loss, such as this wetland in northwest Iowa. FILE PHOTO

Actual Plant Spacing Variability (Stdev)

There is a signiﬁcant relationship between deviations in plant spacing and lower yield. Per inch of deviation, more than 2 bushels per acre (bpa) can be lost. In an eight-year study, researchers found spacing inaccuracy of an inch could cause between a 2.2 bpa loss and a 2.5 bpa loss. Source: Purdue University As the distance between seeds becomes more variable (expressed in this chart as standard deviation) the yield per acres decreases dramatically. The White Planters design has speciﬁc features to increase and maintain spacing accuracy.

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8A APRIL 1, 2015 IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN

Use of cover crops continues to grow on Iowa farms BY TOM BLOCK

a long-term commitment to cover crops, even if they don’t see immediate benefits. She worries farmers who receive one-time incentives to try cover crops will abandon the practice too quickly, especially in times of tighter crop margins.

over crops are one of the fastest-growing conservation practices in Iowa as farmers pursue the environmental, and hopefully economic, gains of having plants growing in their farm fields year round. About one in four Iowa farmers are using cover crops on at least a portion of their farms, and the number of cover crop acres in Iowa has skyrocketed from fewer than 10,000 acres in 2009 to about 300,000 acres in 2013, says Sarah Carlson, Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) research coordinator. “We shouldn’t leave soils uncovered during the winter,” she says. “The more we can do to cover them up with green plants, the more impact we can have on water quality.” Cover crops are among the practices that reduce both nitrogen and phosphorus losses to surface waters. On average, cover crops reduce nitrogen losses by 30 percent, and some research sites have shown an 80 percent reduction in nitrogen losses, according to Carlson.

Many benefits from cover crops

While water quality improvement has been the main reason behind the recent surge in interest, cover crops also bring many other benefits, Carlson says. In addition to water quality gains, studies have shown cover crops can help improve soil quality, reduce chemical input costs, improve farm resiliency, boost yields, increase forage availability and improve wildlife habitat. “It’s not just to improve water quality. It’s to keep nutrients and soil in place for crop production,” says Carlson. “The more we can have something green growing, the more microbes are holding the nutrients.” However, cover crops aren’t an overnight success story, she cautions. It can take five to 10 years to show measurable benefits in soil organic matter or consistent yield gains, and there are a number of pitfalls that can occur as a result of poor management. “It takes some time,” Carlson says. “In year four or five, we start hearing anecdotes that (the ground) is working easier.” Iowa Soybean Association research trials in 2013 and 2014 showed yield gains and losses were about equal in corn following a cover crop. Fifteen trials resulted in a yield loss, while 13 showed yield gains and one had no difference. Veteran cover crop users say they’ve noticed about a 1 percent increase in organic matter after planting cover crops for a decade in conjunction with conservation tillage. A 1 percent increase in organic matter will increase yields by 12 percent, studies show. Carlson recommends first-time cover crop users stick to a simple cover crop like cereal rye, which grows well in most of Iowa and is relatively easy to manage. As farmers gain experience, they might experiment with seed mixes incorporating tillage radish or legumes. Steve McGrew started using cover crops in 1993 primarily for erosion control on the hilly terrain of his southwest Iowa farm. He’s had success with cereal rye before soybeans and prefers mixtures like hairy vetch, rapeseed and wheat before corn. In a four-year cover crop trial examining yields after cereal rye, McGrew found a yield boost in soybeans most of the time, while corn yields varied. “As a rule, you will worry about yield drag if you get your grass very tall before corn,” McGrew said. “Corn loved being planted in hairy vetch, and I saw a yield increase.” There are a number of seeding methods for cover crops, but the general rule is the earlier, the better, Carlson says. Costs typically range between $15 and $40 per acre, depending on seed and application method. Drilling the seed after corn or soybean harvest provides the most consistent stands, but planting may be too late to get much growth before cold weather settles in, especially in northern areas. Aerial seeding into standing corn or soybeans gives more time for cover crops to get established, but ger-

“What would be great is if we had something to get people to try it for three to five years,” she said. “By year five, I guarantee you’ll see a yield benefit in soybeans. Over time, it should be paying you back, but it’s like the 10-year mark.”

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