... site, or look for a particular practice or place in the search bar.
Ag Consultant Resources
Bees and Pollinators
Buffer Strips
Community Organizing
Conservation Tillage
Conservation Practices—Adoption
Crop 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 ... more. |
... Schafer says,"awareness and education are critical in giving drainage water management an edge in the conservation game."
Installation costs of drainage management systems range from $20 to $200 per acre more than conventional drainage systems. To offset these costs, government cost-share programs are an important part of the picture. Programs including Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative can provide assistance for installation. And, in some states, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) funds may apply to drainage management structures in riparian buffers.
Schafer says that "Ideally, farmers could be compensat ... more. |
... degrade fish habitat and the ability of the water body to provide recreational and aesthetic value.
Keeping it Real: Minnesota’s Nutrient Management Initiative
For the past four growing seasons, Southern Minnesota farmers participated in the Nutrient Management Initiative (NMI) evaluation program funded by Minnesota’s USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Interested farmers worked with a certified crop adviser to evaluate nutrient comparisons on their own farms. Farmers compared their own nutrient application rates with either a higher or lower application rate. Upon completion of the program, the farmer and certified crop adviser received an economic analysis based on the farmer’s actual nutrient costs and yields f ... more. |
... crop yields. Smart use of nitrogen ensures viable and productive resources for years to come.
USDA provides financial assistance to producers for adopting smart nutrient management practices. The Conservation Stewardship Program, created by the 2008 Farm Bill, offers incentive payments to growers who adopt conservation-focused nutrient-management plans.
Depending on farm location, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and other programs also provide support for these practices, including the use of slow- and controlled-release fertilizer products. To learn more about programs available in your area, contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) center.
The demand for food, fuel and fiber will continue to grow unabated. So, too, will pressures to protect the environment. Balanci ... 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. |
... can happen, there must be a buyer, a seller and a reason to trade, such as an impaired water way that would benefit from the exchange of pollution reduction credits. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), an organization with members representing more than 90 percent of the electricity generated and delivered in the United States, recently secured $1.3 million in grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to launch a regional water quality trading program in the Ohio River Basin. The program aims to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus discharges into the Ohio River.
EPRI in action
EPRI conducts research and development relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public. An independent ... more. |
... can happen, there must be a buyer, a seller and a reason to trade, such as an impaired water way that would benefit from the exchange of pollution reduction credits. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), an organization with members representing more than 90 percent of the electricity generated and delivered in the United States, recently secured $1.3 million in grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to launch a regional water quality trading program in the Ohio River Basin. The program aims to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus discharges into the Ohio River.
EPRI in action
EPRI conducts research and development relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public. An ind ... more. |
... plains region.
Who We Serve
SPARC serves producers of agriculture products as well as consumers. This includes all communities, policy makers, tribes, landowners, and water users throughout rural and urban areas.
Priority Resource Concerns
SPARC has determined that the three priority resource concerns with the greatest potential for beneficial results are:
1. Soil Quality
2. Economics
3. Water Resources
Soil Quality Concerns
The general soil quality condition indicates a declining trend in soil organic matter content. This indicator is the reason the Southern Plains Agricultural Resources Coalition chose soil quality concern on cropland as the primary resource concern. This decline is largely due to the tillage practices and lack of crop rotations em ... more. |
... our first year, the 10 farmers in the PLUS-UP program prevented almost 400 pounds of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) from entering the Lake Erie watershed. For a little pilot project with 10 farmers and 5,000 acres, that's a big number.
DRP fuels algal blooms like gasoline feeds a fire. For PLUS-UP, we estimated the value of a pound of DRP at $100, a measure of the environmental damage it can cause and the cost of trying to remove it from water supplies to prevent it from 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 ... more. |
... future for agriculture.
Resources (handouts, webinar recordings etc.)
Farmers for Soil Health webinars
Learn tips from farmers who use cover crops in northern climates, as well as pointers on terminating covers. You'll also learn about CTIC's new Cover Crop Coach program and sign-up details for Farmers for Soil Health and its great cover crop incentives.
Making Cover Crops Work in the North Central States: An Introduction to Soil Health
In this one-hour webinar, CTIC soil health specialists Catie Geib and Julia Gerlach introduce the Farmers for Soil Health (FSH) program and discuss on-farm cover crop strategies with South Dakota farmer Jamie Johnson. In this first-in-a-series webinar, you’ll learn about FSH cover crop inc ... more. |
... Featured speakers:
Colin Geppert, a farmer in South Dakota
Dr. Erin Silva of University of Wisconsin
Myron Sylling, a farmer in Minnesota
Join the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) and Farmers for Soil Health on Tuesday, February 6 at 10:00 am CST for a free webinar on cover cropping in Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota...and $50/acre Farmers for Soil Health incentives to help you along!
Learn tips from farmers who use cover crops in northern climates, as well as pointers on terminating covers. You'll also learn about CTIC's new Cover Crop Coach program and sign-up details for Farmers for Soil Health and its great cover crop incentives.
Making Cover Crops Work in the North Central States:
An Introduction to Soil Health
September 27, 2023
... more. |
... 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’s efforts to establish citizen science, innovation project competitions, and voluntary partnerships help EPA, State, Tribal and local environmental agencies prepare for the challenges of a rapidly-changing world. Previous positions at EPA include Director of the National Center for Environmental Innovation and Deputy Associate Administrator for Policy, Economics and Innovation in the EPA Administrator’s Office.
Video Length - 11:42
Citizen and Community Evolvement to Make a More Swimmable California
... more. |
... 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 environmental policy. Mr. Soller has been a visiting scientist with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in New Zealand, and a Risk Policy Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Sc ... more. |
... courtesy of PNDSA
A local Pacific Northwest working group has been formed to find a solution. Representatives from the PNDSA, Spokane County Conservation District, Washington State University, USDA Risk Management Agency, NRCS and Washington State Farm Service Agency have worked to develop CRP exit strategies to encourage, allow and assist farmers with maintaining the environmental benefits of land formerly under CRP.
The working group has investigated some options, and will ask for input from groups with a vested interest in the outcome.
The best option for some CRP land is to remain under permanent cover. Fortunately, programs are in place for such land, following the sage advice, “Farm the best; enhance the rest.”
To pursue the “best,&rdq ... more. |
... in-kind donations and the invaluable contribution of expertise and insight. They include:
Agrium
A.J. Sackett & Sons Company
Altorfer, Inc.
BASF
Brandt
Case IH
Crop Production Services
Cropsmith
Dow AgroSciences
The Fertilizer Institute
GROWMARK
Illinois American Water
Illinois Corn Marketing Board
Illinois Council on Best Management Practices
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association
Illinois Soybean Association
John Deere
Koch Agronomic Services
Livingston County SWCD
Monsanto
The Mosaic Company
New Leader
Syngenta
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
US Geological Survey
The six-year Indian Creek Watershed Project was a model program in many ways. A shining example of organizati ... more. |
Advances in Monitoring, Approaches and Technology
Five Years of Enterococci qPCR in Chicago: Research to Practice
Kendall Anderson
Speaker Bio
Kendall Anderson is an environmental epidemiologist 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 manag ... more. |
... PLUS-UP program will provide a financial incentive for conservation practices that help farmers reduce phosphorus loading in the Lake Erie watershed, keep their nutrients where their crops can use them, and build soil health," says Hans Kok, CTIC program director. "Bayer Crop Science has purchased phosphorus credits to provide these PLUS-UP incentives, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has supported the development of a market mechanism that could be sustainable well into the future."
Through educational materials, workshops, and one-on-one training, CTIC, the Bayer Carbon Program (www.bayercarbon.com) and Heidelberg University will provide support to farmers on sustainable practices.
PLUS-UP payments now being offered to growers are inten ... more. |
... Station, Milan, Tenn.
Conventional tillage usually eliminates earthworms in soil. Each initial tillage pass destroys about 25 percent of earthworms, Hubbs said, and other worms leave or die because of higher soil temperatures, destroyed burrows and reduced food supply.
(Not all soils support earthworms. In some cases, earthworms were not introduced to the soil, or environmental conditions do not support earthworm populations.)
SOIL PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Structural Stability
Aggregate stability quantitatively measures soil vulnerability to destructive forces, such as water or wind. Like respiration, soil stability is correlated with organic matter levels.
Mike Hubbs collects core sample for bulk density while waitin ... more. |
... funds that help farmers cover the cost and management of practices that reduce phosphorus loads that feed harmful algae blooms in Lake Erie.
Our goal with the PLUS-UP pilot project has been to develop an efficient, effective program. That's why we focused on DRP, which is completely available to algae (and to crops, making its loss from farms a big economic blow as well as an environmental one). University researchers have calculated the economic damage caused by DRP in the Lake Erie watershed at over $1,000 per pound, based on direct costs like drinking water treatment and indirect ones like damage to tourism and the fishing industry.
To help drive this pilot effort to develop a procedure for understanding, incentivizing and reducing DRP in surface waters, The Bay ... more. |
... funds that help farmers cover the cost and management of practices that reduce phosphorus loads that feed harmful algae blooms in Lake Erie.
Our goal with the PLUS-UP pilot project has been to develop an efficient, effective program. That's why we focused on DRP, which is completely available to algae (and to crops, making its loss from farms a big economic blow as well as an environmental one). University researchers have calculated the economic damage caused by DRP in the Lake Erie watershed at over $1,000 per pound, based on direct costs like drinking water treatment and indirect ones like damage to tourism and the fishing industry.
To help drive this pilot effort to develop a procedure for understanding, incentivizing and reducing DRP in surface waters, The Bay ... more. |
Innovative Cropping Systems Incentive Program (ICS)
Established 1996
ICS is a cooperative program that strives to furnish incentives that advance cropping management systems that offer efficiencies in crop production and enhance pollution reduction performance. ICS adoption incentives include outreach, technical transfer, education, demonstration, research, cooperation, development, partnerships and financial assistance.
Mission, Goals and Contact Information
http://colonialswcd.vaswcd.org
|
For more information: Steve Werblow (steve@stevewerblow.com)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana (February 24, 2020)—The Conservation Technology Information Center (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. EPA Region 5 Administrator Kurt Thiede announced today in a Chicago press event that the agency will fund the groups' three-year project—which uses satellite data, sophisticated models, farmer training programs, and direct incentives to create a market-driven reduction in phosphorus (P) runoff in the Ohio watersheds—with more than $472,000.
Mike Kom ... more. |
... jour webcast series in response to findings of the 2008 Agriculture in Balance conference. At the conference, Pennsylvania’s agriculture and environment stakeholders – including agencies, legislators, farmers, and conservation interests – identified the need for increasing the communication of best management practices and the science behind them as a means for improving environmental outcomes. Now with 25 Manure du jour episodes available with the 2010 Season II additions, and six more planned for the remainder of 2010, the webinar series has significantly enhanced access to the research and application of best management practices – both core and innovative – that are essential to working lands conservation.
