NEW PROVIDENCE, Iowa -- Continuous corn or corn-corn-soybean rotations may lead producers to perform increased tillage to manage crop residue. Effective conservation tillage practices that improve residue management and water quality will be on display at a field day near New Providence, Iowa on Sept. 7

Demonstrations will include deep in-line v-rippers, no-till/strip till tool bars and tandem disks for tillage and minimum-till manure injectors for managing different crop residue conditions.

Ron Engle Farms, Iowa Learning Farm and Conservation Effects Assessment Project are hosting this field day to illustrate how to implement conservation practices and demonstrate the resulting impacts on water quality, crop residue and farm profitability. 

Farmers, agribusiness professionals and the public are invited to the field day beginning at 12:45 p.m  The farm is located 5 miles east on D65 from the intersection of Highway 65 and County Road D65 in Hardin County, south of Hubbard. A free lunch will be served at noon. The program agenda is available on-line at www.extension.iastate.edu/hardin/news/conservfielday.htm

“The use of conservation practices to reduce deterioration of natural resources needs to be considered as a ‘systems approach’ to conservation management, said Mahdi Al-Kaisi, ISU Extension soil management specialist. “Utilizing a wide range of conservation practices can greatly increase environmental benefits.”

Co-sponsors are South Fork Watershed Alliance, Iowa River Green Belt Resource Trust, Hardin County Soil and Water Conservation District,Validus, Held Inc., Zoske’s Sales & Service and Stutsmans Inc.

If you have questions about the field day call Darwin Miller at (641) 648-4850 or Kapil Arora, ISU Extension agricultural engineer, at (515) 382-6551.

The Iowa Learning Farm seeks to help Iowa farmers identify and use conservation systems to improve soil and water quality on their land. The Iowa Learning Farm is a partnership between Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Division of Soil Conservation; Iowa State University Extension; Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service; and Iowa Department of Natural Resources; in cooperation with Conservation Districts of Iowa and Iowa Farm Bureau.

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