Conservation Farming in southeast Minnesota

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Conservation Farming in southeast Minnesota

• Cannon River Watershed Partnership

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Ag-Related Water Quality Problems

• Sedimentation (from erosion)
• Excess N and P (from fertilizers)

Sedimentation of rivers can result from soil
erosion on farms.
Photo MPCA. 2000. Oxygen-poor dead zone
links Gulf of Mexico with Minnesota waters.
Minnesota Environment, Nov. 2000. Accessed
online at http//www.pca.state.mn.us/publications
/mnenvironment/fall2000/hypoxia.html. Used with
permission.
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Conservation Farming Practices

• Crop Rotation
• No-Till
• Nutrient Management
• Integrated Pest Management
• Conservation Buffers

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Perennial Crop Rotations

• Incorporate perennials (alfalfa) and small grains
  (oats, barley) into planting sequence
• increases ground cover and root area
• decreases erosion and nutrient loss
• breaks pest life cycles

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No-Till

• Leave crop residue on the fields and plant w/
  seed drill
• increases ground cover
• decreases erosion
• Increases water infiltration

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Nutrient Management

• Test soil and plant tissue N
• Consider all N sources (manure, crop residue,
  legumes)
• Apply only what is needed

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Integrated Pest Management

• Cultural Control Crop rotation, Altered Planting
  Dates
• Biological Control Maintain soil invert
  populations (natural predators)
• Chemical Control Apply only after field
  examination

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Conservation Buffers

• Maintain land in permanent vegetation (grass
  waterways, riparian forest, etc.)
• slows runoff
• filters sediment and nutrients
• stabilizes streambanks

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Benefits of Conservation Farming

• Soil Resources
• Water Resources
• Energy Resources
• Economic Productivity

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Higher Soil Organic Matter
Soil Resources

• Nutrients for crop growth
• Soil aggregation and porosity
• Stabilizes soil against erosion

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Lower Soil Compaction
Soil Resources

• Enhances water infiltration
• Prevents rapid runoff and soil erosion

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Higher Soil Moisture
Soil Resources

• (samples taken during grain-filling period
  Aug./Sept.)

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Higher Soil Invertebrate Populations
Soil Resources

• Contribute to Nutrient Recycling
• Maintain porous soil (burrowing)
• Control crop pests

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Water Resources
Water Resources

• Collection station for measuring runoff

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Lower Runoff Volume
Water Resources

• Porous soil structures
• Cover crops (crop rotation)
• Crop residue (no till)

increase infiltration
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Lower N Loss in Runoff
Water Resources

• Crop Rotation deep roots of perennials take up
  nutrients
• No Till low erosion prevents nutrient loss

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Lower Fossil Fuel Use
Energy Use

• Decreased fertilizer and pesticide use
• Decreased machinery and fuel use

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Higher Corn and Soybean Yields
Economic Productivity

• Higher soil fertility
• Higher soil moisture

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Technical and Financial Assistance for
Conservation Farming

• Government Programs
• SWCD Resources

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Govt Incentive and Cost Share

• Conservation Security Program (CSP)
• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
• Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
• Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)

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SWCD Resources

• One-on-one conservation planning
• Application assistance