Modeled in the spirit of the outstanding ... more. |
... United States lacks the standards to ensure producing biofuels from cellulose won't cause damage to the environment, according to a recent article published in the journal Science.
The article was in response to an Ecological Society of America workshop this past spring discussing biofuels effects on the environment.
Commercial ethanol production from corn may cause environmental harm without proper management, according to Phil Robertson, Michigan State University professor of soil and crop sciences, and lead author of the article, titled “Sustainable Biofuels 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 c ... more. |
Who: Wye Mills, MD
What: March 4-5, 2009
Where: Chesapeake College
Together 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 impr ... 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 Crop Advisers, is hosting a two-day water quality credit trading workshop. This will be a detailed, intensive training program on water quality trading for agricultural operators, ag advisors, potential water quality trading aggregators and municipal wastewater facilities. Expert speakers will introduce the concepts, bene ... more. |
What's Next? Emerging Concerns
How well do Coliphages Predict the Presence and Concentrations of Human Enteric Viruses in Water and Wastewater?
Mark Sobsey
Speaker Bio
Dr. Mark Sobsey specializes in environmental health microbiology and water, sanitation and hygiene. His research, teaching and service encompass the detection, characterization, occurrence, environmental survival/transport/fate, treatment, human health effects characterization and risk assessment of viruses, bacteria and parasites of public health concern in water, wastewater, biosolids, soil, air and food for the prevention and control of ... more. |
... Nutrien, Case IH
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Contact Crystal Hatfield for details at hatfield@ctic.org.
4R Nutrient Stewardship Training Workshop, August 23, Maumee, Ohio
Join us Tuesday, August 23 for a free nutrient training workshop in Maumee, Ohio, part of 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 Anders ... more. |
... map, created by the Geospatial Services team at St. Mary's University of Minnesota, provides more details on the challenge, the program, and some of the farmers in the pilot program.
Questions? Contact CTIC’s PLUS-UP Program Director:
Hans Kok
kok@ctic.org
208-596-2618
This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement GL-00E02797 to the Conservation Technology Information Center. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document.
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... National Rivers and Streams Assessment
Aquatic Resource Monitoring, EPA ORD
Aquatic Resource Monitoring, EPA ORD
This Web site provides information on monitoring of aquatic resources in the US, primarily focused on design and analysis of probability based surveys. Links are provided to other aquatic resources monitoring information available on the internet.
EPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program
The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) was a research program run by EPA’s Office of Research and Development to develop the tools necessary to monitor and assess the status and trends of national ecological resources.
R7 Pre-Training Webinar Recordings
Those attending the R7 Tribal Training Workshop September 10-13 sh ... 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 Sustainable Agronomy—Stewardship in Action
10:05 AM-10:20 AM (Recorded)
Topic: Making Conservation Stick: Perspectives from a Family Farm and Certified Crop Adviser
Speakers: Vollmer-Sanders Family, Grains and Greens and Vollmer Farms and Certified Crop Adviser
10:20 AM-10:35 AM (Live)
Topic: Panel Discussion and Question and Answer Period
Moderator: ... more. |
... the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC): The Conservation Technology Information Center is a non-profit organization committed to promoting conservation farming practices and sustainable agriculture. CTIC facilitates partnerships and collaborations among farmers, researchers, industry stakeholders, and government agencies to advance conservation and environmental stewardship in agriculture.
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... and some are regulatory. All require careful consideration.
What’s valuable about it?
One of the challenges of setting a value on manure is considering whether all of its contents are actually delivering a benefit. Manure is only valuable if it causes a crop response, notes Jon Rauch, Extension program director for The Ohio State University’s Environmental Management program.
Part of predicting crop response is recognizing which nutrient(s) are boosting yields. Commercial fertilizer can be tailored to match crop needs, in proportion, for each nutrient in a single application. Manure, on the other hand, tends to be relatively high in P and K and low in N. As a result, applying enough manure to supply the nitrogen needs of certain crops ... 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 Canton, OH) on July 8 and 9, 2009.
Water quality trading is a market-based approach to improve water quality. It is an innovative, volun ... more. |
... cover crop seeded into corn residue.
Photo courtesy of USDA
Cover Crops Work with Various Crop Production Systems
By Jason Johnson
According to a panel of Iowa farmers, agronomists and soil conservationists, cover crops such as rye, wheat and clover are environmentally beneficial and with proper management won’t inhibit yields on various crop production systems, including no-till and organic farming.
At a recent Cover Crops Workshop in Jefferson, Iowa, dozens gathered to discuss and learn more about the many benefits and varieties of cover crops, and ways to successfully plant and manage them.
Research by the USDA’s Agricultural Resear ... more. |
...
Catie Geib is the former My Wisconsin Woods Coordinator at the Aldo Leopold Foundation, where she collaborated closely with Wisconsin landowners to foster sustainable land management practices on forested properties. Hailing from Northern California, Catie's upbringing on a multi-generational ranch instilled a profound connection to the land. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with a concentration in soil science from Montana State University.
“I am excited to join CTIC and contribute to their mission of advancing soil health and sustainable agricultural practices, something near to my heart," said Geib. "I am so eager to connect Wisconsin farmers with the FSH program, as it offers valuable support, both economically and ecologically. This m ... more. |
... the role of no-till and cover crops in reducing the off-farm movement of DRP into surface waters, is detailed 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.
... more. |
... or install new treatment technologies. Through water quality trading, producers, regulated facilities and local water quality all benefit.
CTIC’s 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.
Partners
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Agri Drain, Duke Energy, Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Soybean Alliance, and Purdue University Extension
Read the Final Report
For More Information
To request a free water quality trading handbook for agricultural producers, contact CTIC at ctic@ctic.org or
call 765-49 ... more. |
... 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. |
... a smaller-scale quantitative market feasibility analysis.
We are in the process of understanding both point source nutrient contributions and nonpoint source agricultural contributions to the Wabash River watershed project area. These sources are potential water quality trading credit buyers and sellers. We will use the data provided by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, as well as local extension offices and producers, to compile an inventory of potential buyers and sellers with their respective pollutant load contributions to the Wabash River watershed project area.
In addition, we are compiling an analysis of water quality trading drivers. This analysis will identify numeric TMDL targets for point and nonpoint sources, wate ... more. |
... - Dr. Richard Moore, The Ohio State University
Water Quality Credit Trading Workshop - Jim Klang, Kieser & Associates
WQT Workshop Role-playing Exercise - Jim Klang, Kieser & Associates
Point Source to Non-Point Source Trading to Meet NPDES Permit Requirements in Greene County, Ohio - Kristen Risch, Malcolm Pirnie, Inc.
Water Quality Credit Aggregators - George Kelly, Environmental Banc & Exchange, LLC
Benefits and Obstacles in WQT-Ohio, George Kelly, Environmental Banc & Exchange, LLC
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... of “Farm Bill Biologists” dedicated to assisting farmers and ranchers with voluntary, incentive-based conservation program assistance. My role expanded to serve as the organization’s first Director of Agriculture where, thanks to many great partners in the ag tech space, we created a Precision Ag & Conservation Program focused on improving economic profitability and environmental stewardship on acres that consistently lost the farmer money. Immediately prior to joining CTIC in November 2022, I worked for Farm Journal’s sustainability division as the Director of America’s Conservation Ag Movement and helped lead farmer peer groups focused on the social science of how farmers adopt new practices.
If I’ve learned one thing throughout my c ... more. |
... 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. |
... 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 available soon on the CTIC Web site, www.ctic.org. To become a valued sponsor of this event, contact CTIC at 765-494-9555.
New CTIC publication to detail environmental benefits of agricultural biotechnology
Agricultural biotechnology is a powerful tool for increasing yields, improving crop
quality and characteristics, and facilitating sustainable farming practices such as conservation tillage — all vital to keeping up with the world’s growing demand for food, feed, fuel and fiber.
A new booklet developed by the Conservation Techno ... more. |
... landscape can effectively mitigate the movement of sediment, nutrients, and pesticides within farm fields 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 ... more. |
... research is showing significant depletion 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 ... more. |
... ecoservice markets
By Tim Gieseke
Seventy-five years ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) placed value on soil resources with the creation of the Soil Conservation Service, now known as the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), creating incentive programs 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 m ... more. |
In 2006, CTIC received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protections Agency Gulf of Mexico Program to fund"Building Innovative Industry-Producer Partnerships to Reduce Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico." CTIC led the organization of three collaborative groups, all including public and private members, to develop and oversee projects and programs in their geographic areas.
CTIC and partners strive to develop innovative, ... more. |
... impacts.
"Our past cover crop surveys have been cited in Congressional testimony, used in academic research, shared with farmers through the ag media, and used extensively by business and non-profit leaders in planning conservation programs and education, "Heiniger says. "Data from those surveys—and this one—are vital for helping guide conservation incentives, training needs, education and research."
Andy LaVigne, president and CEO of ASTA, adds that the CTIC/SARE/ASTA cover crop surveys help seed producers evaluate market demand and fluctuations, trending species and regional needs to supply the growing market for cover crop seed.
"Understanding the demand and opportunities in the field helps seed producers keep in ... more. |
... DIRECTOR
2022 marks CTIC’s 40th anniversary. That’s right, 40 years.
Looking back on our previous 40 years through conversations with members and long-time supporters, CTIC has long been at the center of prominent discussions around the most important conservation topics. Over the years, we have worked on many important conservation issues – tillage, soil health, water quality, nutrient loads, cover crops, carbon sequestration, and much, much more. Looking forward to the future, there is one overarching theme that unites where we’ve been with where we are going, and that is climate.
Climate informs what is possible and what we need to do as an organization whose mission is to champion and provide information on sustainable ag systems that are product ... more. |
... 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 maintaining, restoring or enhancing water quality.
Funded By
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Conservation Innovation Grant
Project Partners
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Environmental Trading Network, International Certified Crop Advisers, Water Environment Federation
Activities
Water quality credit trading may be asuccessful, market-basedmethod for agriculture producers to be paid for contributing to water quality improvement.However, many potential participants lack awareness and understandingof the ... more. |
... of conservation systems among farmers already enrolled in supply chain sustainability initiatives. This project will focus outreach and education on farmers in on Iowa’s Skunk watersheds, as well as utilizing the recently developed4R Plusframework to engage ag retailers, CCAs, and other advisors at the local level in a common conversation about the potential economic and environmental benefits of conservation.
Bee Integrated
CTIC manages the Bee Integrated project on behalf of the Honey Bee Health Coalition to demonstrate how farmers and beekeepers can collaborate on a practical 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 ... more. |
... of conservation systems among farmers already enrolled in supply chain sustainability initiatives. This project will focus outreach and education on farmers in on Iowa’s Skunk watersheds, as well as utilizing the recently developed4R Plusframework to engage ag retailers, CCAs, and other advisors at the local level in a common conversation about the potential economic and environmental benefits of conservation.
