Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
2/26/03
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Mahdi Al-Kaisi, Agronomy, (515) 294-1923, malkaisi@iastate.edu
Jean McGuire, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-7033,
jmcguire@iastate.edu
Conservation Planning on Private Land Can Reduce Sediment Pollution
Ames, IA -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) recently proposed update of impaired water bodies includes 188 stream and river segments, lakes and impoundments. This suggests there is an urgent need for improved conservation planning on private land, according to Mahdi Al-Kaisi, soil management specialist with Iowa State University (ISU) Extension.
Sediment is the dominant cause of the majority of the impairment. Iowa's land users and natural resources managers need to ask themselves, 'How can I improve my practices in order to contribute to the improvement of the environment, while protecting my operation and my investment in it against regulation or legal action?'
Land managers and farmers can work individually to adopt sound conservation practices in their operations, says Al-Kaisi. "Many farmers already know that conservation tillage offers tremendous benefits in terms of crop productivity, efficient use of time and equipment and preventing the loss of every farm's most valuable resource -- the soil. Even so, total conservation planning is going to become an increasingly important exercise for every farmer. There's no way around it."
He suggests conservation plans that are practical, site-specific, achieve objectives and easily integrated into a production system. Some starting points could include:
attending workshops, field days and local meetings to improve understanding of conservation practices
implementing conservation tillage practices such as ridge-till, strip-till or no-till
maintaining residue cover and knowing the potential reduction in residue cover for each successive tillage operation
maintaining an effective drainage system through tile inlet and outlet maintenance
managing nutrient use with in-season and late-season nitrogen (N) testing
planning for systematic soil-testing on a regular schedule
building terraces to handle erosion on slopes of 4 or 5 percent or steeper
keeping records of nutrient and manure application, and other chemicals
keeping records of planning, installation and maintenance of buffers, waterways and terraces
tracking all volunteer time, leadership or membership in issues related to the environment
implementing pasture erosion control through proper vegetation establishment, clean livestock water sources, and rotational grazing plans
keeping records and maintaining equipment for optimal residue distribution
measuring remaining crop residue following harvest and fall tillage, if applicable, as well as after planting in the spring
enrolling highly-erodible land or marginal land in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
Land managers and farmers should be involved in the local community effort in addressing local watershed issues and working together diligently on issues like water quality. "Take an active role in addressing environmental concerns in the watershed," says Al-Kaisi. "Offering time and leadership with water quality testing ventures through projects like IOWATER will get local watershed residents involved and in control of protecting local natural resources.
Farmers can benefit by learning more about the environment and knowing how to discuss the issue in depth, from the perspective of the farmer as well as that of the environmentalist. Getting involved also establishes credibility. Farmer involvement will bring a practical viewpoint into the discussion."
As environmental and business conditions are changing, all farmers will need to continually review and modify their conservation practices. Conservation planning and being proactive on environmental issues is good for farmers and good for agriculture -- individually and collectively.
Iowa State University Extension and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) offers information for land owners interested in using conservations methods on their property. The ISU Extension materials are available for order through any ISU Extension county office or on the Web at: http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/ and http://www.extension.iastate.edu/pubs/wa.htm. The NRCS Web site offers information for farmers and ranchers at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/partners/for_farmers.html.
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Funding support provided by USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service through Cooperative Agreement No. 74-6114-10-03.
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