Bee Integrated
CTIC manages the Bee Integrated project on behalf of the Honey Bee Health Coalition to demonstrate how farmers and beekeepers can collaborate on a practical 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 ... more. |
... 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 economic and environmental goals.
Cleaner Water
Located in environmentally sensitive areas, buffers provide another line of defense to filter water both surface
and shallow ground water before it enters streams and lakes.
Can reduce up to 80% of sediment.
Reduces 40% (on average) of phosphorous.
Removes a significant amount of nitrate; stores it in plant material.
U ... more. |
... lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come.
The Fertilizer Institute
www.tfi.org
TFI is the leading voice of the fertilizer industry, acting as an advocate for fair regulation and legislation, a consistent source for trusted information and data, a networking agent, and an outlet to publicize industry initiatives in safety and environmental stewardship.
Indigo Agriculture
www.indigoag.com
Alongside growers and buyers, we are building a system responsive to demands for high quality and sustainably produced food and fiber. Indigo develops microbial and digital technologies that improve grower profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health. These technologies underpin its pioneering business model, ... more. |
... 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 Workgroup currently consists of very diverse CE, AES, USDA, private agency and student membership which has been coalesced via email communicati ... more. |
... information and assistance.
View our current CTIC members by selecting from the tabs below.
Corporate Members Institutional Members Individual Members
Gold Corporate Member
Bayer CropScience
www.bayercropscience.com
Bayer CropScience is an innovative cropscience company in the area of crop protection (Crop Protection), non agricultural pest-control (Environmental Science), seeds and plant biotechnology (BioScience.)
Nutrien
www.nutrien.com
Nutrien Inc. is a major retail supplier of agricultural products and services in North and South America, a leading global wholesale producer and marketer of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash, and the premier supplier of specialty fertilizers in North America.
Syngenta America, Inc.
www. ... more. |
The Mosaic 2009 Sustainability Report focuses on six core principles, one of which is ensuring environmental stewardship for responsible land and natural resource use.
Photo courtesy of CTIC
Leading the way
Mosaic Company is a pioneer of progression in agricultural sustainability
By Christy Couch Lee
Just five years ago, the Mosaic Company launched as the second-largest crop nutrition firm, when Cargill Crop ... more. |
Copper Sponsor
$500
Recognition on T-shirt
Company name
Bronze Sponsor
$1,500
Promotions
Logo on website sponosr page
Notebook
Logo on sponsor page
Recognition on Signage
Buses
Recognition on T-shirt
Company name
Silver Sponsor
$3,000
One Comlimentary Tour Registration
Promotions
Logo on website sponosr page
Noteboo ... 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. |
... in the program by connecting all of the 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. Using the innovative OpenTEAM work environment, participants will have easy access to a wide range of resources, including environmental claims registries, calibration data sets, and other information libraries. OpenTEAM emphasizes integrability, interoperability, full transparency and accountability.
“We are honored to be part of the impressive team that Wolfe’s Neck Center has assembled to conduct this project. It represents an important first step in the larger global imperative to adapt our natio ... more. |
... The forums took place in North Carolina, Illinois, Washington, Vermont and Oklahoma. For more information, contact Chad Watts at watts@ctic.org.
National Aquatic Resource Surveys:
CTIC is writing a series of articles profiling farmers who have improved habitat and reduced nutrient loading in surface waters. The articles will be designed for placement in agricultural publications, environmental media and local newspapers to highlight environmental improvements by farmers and to inspire others to protect water quality.
We’re looking for examples of great on-farm projects where voluntary nutrient management practices, habitat restoration and/or structural improvements are reducing nutrient loading and other water quality impairments. If you know of a project or a farmer tha ... more. |
... Oklahoma, Illinois and Washington over the next few months. Contact Tammy Taylor attaylor@ctic.orgfor more information.
National Aquatic Resource Surveys:
CTIC is writing a series of articles profiling farmers who have improved habitat and reduced nutrient loading in surface waters. The articles will be designed for placement in agricultural publications, environmental media and local newspapers to highlight environmental improvements by farmers and to inspire others to protect water quality.
We’re looking for examples of great on-farm projects where voluntary nutrient management practices, habitat restoration and/or structural improvements are reducing nutrient loading and other water quality impairments. If you know of a project or a farmer tha ... more. |
... in Vermont, Oklahoma, Illinois and Washington over the next few months. Contact Tammy Taylor at taylor@ctic.orgfor more information.
National Aquatic Resource Surveys:
CTIC is writing a series of articles profiling farmers who have improved habitat and reduced nutrient loading in surface waters. The articles will be designed for placement in agricultural publications, environmental media and local newspapers to highlight environmental improvements by farmers and to inspire others to protect water quality.
We're looking for examples of great on-farm projects where voluntary nutrient management practices, habitat restoration and/or structural improvements are reducing nutrient loading and other water quality impairments. If you know of a project or a fa ... 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 & Associates
Great Miami River Watershed ... more. |
... and the family's commitment to conservation and animal health
Manure management using a two-stage, concrete-lined lagoon system and applying manure based on optimum agronomic need and timing
Media Coverage:
Northfield News article: Conservation practices lead to state water quality certification for Legvold farm
Agrinews: Conservation in Action tour held in Minnesota
Environmental Initiative: Conservation and Environmental Protection on Minnesota's Farms
See the Action:
Check out the 2015 tour photo gallery to explore what the tour had to offer.
News Releases:
Registration Ends August 6
Don't Miss Out
Tour Lineup Finalized
Tour Explores Southeast Minnesota Partnerships
Early-Bird Tour Registration Available Until July 10th
... more. |
... The brothers apply manure, harvest the grass for forage in the spring, then plant corn again.
“It’s usually winter Italian ryegrass or cereal rye,” said Lenssen. “They grow well over the winter, take manure in the spring, and they’re good feed.”
The Lenssens are not alone in their concern about water quality issues, said Dr. Steve Paulsen of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory in Corvallis, Oregon. Paulsen works on EPA’s National Aquatic Resource Survey (NARS), which assesses the quality of U.S. streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands and coastal waters.
Paulsen noted that the 2016 NARS report shows 45 percent of America’s rivers and streams contain excess nutrients; in the ... more. |
... Now Can Avoid Permit 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 t ... more. |
... the model and its uses.
DNDC is a process-based model that predicts emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, and nitrous oxide from soil systems under various management regimes. The model also estimates changes in soil organic carbon resulting from management changes. Combined with 14 years of satellite data (2005-2018) from OpTIS, DNDC provides deep insight into the environmental effects of conservation tillage and cover crops.
CTIC's website features easy-to-use visualization tools for both OpTIS and DNDC data. The tools can be used by a wide range of interested people, including:
Scientists
Policy makers
Administrators of carbon markets
Agribusiness
Conservationists
Farm advisors
... more. |
The Confined Animal Manure Manager (CAMM) program team consists of agents and specialists with Clemson University, the Clemson Extension Service, the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The team was assembled in 1998 to comply with State Regulation R.61-43, which states:
100.190.A An operator of a new or existing swine facility, lagoon, manure storage pond, or manure utilization area shall complete a training program on the operation of swine manure management created by Clemson University.
200.190.A An op ... more. |
The Confined Animal Manure Manager (CAMM) program team consists of agents and specialists with Clemson University, the Clemson Extension Service, the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The team was assembled in 1998 to comply with State Regulation R.61-43, which states:
100.190.A An operator of a new or existing swine facility, lagoon, manure storage pond, or manure utilization area shall complete a training program on the operation of swine manure management created by Clemson University.
200.190.A An op ... more. |
... "Duty to Apply"
for NPDES Permit
By Steve Werblow
A new rule for confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) requires only operations that discharge or “propose to discharge” water from their facilities to apply for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. However, according to Allison Wiedeman of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), applying for the NPDES permit – which all CAFOs were formerly required to do – remains the least risky way for CAFO operators to make sure they don’t run afoul of clean water regulations.
“We’re understanding more than ever that the advantage of getting a permit is if they’re in compliance with that permit, they have an allo ... more. |
... 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. |
... in the program by connecting all of the 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. Using the innovative OpenTEAM work environment, participants will have easy access to a wide range of resources, including environmental claims registries, calibration data sets, and other information libraries. OpenTEAM emphasizes integrability, interoperability, full transparency and accountability.
“We are honored to be part of the impressive team that Wolfe’s Neck Center has assembled to conduct this project. It represents an important first step in the larger global imperative to adapt our natio ... more. |
... National Rivers and Streams Assessment
Aquatic Resource Monitoring, EPA ORD
Aquatic Resource Monitoring, EPA ORD
This Web site provides information on monitoring of aquatic resources in the US, primarily focused on design and analysis of probability based surveys. Links are provided to other aquatic resources monitoring information available on the internet.
EPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program
The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) was a research program run by EPA’s Office of Research and Development to develop the tools necessary to monitor and assess the status and trends of national ecological resources.
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... the evening tour. Organizers will offer an optional trip to Kilgus Dairy, an award-winning conservation dairy, Spence Farm, which grows food for Chicago chefs, and Argonne National Laboratory’s experimental bioenergy site.
Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) will host the tour with support from Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IL EPA), Agrium Advanced Technologies, Agrotain, The Fertilizer Institute, Monsanto, Mosaic, Illinois Corn Marketing Board, Agri Drain Corporation, Case IH, John Deere, ADM and the International Plant Nutrition Institute.
Register by calling Terry Bachtold at 815.844.6127, extension 3, or email Amber Gritter at gritter@ctic.org. Please specify morning or afternoo ... more. |
... 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. |
... 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 environmental practices,” said North Dakota farmer Dale Enerson, who serves as director of the Carbon Credit Program for the National Farmers Union in Jamestown, N.D.
The National Farmers Union has served as an aggregator of carbon credits, collecting pledges from 3,700 growers in the U.S. to sequester carbon on 4.7 million acres of cropland and rangeland and selling the bundle of carbon credits on ... 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 perio ... more. |
CTIC Institutional Member, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), is a leading national nonprofit organization representing more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, EDF has linked science, economics and law to creat innovative, equitable and cost-effective solutions to society's most urgent environmental problems. EDF is dedicated to protecting the environmental rights of all people, including future generations. To learn ... more. |
... nutrient loading all the way down in the Gulf of Mexico. Control structures with movable weirs, or "stop logs," allow growers to hold water in their soil or release it depending on the needs of their crop, their fieldwork schedule and the environment.
"The first step was to drain the land so it was farmable," notes Don Pitts, state water and air quality specialist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Champaign, Ill. "Now it's time to manage that drainage."
Pitts points out that most tile systems are designed to drain water as quickly as possible, combining tile line diameter, depth and spacing to achieve a drainage coefficient of 3/8 inch or more — the ability to remove 3/8 of an inch o ... more. |
In April, CTIC hosted the 2022 National Aquatic Resources Survey (NARS) National 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 statis ... more. |
... 30 percent of residue on the surface before planting—have remained relatively steady for corn and soybeans, averaging 45 percent (25.7 million acres) across the three states in 2018 and 47 percent (26.6 million acres) in 2006.
“Cover crops and conservation tillage practices are vital practices to build healthy soil on U.S. farmlands, which in turn delivers a host of environmental and economic benefits to farmers, communities and nature,” said Pipa Elias, soil health strategy lead for The Nature Conservancy (TNC). “The 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.&rdq ... more. |
... time and money, and improves water and soil quality.
Photo courtesy of Jason Johnson
More Acres Can Also Mean More Conservation
By Jason Johnson
As the number of Iowa farmers decreases and the average farm size increases, that can mean more conservation on the ground – especially when it’s farmed by environmental stewards like Paul “Butch” Schroeder of Coon Rapids.
Paul “Butch” Schroeder farms with his brother, David, in four west central Iowa counties: Carroll, Guthrie, Audubon and Green.
Photo courtesy of Jason Johnson
Schroeder reluctantly admits that he and his brother, David, own, rent and custom farm about 3,000 cropland acres in four counties: Carroll, Gut ... more. |
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 support ... more. |
... 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 Efficiency was provided through efforts of the Bootheel Nutrient Management Committee funded in part by Assistance Agreement number MX964472 between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Conservation Technology Information Center. This project is being performed in conjunction with the Missouri Rice Research and Merchandising Council, the Conservation Technology Information Center, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bootheel Resource Conservation & Development and University of Missouri Cooperative Extension Service.
About ... more. |
... remote sensing and big-data analysis are becoming central to our mission," Tindall added. "Mike brings his experience in those fields—and his program development skills—which will help farmers, consultants, researchers, conservation professionals, policy makers and so many more stakeholders put that information to work promoting farming systems that are economically and environmentally sustainable."
Komp was named to Oklahoma's NextGen Under 30 list in 2016 in recognition of his innovation and leadership. An expert in geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing, he most recently served as Technical Program Manager for Agricultural Technology at the Noble Research Institute. The role included collaborating with academic researchers, government ... more. |
... remote sensing and big-data analysis are becoming central to our mission," Tindall added. "Mike brings his experience in those fields—and his program development skills—which will help farmers, consultants, researchers, conservation professionals, policy makers and so many more stakeholders put that information to work promoting farming systems that are economically and environmentally sustainable."
Komp was named to Oklahoma's NextGen Under 30 list in 2016 in recognition of his innovation and leadership. An expert in geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing, he most recently served as Technical Program Manager for Agricultural Technology at the Noble Research Institute. The role included collaborating with academic researchers, government ... more. |
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and Conservation 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 S ... more. |
... and other aquatic life.
Despite their distance from the Gulf of Mexico, farming operations all along the Mississippi River are seen as contributors to the hypoxiz zone because nutrient runoff that makes it into the Mississippi River eventually makes it into the gulf.
Scanlon says the latest technologies in nutrient management already are succeeding in addressing both the economic and environmental challenges, and CTIC is committed to sharing and explaining the technologies and exactly how they are working.
"CTIC has been a trusted source of information for agriculture for more than 26 years," Scanlon says. "We are uniquely qualified to convey current, credible, unbiased information that farmers can use to manage nutrients cost-efficiently and environmentally. But that& ... more. |
... served as host for the National Crop Residue Management Survey database, which compiled residue management transect data collected by USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service personnel and conservation district staff in most states," says Gustafson. "That data for 1989 through 2004 are still available on our website, and still provide useful perspective for researchers studying the environmental impacts of conservation adoption. With OpTIS, we are bringing our knowledge up to date and adding unprecedented levels of resolution to the world's understanding of crop residue management and cover crops in the Corn Belt."
Wide Range of Applications
Queries of OpTIS data at www.ctic.org can be customized by year, units, crops and geographic area. The data can be used in ... 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 M ... 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 M ... 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. |
... of cover crops to soil health. View a video of Gibbs’ presentation. Dean presented how he uses cover crops to improve water infiltration, soil quality and erosion control.
Todd Hesterman hosted the final farm stop where tour attendees joined in discussions about soluble phosphorus, its impacts to water quality, sources and solutions. Dr. Libby Dayton, soil and environmental chemistry research scientist at The Ohio State University, and Mark Scarpitti, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, demonstrated the ability of no-tilled soils to drastically reduce erosion by water and retain soluble phosphorus.
The Blue Creek Conservation Area (BCCA) provided a historical setting for supper. Now a city-owned park, BCCA was once home to Native America ... more. |
CTIC, with funding provided by the United Soybean Board, updated its 2003 publication on conservation tillage and biotechnology. CTIC's new publication, "Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology", explores the environmental benefits of conservation tillage practices, which are facilitated significantly by biotechnology crops. The publication, reviewed by a panel of experts, shows the dramatic improvements in environmental sustainability and productivity over the past several years. Among many important statistics, the document describes ... more. |
CTIC's new publication, Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology.
This publication explores the breadth of the environmental benefits of conservation tillage practices, which are facilitated significantly by biotechnology crops. Access the full document or executive summary to learn about the dramatic improvements in environmental sustainability and productivity over the past several years.
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... the volume of manure and increasing its nutrient concentration.
Photo courtesy of Steve Werblow
Award-Winning Conservation
In addition to garnering attention from state and national officials, Meadowlane Farm earned the 2006 River Friendly Farmer Award from the Indiana Association of Conservation Districts and the 2007 Pork Industry Environmental Steward Award from the National Pork Board.
Chris Pearson, Mike Beard and Dave Beard have developed hose-fed manure injectors for high-efficiency, environmentally sustainable manure application within about 1.5 miles of their Indiana hog operation.
Photo courtesy of Steve Werblow
Meadowlane Farms' home-built manure inj ... more. |
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. |
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 pasture.
NTT is available online and draws on a comprehensive soil database, making it extremely accurate on a field scale. The model includes a wide range of crops, rotations, nutrient and management options that allow users to calculate economi ... more. |
... to achieve the goals set out in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy and called for a "culture of conservation" among farmers and consultants.
Making Conservation Pay
Jason Gomes, CCA, of North Iowa Agronomy Consultants, digs deep into the challenges crop farmers face as they consider the risks and expenses of conservation practices—and describes the environmental and economic benefits that tip the balance.
4R Plus Courses for CCAs
Greg Wandrey of The Nature Conservancy and 4R Plus describes online training modules crop consultants can take for insight into conservation planning, as well as CEU credits.
In addition to the 4Rs—Right Source, Right Rate, Right Place, Right Time—there's a new "plus": Conservation ... more. |
Evaluating and using a tailored pest management system to reduce crop and environmental damages. Scouting is done to identify insects, weeds and diseases.
How it works
Crops are scouted to determine type of pests—insects, weeds and diseases—and the
stage of development. The potential damage of t ... 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. |
As food companies and consumers demand more detailed accounting of the environmental 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 Qua ... more. |
... 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.
Data covering the U.S. Corn Belt from 2005 through 2017 will be available on CTIC's website—www.ctic.org—starting ... more. |
... 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 Agency’s National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) program found that 45% of America’s river and stream miles are impaired by excess nutrients and 23%—including 8% of the West’s river and stream length—exceed thresholds for enterocci, bacteria that include coliforms such as E. coli. Click here to read EPA’s 2016 report.
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Hello!
Don't forget to register for CTIC'sone-day discussion about innovative approaches to reducing phosphorus in the Western Lake Erie Basin.
The Conservation Technology Information Center, Heidelberg University and Bayer Carbon Program just concluded a one-year pilot of the PLUS-UP phosphorus credit program. On November 15, we will be reviewing the program—the credits, the modeling, reporting and results—and exploring how we could best scale up the concept.
We are inviting you because we think your insight would help us shape the future of programs like this in the Western Lake Erie Basin.
... more. |
A fact sheet written by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research ecologist Clint Otto used data from the Bee Integrated program, led by the Honey Bee Health Coalition and implemented by CTIC, to help detail which flower species are preferred by bees in the Prairie Pothole region.
According to data from 244 sites in Minnesota and the Dakotas studied over five years, the top draws for both honey bees and native bee species include lacy phacelia, blue giant hyssop, stiff goldenrod, purple prairie clover, and wild berga ... more. |
CTIC promotes conservation practices by raising awareness 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, p ... more. |
... 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. |
Find the following CTIC resources in the Free Download section of CTIC’s Online Store.
Better Soil, Better Yields is a guidebook 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 ... more. |
... 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 biotech crops.
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... efficient and profitable production systems.
Open Position
SD Soil Health Specialist
Teagan Duffy
WI Soil Health Specialist
Teagan was raised in south-eastern Wisconsin where her love for the land began with a childhood filled with time spent outdoors hiking, camping, and kayaking. She went on to get a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
In August 2024, Teagan joined the CTIC as the Wisconsin Soil Health Specialist for the Farmers for Soil Health Program. Previously, she worked as a Resource Conservationist for a Soil and Water Conservation District in northern Illinois where she developed a passion for soil health and working with farmers.
She now resides in Milwauk ... 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. |
CTIC, with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, hosted a half-day training for Iowa ag consultants at the Iowa Agribusiness Showcase and Conference in Des Moines on February 13, 2019.
The training drew more than 60 attendees, and covered a wide range of conservation systems geared toward Iowa farms.
"This ag consultant training and others like it that we are running around the country are designed to ... more. |
The National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) are collaborative 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 ... 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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... panel also takes a very realistic look at the fact that solutions on the ground have to be developed to meet local conditions," he adds. "The report points out that, 'given the site-specific nature of climate change impacts on food system components and wide variations in agroecosystems, adaptation and mitigation options and their barriers are linked to environmental and cultural context at regional and local levels.' That's so important to CTIC's approach to connecting farmers and ranchers with conservation systems that fit their local conditions, their operations and their economics. Environmental sustainability depends on economic sustainability, and it is great to see the IPCC acknowledge that."
Tracking Trends
... more. |
... the 2019 Conservation in Action Tour at the event's opening social, hosted by John Deere at the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates in Des Moines. Naig is just one of many great speakers who will provide insight into Iowa agriculture's conservation efforts. Others include:
Kurt Simon, Iowa State Conservationist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation 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 Servic ... more. |
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 ... more. |
CTIC's new publication, Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology, explores the breadth of the environmental benefits of conservation tillage practices, which are facilitated significantly by biotechnology crops. Access the full document and executive summary to learn about the dramatic improvements in environmental sustainability and productivity over the past several years.
According to Dr. Norman Borlaug, ... more. |
CTIC's new publication, Facilitating Conservation Farming Practices and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability with Agricultural Biotechnology, explores the breadth of the environmental benefits of conservation tillage practices, which are facilitated significantly by biotechnology crops. Access the full document and executive summary to learn about the dramatic improvements in environmental sustainability and productivity over the past several years.
According to Dr. Norman Borlaug, t ... more. |
Economic and Environmental Benefits
Profit.
Managing to maximize return on your cropping investment (ROI) requires the perfect combination of science, technology, art, and luck. Some factors, like the weather, still require a bit of luck. Thankfully, science and technology continue to make strides, reducing the impact of uncontrollable factors like the weather and markets. This reduces the risk inherent in farming. By ... more. |
... 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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... 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. |
... 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 systems that have environmental benefits and maintain agricultural productivity. The states involved in the initiative are Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
MRBI funding is in addition to regular NRCS program funding, funding by other Federal agencies, States, and partners and the contributions of producers in the 12 states. To read m ... more. |
... wildlife, and government support and employs five agronomists.
Mission, Goals and Contact Information
Mission Statement:
To be the leading agricultural extension organization in Alberta focused on increasing the adoption of sustainable production systems by Alberta farmers and ranchers. LINKAGES = Leadership, Innovation and Networking for Knowledge, Agricultural Growth, and Environmental Sustainability.
Goals & Objectives:
Increase 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 positiv ... more. |
... together after two consecutive pandemic-era virtual tours, and it was a celebration of CTIC's 40th Anniversary.
We kicked off the program in the Trolley Room of the Forest Park Visitors Center with a celebration of CTIC's four decades of bringing people together around conservation farming systems. Among our speakers that evening were Rod Snyder and Bruno Piggott of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Herndon of Field to Market, Liz Hunt of Syngenta, former CTIC board chairs Tim Healy and Rex Martin, Tim Palmer of the CTIC board and National Association of Conservation Districts, Dr. Laura Johnson of Heidelberg University and Jeff Seale of Regrow Ag.
We also launched the CTIC Hall of Fame by inducting three charter members: founder and long-time board member D ... 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. |
... 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. |
... 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. |
... Iowa, has continuously no-tilled his 2,200-acre corn and soybean operation for 30 years. He implemented no-till to prevent erosion on his highly erodible land in Washington County.
“Our goal was to improve our number one resource, behind our people – our soil,” Berger says. “We are very lucky to live in Iowa, and to have deep, rich soils. We wanted to build the quality of our soil and at least stabilize the loss of organic matter.”
However, Berger says, the ability to pull into his field before his conventional tillage counterparts is a strong bonus.
“They’ll run a few days behind after a rain,” he says. “When you have a plow layer, there’s not much structure. There’s a foot of muck. But, when you’ve ... more. |
... cost-effective and efficient way to measure adoption trends of soil health practices and their impact on the environment over large geographies and many years,” says Shamitha Keerthi, science director for The Nature Conservancy's North America Regenerative Crop System Strategy. “We are constantly learning how these data can be used to drive conservation practice adoption, assess environmental outcomes, and track the impacts of policy.”
CTIC, TNC and Regrow will continue their OpTIS webinar series this spring. Details will be available at ctic.org in coming weeks.
# # #
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) is a national non-profit that brings t ... more. |
... is a farmer-led initiative that fosters transformation in agriculture through improved soil health. Administered by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), the partnership has more than 220 working farms enrolled in 16 states. SHP’s mission is to utilize science and data to partner with farmers who are adopting conservation agricultural practices that improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the farm. For more information, visithttps://soilhealthpartnership.org.
About the Soil Science Society of America
TheSoil Science Society of America (SSSA)is a progressive, international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. Based in Madison, WI, SSSA is the professional home for 6,000+ ... more. |
... is a farmer-led initiative that fosters transformation in agriculture through improved soil health. Administered by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), the partnership has more than 220 working farms enrolled in 16 states. SHP’s mission is to utilize science and data to partner with farmers who are adopting conservation agricultural practices that improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the farm. For more information, visithttps://soilhealthpartnership.org.
About the Soil Science Society of America
TheSoil Science Society of America (SSSA)is a progressive, international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. Based in Madison, WI, SSSA is the professional home for 6,000+ ... more. |
... 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 conservation farming practices and systems that help farmers build profitability and protect the q ... more. |
This project, funded by a 2008 Conservation Innovation Grant, promotes the use of cover crops to ease farmers’ transition to use of continuous no-till. Continuous no-till (CNT) has been around long enough that there is little doubt among experts of its many advantages. Despite the proven economic and environmental benefits of CNT, some farmers remain hesitant to fully adopt the system. In 2004, the National Crop Residue Management survey indicated that only 22.6 percent of farmers were no-tilling. Attempting CNT without proper technical knowledge may cause a disastrous first year and taint opinions toward the practice. Potential economic risks and yield losses during the first five years also can cause far ... more. |
... 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 and community in the nation, where they work on meaningful, landscape-scale projects that produce verifiable improvements in environmental quality. Conservation districts’ work results in clean air, clean water, healthy habitat and prod ... more. |
... 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 site with links toinnovative technologies, success stories, and access toMidwest livestock waste managementexperts.
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Questions and Answers
What is Core 4 Conservation?
It's a common-sense approach to improving farm profitability while addressing environmental concerns. It’s adaptable to virtually any farming situation and can 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, energ ... more. |
... management practices, producers 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 ... more. |
... 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
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2022-2023Cover Crop Survey
Click here to open the report on insights from 795 farmers representing 49 states, including commodity crop, horticulture and livestock producers. The 2022-2023 survey introduced new questions on integrating livestock into cover crop systems, as well as growing cover crops for seed and participating in soil carbon programs.
Findings in the seventh National Cover Crop Survey from CTIC, USDA-NIFA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) yielded new perspectives on planting green and challenged commonly held notions linking land ownership to cover crop adoption. In fact, slightly more cover crop users than non-users reported rentin ... more. |
... 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 chemical injuries and has >90 scientific publications. She has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the College of New Jersey and a master&r ... more. |
SHARE YOUR INSIGHT IN SARE/CTIC/ASTA COVER CROP SURVEY
Farmer insights are now being sought for the sixth nationwide cover crop survey by USDA's SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) program, the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA).
The online questionnaire is now open at https://bit.ly/CCSurvey2020.
The survey takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Participants who complete the survey can enter a drawing for Visa gift cards worth up to $200.
"Since 2012, the SARE/CTIC/ASTA Cover Crop Survey has provided ve ... more. |
Click here to view the full report of the fifth annual cover crop survey. A big thank you to the USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE) and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), with help from Penton Media through their Corn and Soybean Digest publication. For results from previous years, please see below.
The fifth annual cover crop survey by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) draws on the insight of 2,102 farmers—88 pe ... more. |
... policy makers, industry, journalists, agriculture groups, conservation groups and many others to track trends in conservation tillage adoption. It is because we have this trend of data that we know no-till in 2004 was used on 45.5 million acres more than in 1990, a 269 percent increase. Some of the valuable ways Survey results are used include:
assess successes of Farm Bill programs, state and local-level initiatives
document what farmers save in fuel usage at the county, state and national levels
track the progress of, and measure trends in, conservation tillage adoption
prioritize areas for program focus, such as Conservation Stewardship Program
provide assessment data as a core component of local watershed management plans.
Activities
CTIC is wo ... more. |
A big thank you to the USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE) and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), with help from Penton Media through their Corn and Soybean Digest publication. For results from previous years, please see below.
The fifth annual cover crop survey by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) draws on the insight of 2,102 farmers—88 pe ... more. |
CTIC recently began a new phase of a project funded by Iowa’s Department of Ag and Land Stewardship. In collaboration with Practical Farmers of Iowa and The Nature Conservancy, CTIC is leading development of a program that will train and incentivize retail agronomists to become advocates for conservation systems build around cover cropping. Rollout of the program is anticipated in the winter of 2019 and the project’s target area has been selected to leverage ongoing privately-funded supply chain sustainability initiatives.
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... manages crop input data, calculates crop fertilizer recommendations, generates production cost and nutrient management worksheets, and allows sets of custom input costs to be created and used in all calculations.
Various management options, such as tillage, pest control and fertilizer strategies, can be compared to help assess which practices are both economically efficient and environmentally sound.
Visit WinMax site.
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Generations Program Description
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... spring tours. Rolling out grower-to-grower information
network, funded by small grant.
NTOP: NTOP conference on Jan 27-28 with more than 1,200 attend. More exhibitors than
ever and more first-time attendees. Speakers included Bill K, Jerry L, Moe Russell of Russell
Consulting (Iowa). Invited APPRESID to send person; Jose Moreno came and discussed
protocols of no-till certification program. Looking at certification program and how it can be
used in “put teeth” into NTOP message. Also working to take over one of KSU research farms,
in heart of typical Kansas soil. Preparing for grower meeting in March; Dave Brandt coming back
to attend and speak.
NRCS –Bill: still want effort to get RUSLE 2 databases (which are updated for cover crops and
different manage ... more. |
... Heiniger points out that insights from farmers who do not plant cover crops are important to the project.
"We are just as interested in why farmers have chosen not to plant cover crops as we are in why other farmers choose to plant them," Heiniger says. "Hearing both perspectives is vital to understanding where cover crops are a good fit for economic and environmental goals, identifying barriers and concerns, and developing information that will help farmers succeed with cover crops in the future. We would love to see great participation from both users and non-users in this year's survey."
At ASTA, president and CEO Andy LaVigne adds that survey results help ensure the seed industry is prepared to meet farmer demand for cover ... more. |
... Aquatic Resource Monitoring Technical Training Workshops, including 2 national programs and up to 10 aquatic-resource-specific trainings, between 2016 and 2020. The workshops enhance collaboration and communication among more than 800 attendees.
Click here for information about the next NARS training workshop.
CTIC/EPA Consultant Training
Through a collaborative agreement with U.S. Environmental Protection 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, drainag ... more. |
... how a suite of best practices can be implemented on agricultural landscapes to support honey bee health. This innovative strategy provides a blueprint for supporting pollinator health across North America.
Let's Do the Math On Cover Crops
With a Conservation Innovation Grant from USDA NRCS and support from other partners, CTIC led a detailed research project into the agronomic, environmental and economic impact of cover crops in 7 states. Lessons learned ranged from better cover crop management to improved design of multi-variate studies.
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CTIC's far-reaching Economic, Agronomic and Environmental Benefits of Cover Crops project - commonly called "Let's Do The Math on Cover Crops" - is in the final stage of pulling together data on the impact of cover crops on honey bee habitat. With data from The Ohio State University, CTIC will soon provide insight into cost-effective opportunities to provide pollinator forage on agricultural landscapes.
... 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 nutrients and sediments flowing in from a 64,000-squar ... more. |
... 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
Summary of Centralized/Decentralized Treatment Approaches Water and Wastewater Resource Management ConsiderationsTMDLs, Watershed Planning, Antidegradation, and Wastewater Wastewater Capacity Development and Cost Issues
View the November 9th presentati ... more. |
... Inc.
CTIC is excited to introduce Terra Industries Inc., as a new Premier Corporate Member.
Headquartered in Sioux City, Iowa, Terra serves agriculture by providing farmers with nitrogen products that replenish the soil and are essential to plant growth. 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 nitr ... more. |
... (PFR) program
• Other studies look at strip-till and strip cropping with various crop combinations
• Research and Development facility, with greenhouses totaling 24,000 square feet, works year-round on new hybrid improvements
In addition to each of the farmer hosts, we'll hear from featured speakers, including Melanie Acklin, with SFP; Jim Moseley, chair of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee; and Barry Fisher, state agronomist with Indiana Natural Resources Conservation Service. Lunch and dinner are included on the tour.
Registration for the tour is $50 for members of CTIC and $75 for nonmembers (includes an individual membership). The registration fee includes coach transportation; lunch, dinne ... 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. |
...
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. |
DNDC: The Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) model was used to simulate carbon and nitrogen soil dynamics as a function of the soil health management practices monitored by OpTIS (crop diversity, conservation tillage, and cover crops).
DNDC performs process-based simulations of nitrogen and carbon dynamics in agroecosystems. Based on environmental drivers (inputs like soil characteristics, temperature and precipitation data, crop characteristics, and crop management) the model predicts crop growth and yield, soil organic carbon (SOC) changes (loss vs. sequestration) andgreenhouse gas emissions (methaneand nitrous oxide). DNDC is used widely around the world and has been tested against many field datasets in the US and abroad.
... more. |
Help CTIC pencil out the economic and environmental benefits of cover crops through the "Economic, Agronomic and Environmental Benefits of Cover Crops" project. Below, sign up for our cover crops mailing list or let us know that you are interested in working with us.
For more information on the project, check out our project webpage.
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Modeling Environmental Dynamics with DNDC and OpTIS Data, Oct 16, 11am EDT
The Nature Conservancy, CTIC and Dagan would like to invite you to the second webinar in our OpTIS series—this one on how a variety of users are employing the DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model and OpTIS to estimate the influence of soil health practices on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. The one-hour webinar will be held F ... more. |
... the ways Everglades Agricultural Area growers, who may compete with each other in the marketplace, work together in applying best management practices was inspirational. The Everglades is unique and special, and the adjacent agricultural area has one-of-a-kind soil, water and wildlife. It’s important to acknowledge that different agricultural production systems have different environmental impacts. With modern agricultural techniques and careful management, a positive balance can be maintained between well-nourished crops and environmental protection.”
~Anita Foster, corporate responsibility manager for tour leader The Mosaic Company
Last week was very enlightening as I have never experienced the EAA, the respective conservation practices, or see ... more. |
USDA Natural Resources Credit Trading Reference
Credit trading guide for conservation specialists. Learn the basics of credit trading; the features of an efficient environmental market; how to form efficent and effective markets; how credit trading integrates with federal, state and privately supported conservation programs; and how to make environmental credit markets work effectively in agriculture.
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Economic Benefits with Environmental Protection
Explores many of the challenges, opportunities management tactics and successful marketing efforts that helped shape promotion of conservation in the Great Lakes watershed and North Central region.
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In 2010, CTIC received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to fund the "Aquatic Resource Monitoring Technical Training Workshops for States, Tribes and Other Stakeholders" project. Over the next three years, CTIC will provide the leadership and technical support to conduct seven aquatic resource-specific workshops and two national conferences covering all aquatics resource types. These workshops and conferences will enhance th ... more. |
... efficiency and productivity. In addition, Deere has advanced its stewardship efforts by supporting the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) for nearly three decades.
Company stewardship
John Mann, John Deere customer segment manager, says stewardship is always on the minds of the company leadership.
“Certainly, our products are being produced in an environmentally responsible manner,” Mann says. “And, we are trying to produce products that are sustainable, as well.”
Deere’s construction and forestry division continually seeks ways to become more environmentally friendly, Mann says. Most recently, Deere has focused on producing sustainable biomass solutions. In this process, energy wood-harvesting systems collect woody biomass ... more. |
Information concerning odor mitigation, storage, nutrient management, and much more are listed here as well as a searchable Environmental Research Database.
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... courtesy of Integrated Separation Systems
Wastewater Treatment Plants Dewater Dairy Manure
by Steve Werblow
Nearly half the weight of dairy manure is water. It's bulky, it's heavy and it's inconvenient to handle. Rising fuel costs make hauling that water component prohibitively expensive, and environmental protection measures push the cost of lagoons toward the half-million-dollar mark or higher.
And for dairy producers like John Vrieze of Baldwin, Wis., the problem grows with every rain. “Colleagues of mine in drier areas of the country can use the dry air to largely evaporate some of these problems,” he notes. “But when you live in a humid climate, the amount o ... more. |
... Workshop
April 5-7, 2022
Agenda for the NARS National Workshop, HERE
On April 5-7th, 2022 CTICcoordinated 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.
Before the NARS National Workshop attendees were encouraged to watch this video, NARS Improving Training, from a training held in Dallas, TX in 2018:&nb ... more. |
... 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. |
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. |
... source.
CTIC works with the people and groups across the country that provide advice and guidance for producers’ production and conservation decisions. Through research, information exchange, partnership building, training and more, CTIC offers practical and affordable solutions that make sense for the producer and the environment.
CTIC provides reliable information to support environmentally responsible and economically viable decision making in agriculture. And, by accessing our network of agribusiness, associations, researchers, scientists, media, educators and ag advisors, we will distribute that information where it needs to be quickly and reliably.
The CTIC organization is, in itself, a model of an effective public/private partnership. A Board of Directors, which oversees a ... more. |
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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... agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources and are productive and profitable.
CTIC is proud to be a clearinghouse of information on conservation agriculture. CTIC continues 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 also vow 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 practices and how they help farmers adapt to current climate changes and mitigate future climate impacts.
We’d love for yo ... more. |
... for multiple public- and private-sector stakeholders. For instance, EPA and the States can use these data to track progress and better focus efforts to meet the ambitious goals of the 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 regi ... more. |
CTIC will be celebrating its 40th 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 ... more. |
... project will address:
the disconnection between producers and users (potential new conversion facilities are constrained by the lack of lignocelluloses feedstock, producers of feedstock do not embrace these new crops because they have no outlet for their product);
the need to produce biomass in a sustainable way, namely not displacing other land uses, and minimizing environmental impacts to air and water.
A DOE-funded analysis to date has shown that there is a significant opportunity to greatly increase the land available for biomass production if under-productive acreage in edge of field, riparian and roadway buffers is used, even partially.
Further, increases in biomass productivity on these lands, potentially doubling the harvestable biomass, are achi ... more. |
... 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 Management Practices To Cleaner Watershed
Environmental Change Initiative, June 2016
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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. |
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 status under management ownership has brought an unequalled level of effort and commitment to the ... more. |
The early discount deadline has been extended to July 14! Join CTIC for its 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!
... 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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... and learn how to use cover crops on your operation.
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) has partnered with Madison County SWCD, Purdue University, NRCS, Michigan State University, the Midwest Cover Crops Council , CISCO seeds and Ag Conservation Solutions to bring you a full day workshop on How to Use Cover Crops.
First, you will learn about the economic and environmental benefits of using cover crops. As the morning progresses the sessions will cover the nuts and bolts of getting started with cover crops. You will hear details on how to choose the right cover crop, discuss costs and benefits associated with cover crops, learn when to plant and how to kill the cover crop and m much more. After the indoor sessions are through we will take a bus to a nearby demonstr ... more. |
... and how these practices evolved between 1998 and 2004. Included are the effects of structural changes, recent policies on manure management technologies and practices, the use of nutrient management plans, and manure application rates. The findings suggest that larger hog operations are altering their manure management decisions in response to binding nutrient application constraints, and that environmental policy is contributing to the adoption of conservation compatible manure management practices. www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB50
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Components of a Plan
Know 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 ... 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. |
... 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. |
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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... 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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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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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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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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... 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. |
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'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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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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... 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. |
Improving the quality and quantity of woodland growing stock and maintaining ground cover and litter for soil and water conservation.
How it works
Existing woodland or other suitable land is dedicated to timber production. Livestock is excluded. Optimum tree populations are determined by the kinds of trees planted and their adaptability to your soils. Existing trees or newly planted trees are thinned, pruned a ... more. |
... 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. |
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. |
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.
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... Data for Assessment and Planning
Observational Approaches to Monitoring and Assessment
Characterizing Baseline Water Body Conditions
Interpreting and Using Existing Data to Identify Pollution Causes and Sources
Monitoring and Pollutant Load Estimation
Load Estimation Models and Spreadsheets
Identifying Critical Areas for BMP Applications
Linking BMPs to Pollutant Sources
Data Quality Objectives and Quality Assurance Project Plans
Who Does the Monitoring?
Estimating Monitoring Costs
Presenting Monitoring and Assessment Information
Why do Monitoring Projects Succeed or Fail?
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... expand the knowledge compiled since the group's formation two years ago to farmers and others in agricultural-related fields.
The MCCC is comprised of a diverse group of academia, production agriculture, non-governmental organizations, commodity interests, private sector and representatives from federal and state agencies collaborating to address soil, water, air and agricultural quality concerns in the Great Lakes and Mississippi river basins (including Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Manitoba, Ontario, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North Dakota).
The group's belief is cover crops are a practical way to decrease soil erosion, increase nutrient recycling by crops and decrease soil and nutrient waste entering waterways.
Dr. Eileen J. Kladivko, professor of ... more. |
Conservation Starts Here
CTIC Conservation Connector Helps Producers Discover Local Programs and Technical Assistance All In One Place
We're working to bring clarity and accessibility to conservation programs by creating a one-stop shop for farmers, ranchers and advisers. The CTIC Conservation Connector, now in development, is bringing conservation programs and local technical assistance to producers on a single platform.
There's nothing else like it. TheConservation ... more. |
Conservation Technology Information Center's Conservation in Action Tour
Join us on an unforgettable tour of South Dakota in 2025! Stay tuned for the official dates and details. Interested in sponsoring? Contact Ryan Heiniger at heiniger@ctic.org
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Conservation in Action Tour Sponsors
Become a crucial part of the Conservation in Action Tour's success by becoming a sponsor. Your sponsorship not only supports the advancement of sustainable agriculture but also provides valuable visibility for your brand. Choose from various sponsorship levels and enjoy benefits such as logo placement, recognition in promotional materials, and exclusive networking opportunities.
&nb ... more. |
At the heart of the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) lies a dedicated and diverse group of professionals who lead our organization with vision, expertise, and a shared commitment to sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation. Our Board of Directors is comprised of individuals who bring a wealth of experience and knowledge from various fields, uniting to drive CTIC's mission forward.
Get to know the exceptional individuals who guide our organization, shape our strategies, and help us navigate the ever-evolving landscape of conservation technology and agriculture. Learn more about our accompli ... more. |
... lead all aspects of its state and local projects with a focus on farmer-to-farmer peer networks to accelerate conservation practice knowledge transfer. Ryan also served as the director of agriculture and director of field operations – north region for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. In these roles, Ryan created and led the organization’s Precision Ag and Conservation Solutions Program which focused on private-sector ag tech partnerships to improve farmer profitability, sustainability and creation wildlife habitat and led a team of 85 staff delivering PF’s mission in a 5 state region. Prior to joining PF in 2013 and returning to his roots on the family farm, Ryan worked for Ducks Unlimited for 15 years in several field and leadership capacities.
Ryan has a bachelor&rsq ... more. |
... insight from nearly 1,200 commodity and horticultural crop farmers from across the country on why they do—or don't—use cover crops. Among the highlights of this year's survey results include data on the performance of cover crops during the extremely wet 2019 planting season, including effects on planting date and prevent plant claims, as well as data on the crop insurance programs favored by cover crop users.
The sixth survey from CTIC, USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), is the first to go into detail on "planting green," a practice employed by 52% of the respondents. Among farmers who planted green, 71% reported better weed control and 68% said soil moisture manag ... more. |
... of Sustainable Sourcing, Nestle Purina PetCare
3:30 Open Q & A – Ask the Waterfowl Biologists
Dr. Scott Manley & Dr. Mike Brasher
Dr. Ryan Askren, Research Center Director, Five Oaks Ag Research and Education Center
4:00 Adjourn
**Optional 30 minute Tour of DU Headquarters – signup required
5:00 CTIC Conservation In Action Tour Social and Dinner Program at B.B. King’s Blues Club, Beale St.
Pre-Registration Required atwww.ctic.org/tour**Farmers recieve 50% discount off regular registration rate
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... the discount rate.
On June 9 at 1:00 pm Eastern, CTIC invites you to join us for "Scaling Up Conservation Agriculture: An Exploration of Challenges and Opportunities in Michigan."
This 75-minute interactive webinar will cover the stakeholder driven work assessing the barriers and opportunities to advancing conservation agriculture across Michigan, along with program and policy recommendations. The speakers represent a diverse project team in Michigan that has been working since 2017 to address policy, economic, and structural barriers that are inhibiting broader adoption of conservation agriculture in the state.
This webinar will act as an introduction to our tour and help familiarize our national attendees with conservation agriculture in ... more. |
... for July 10 & 11. The registration web page includes a link for online booking of rooms at the discount rate.
The tour and celebration also offer sponsorship opportunities—high-visibility events with engaged participants, great speakers representing the agriculture industry, the research community and government sector, as well as national publicity. Sponsoring the program is also a great way to support CTIC’s future. For details on sponsorship, contact Ryan Heiniger atheiniger@ctic.org.
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Register today to earn 4 nutrient management CEUs free!
Visit ctic.org for the full agenda.
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Per the PLUS-UP Agreement between each participating Farmer and the Conservation Technology Information Center, there are terms governing the payments that will be made to the Farmer by CTIC, based on the Farmer’s enrollment of Fields into the Phosphorous Load Reduction Stimulus Program (“PLUS-UP”).
CTIC agreed to pay Farmer $100 per pound of load reductions of dissolved reactive phosphorous based on computer modeling performed by Heidelberg University, compared against a baseline of no Conservation “Practices”: i.e., conventional tillage, no cover crops, and none of any of the other relevant conservation practices employed by the Farmer on t ... more. |
In a 1-hour webinar available on-demand through CTIC's website, Dr. Roderick Rejesus of North Carolina State University described how he used OpTIS data to explore whether crop insurance programs discourage growers from planting cover crops.
The webinar, recorded live on April 29, is part of a six-webinar series coordinated by CTIC over the next two years. The April program also features Soren Rundquist of Regrow Ag and CTIC's Dave Gustafson describing updates in the algorithm and coverage area of OpTIS.
The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS) use ... more. |
... advisers, policy makers, conservation professionals, agribusiness people and many others to see conservation farming practices up-close," Komp notes. "But over the past 15 years, it's become more than a tour—it's an opportunity to bring together people who might not always get to interact, all drawn by our mutual interest in helping farmers become more economically and environmentally sustainable."
Register Now
Online registration for the tour is quick and easy at https://www.ctic.org/tour. The $275 registration fee includes bus transportation, tour activities and meals.
A limited number of rooms are being held in a Conservation in Action Tour reservation block at
the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac in St. Louis at a special rate of $138 ... more. |
CONSERVATION IN ACTION TOUR BACK ON THE BUS!
In 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed our plans back for an in-person Conservation in Action Tour. But we rallied with virtual tours that blended pre-recorded and live content in conjunction with the American Society of Agronomy's Sustainable Agriculture Conference.
Check out our digital library for interviews, panel discussions and videos that bring you across ... more. |
...
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. |
With expectations of continued travel restrictions late into 2021, CTIC is currently planning the Conservation in Action tour, which is likely to include recorded, live remote and in-person elements. We are working closely with the Alliance of Crop, Soil and Environmental Science Societies (ACSESS) to continue linking the tour with the Sustainable Agriculture Conference as we did last year. Meanwhile, we are finding ways to include expanded content and insight from farmers, conservation specialists, policy makers and more.
For the past 14 years, the CTIC Conservation in Action Tour has been a highlight of the summer calendar, a way to share deep ... more. |
... through webinars, online outlets or appropriately distanced live events, we will use all the tools at our disposal to keep people informed and engaged.
And we are always exploring the big questions around conservation farming practices in a changing climate, making sure we can help farmers, policy makers and everyone in between navigate a course that is both economically and environmentally sustainable into the future.
As always, we appreciate our members and partners. We are glad you are with us on this journey. If you have not yet joined or renewed your membership, please do so today. And if you have kept your membership current, fasten your seatbelt: 2021 is already shaping up to be a busy and exciting year!
Enjoy the day,
Mik ... more. |
... seeding cash crops into growing cover crops, 54% said the practice helped them plant earlier than on other fields.
Those findings were among several new insights from the 2019-2020 National Cover Crop Survey, conducted by the non-profit Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), with financial support from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). These organizations have worked together on several past national cover crop surveys, with the first survey dating back to the 2012 crop year.
The 2019-2020 survey, which included perspectives from 1,172 farmers representing every state, was the first by SARE, CTIC and ASTA to include detailed exploration of planting green—a tacti ... more. |
... green," seeding cash crops into growing cover crops, 54% said the practice helped them plant earlier than on other fields.
Those findings were among several new insights from the 2019-2020 National Cover Crop Survey, conducted by the non-profit Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), with financial support from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). These organizations have worked together on several past national cover crop surveys, with the first survey dating back to the 2012 crop year.
The 2019-2020 survey, which included perspectives from 1,172 farmers representing every state, was the first by SARE, CTIC and ASTA to include detailed exploration of planting green—a tactic employe ... more. |
... substantial time on the Great Lakes— Michigan and Superior. On Lake Michigan, I’ve been spending time chasing salmon and trout and on Superior I was doing some camping, hiking, and scouting for the upcoming fall runs. The freshwater resources that stretch across the USA are truly remarkable.
Over the past months, CTIC has been working with partners to develop a phosphorus trading program within two watersheds on another Great Lake, Lake Erie. As we’ve started to work with farmers and ranchers in the Maumee and Sandusky Watersheds, it’s clear that these programs are viewed with a mix of optimism and skepticism. Optimism centers around the prospect of free markets to support conservation adoption. However, concern over unfulfilled promises of past markets, like the Chic ... more. |
... 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 prairie strips to bioreactors, interseeded cover crops, stover harvesting, drainage water management techniques, and precision application of fertilizer. The tour also includes lunch at New Century FS and dinner and a keynote speaker at Jester Park Lodge in Granger, Iowa.
Bayer, Mosaic and Syngenta have s ... more. |
... 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. |
... 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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... 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 to bioreactors, interseeded cover crops, stover harvesting, drainage water management techniques, and precision application of fertilizer. The tour also includes lunch at New Century FS and dinner and a keynote speaker at Jester Park Lodge in Gran ... more. |
... their benefits," notes project director Mike Smith at CTIC.
Smith says CTIC and the CCA program will use the survey data to develop training programs that strengthen the role of crop advisers in helping farmers select and implement conservation systems.
Through a collaborative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CTIC has conducted conservation workshops for crop advisers over the past year. The CTIC website features full-length videos of presentations from Arkansas and Iowa for online viewing.
Parting Thoughts on the Future of Conservation Agriculture
David Gustafson, departing interim executive director, CTIC
The good news is th ... more. |
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and CTIC conducted the first cover crop user survey. More than 750 farmers from across the U.S. completed the survey, representing hundreds of thousands of acres of cover crops and drawing on cover cropping experience that goes back as far as 1948. The 2012 crop year was a challenging one in which to study yield impacts – much of the U.S. was impacted by drought, which pushed national per-a ... more. |
Sustainable Agriculture Resaerch and Education (SARE) program and CTIC conducted a national survey of farmers to learn more about their use of cover crops. More than 1,900 farmers completed the survey, which was a follow-up to a smaller survey in 2012-2013 (see below). Results show a yield boost from the use of cover crops in corn and soybeans, data on the costs of seed and establishment, the challenges and benefits farmers expect from cover crops and insig ... more. |
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and CTIC conducted the first cover crop user survey. More than 750 farmers from across the U.S. completed the survey, representing hundreds of thousands of acres of cover crops and drawing on cover cropping experience that goes back as far as 1948. The 2012 crop year was a challenging one in which to study yield impacts – much of the U.S. was impacted by drought, which pushed national per-a ... more. |
Sustainable Agriculture Resaerch and Education (SARE) program and CTIC conducted a national survey of farmers to learn more about their use of cover crops. More than 1,900 farmers completed the survey, which was a follow-up to a smaller survey in 2012-2013 (see below). Results show a yield boost from the use of cover crops in corn and soybeans, data on the costs of seed and establishment, the challenges and benefits farmers expect from cover crops and insig ... more. |
Managing Cover Crops Profitablyexplores how and why cover crops work and provides all the information needed to build cover crops into any farming operation.
Managing Cover Crops Profitably, 3rd Edition
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The Illinois Corn Marketing Board is deeply committed to improving nutrient efficiency through the 4Rs of nutrient stewardship - right source, right rate, right time, right place - and through participation in Keep It For The Crop By 2025, a collaborative program to promote, implement and track the rate of adoption of enhanced nutrient stewardship practices by Illinois agricultural producers. |
... were very excited to attend Commodity Classic to spread CTIC's message of conservation and sustainability as part of our 30th anniversary celebration," says executive director Karen Scanlon.
Visitors to the CTIC booth were invited to participate in our CTIC Trivia Hunt. Signs were placed at member booths all around the trade show. These signs had a CTIC program that the member organization had sponsored sometime in the past. Participants traveled around to the booths to find the answers.
All entries with the correct answers were placed in a drawing for a Kindle Fire. After the show, Lois Solberg of Volin, S.D. was drawn as the winner.
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Manure Management Planner (MMP) is a Windows-based computer program developed at Purdue University that is used to create manure management plans for crop and animal feeding operations. The user enters information about the operation's fields, crops, storage, animals, and application equipment. MMP helps the user allocate manure (where, when and how much) on a monthly basis for the length of the plan. Purdue's MMP currently supports 34 states. more
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CTIC Corporate Member, Cotton Incorporated, funded by U.S. growers of upland cotton and importers of cotton and cotton textile products, is the research and marketing company representing upland cotton. The Program is designed and operated to improve the demand for and profitability of cotton. To learn more about Cotton Incorporated, visit www.cottoninc.com
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The No-Till 2011 Conference is a program of innovative speakers providing for maximum interaction between agriculture professionals ranging from producers to industry experts. No-Till 2011 is a conference designed to bring the latest developments in no-till cropping systems to interested farmers and ranchers from Oklahoma and surrounding states.
For more details, view the conference brochure.
Below is an ou ... more. |
CTIC is working with partners in the GLCCI program to offer six workshops to provide information to producers about the benefits of cover crops and how to use them. Each workshops will take place from 8:45am to 3:30pm, with registration beginning at 8:00am. Click here to view a general agenda. The speakers and topics vary from workshop to workshop, but are all very similar programs. Specifics for each workshop and links for online registration ca ... more. |
... on using cover crops in their rotations. Topics included nutrient use, successes and challenges with various cover crop varieties and benefits from this system.
CTIC is creating an online community of continuous no-till producers in Indiana and Ohio to provide opportunity for information exchange, encouragement and social support. CTIC encourages all producers participating in the program, in addition to others who practice continuous no-till, to participate. E-mail list serves, a Web site and in-person meetings will connect producers and establish regular communication.
CTIC will host a second workshop in summer 2011, in Ohio, to highlight the project’s progress and share the experiences of participating producers.
Watch the CTIC Web site, www.ctic.org, for st ... more. |
... of the selected
field.
Plots on slopes steeper than 5% should be planted on the contour.
A plot can be planted on the same area each year as long as soil loss
does not exceed acceptable limits.
Accepted crops include: corn, sorghum, oats, barley, wheat, sunflower,
buckwheat, millet, partridge pea and soybeans. *
Soybeans and sunflowers can not be used in Conservation Reserve
Program food plots. *
Reduced till or no-till planting in encouraged.
Maintenance
Exclude livestock
Don't control weeds with herbicides unless noxious weeds persist. If
herbicides are needed, spot spray. Avoid using herbicides that would
endanger adjacent seedings.
* Criteria may need to be adjusted for local conditions.
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The Wisconsin Soil Nutrient Application Program (SNAP-Plus) is a Windows-based software package for developing N and P based nutrient management plans that meet the Wisconsin 590 Nutrient Management Standard. In addition to creating a nutrient management plan, SNAP-Plus integrates the Wisconsin P Index and uses RUSLE2 to access soil loss based on the rotation entered.
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Initiatives, publications, and opportunities for multi-state collaboration in animal waste management.
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Design of manure storage and treatment facilities requires an understanding of the operation involved in food animal production and engineering design principles. It also requires access to manure production data, as well as reporting and presentation software to put it all together. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service created the Animal Waste Management computer program to bring all of these features together.
This software has been used by consultants and government technical service providers for a number of years in designing storage and treatment facilities for animal production operations all over the country. The 2008 EPA CAFO rules cite this tool as part of the procedure to determine if a facility will discharge animal waste.
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News Source: Focus on Nutrient Management (PDF, 764 KB)
38 Nutrient Management Initiative Sites Established in 2009
Soil Fertility Research Program Approved by Legislature
Mining Soil Fertility Can Be Costly!
How do I Determine My Nitrogen Rate?
Nutrient Management and USDA-NRCS Conservation Programs
Fall Nitrogen Best Management Practices and Soil Temperature Network Pilot Proj
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... webinar recording from Oct. 16, 2020. This is the second webinar in our OpTIS series. This webinar focuses on how a variety of users are employing the DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model with data from the OpTIS tool to estimate the influence of soil-health-building practices on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. Run through DNDC, the OpTIS data set provides deep insights into the environmental effects of conservation agriculture practices at watershed and landscape scales.
Using Satellite Imagery Data to Understand Trends in Conservation Agriculture Practices
May 29, 2020
Description: A webinar on OpTIS (Operational Tillage Information System), an automated system that uses satellite imagery data to understand trends in conservation agriculture practices.
... more. |
Developing effective climate smart technologies and conservation agriculture systems starts with people, each bringing perspective on what's needed and how to address the economic and environmental challenges in the field. For 4 decades, CTIC has provided the forum for people to connect across boundaries, bringing together people from government, academia, agribusiness, the non-profit community and the farm to find ways to put conservation into action.
Connector
CTIC,in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and Houston Engineering, will lead development of a new online tool, t ... more. |
... editor, publisher and conservation agriculture advocate Frank Lessiter into its CTIC Hall of Fame during the 16th Annual CTIC Conservation in Action Tour on Tuesday night, July 11, 2023 in Frankenmuth, Michigan.
CTIC is a hub for information and ideas that advance and promote conservation agriculture systems that help people along the agricultural supply chain achieve their economic and environmental sustainability goals.
Hall of Fame
Frank Lessiter has served as editor of No-Till Farmer for 51 years, since the publication was launched in 1972. He and wife, Pam, acquired No-Till Farmer and established Lessiter Media in Brookfield, Wis., to acquire the magazine in 1981. Today, the 40-person company also publishes Strip-Till Farmer and Cover Crop Strategies and has run the National No-Til ... more. |
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC)was formed in 1982 to support the widespread use of economically and environmentally beneficial agricultural systems.
Members of CTIC, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, include farmers, policy makers, regulators, academic researchers, 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 ... more. |
... CTIC,conservationhas grown to encompass the latest science around carbon capture, soil health, remote sensing,andmore."
The Conservation Technology Information Center brings together farmers, crop advisers, policymakers, agribusiness leaders, conservation personnel, researchers and othersinterested in systems that help make farmers more economically and environmentally sustainable. Current projectsinclude:
•The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), which uses satellite imagery and a specialalgorithmto documentthe adoption of soil-building farming practices;
•Spearheading stimulus projects that encourage phosphorus managementto protect surface waters in the Western Lake Erie Basin;
•&n ... more. |
... CTIC,conservationhas grown to encompass the latest science around carbon capture, soil health, remote sensing,andmore."
The Conservation Technology Information Center brings together farmers, crop advisers, policymakers, agribusiness leaders, conservation personnel, researchers and othersinterested in systems that help make farmers more economically and environmentally sustainable. Current projectsinclude:
•The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), which uses satellite imagery and a specialalgorithmto documentthe adoption of soil-building farming practices;
•Spearheading stimulus projects that encourage phosphorus managementto protect surface waters in the Western Lake Erie Basin;
•&n ... 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) Blue Creek project. Though the group would have loved to have t ... more. |
CTIC’s Economic, Agronomic and Environmental Benefits of Cover Crops project, usually called "Cover Crop Math," will pencil out the full range of benefits that cover crops bring to the farm and surrounding areas. Twenty-one farmers in seven states across the Midwest are sharing samples and information from their operations which project partners are analyzing. Four farmers are conducting additional nitrogen rate strip trials to qu ... more. |
Environmental Change Initiative, June 2016
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... has spent the past few months supporting the organization as interim executive director. Helping guide the day-to-day operations of the office as well as the strategic direction of the organization, Dave and the board have provided steady leadership as CTIC positions itself for even greater impact.
With a PhD in chemical engineering and three decades of experience as an environmental scientist in the crop protection industry - including tenure at Monsanto, which he represented on CTIC's board - Dave has also served on variousgovernmental and civil society efforts focused on conservation and sustainability issues. His current independent research focuses on using modeling to help food systems meet human nutrition needs in more sustainable ways.
... more. |
... There
CTIC recently had the opportunity to purchase CTIC.org as a domain name. The CTIC web site can be reached at www.ctic.org and www.conservationinformation.org. Same web site…just a little easier to find us now. In addition, all CTIC staff can be reached at lastname@conservationinformation.org and lastname@ctic.org.
CTIC Project Spotlight
Working with a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CTIC and partners in three regions within the Mississippi River basin are joining efforts to improve nutrient use efficiency and increase nutrient management at the farm level. Learn more about this project -- Building Innovative Industry-Producer Partnerships to Reduce Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico – and get involved. Click here.
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... the tour.
We continued to provide technical and educational support across the country through workshops and meetings that brought together farmers, researchers, regulators and policymakers.
We continued to curate information and track trends in conservation agriculture through projects and surveys, such as our annual cover crop survey and our Let's Do the Math: Economic, Agronomic and Environmental Benefits of Cover Crops project.
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... the tour.
We continued to provide technical and educational support across the country through workshops and meetings that brought together farmers, researchers, regulators and policymakers.
We continued to curate information and track trends in conservation agriculture through projects and surveys, such as our annual cover crop survey and our Let's Do the Math: Economic, Agronomic and Environmental Benefits of Cover Crops project.
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July 26, 2016
EPA Region 5
Chicago, Illinois
Click on the title links below for the slide presentations.
Welcome – Hugh Sullivan, EPA
AMBI / mAmbi – Peg Pelletier, EPA ORD National Health and Environmental Effects Research Lab
Weighted Tolerance Value – Ted Angradi, EPA ORD, Duluth
Modified OTI – Lyuba Burlakova, Great Lakes Center, Buffalo State College
Recorded Webinar - July 26, 2016
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... 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 cutting edge stormwater treatment, nutrient management and wildlife enhancement projects.
We even got cited on Capitol Hill by none other than U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and NRCS Chief Jason Weller. Thank ... more. |
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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Click here to see a 20-minute video produced by Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan State Extension highlighting legal, environmental, planning, and prevention issues of manure spills. Also available in Spanish.
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Click here to see a 20-minute video produced by Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan State Extension highlighting legal, environmental, planning, and prevention issues of manure spills. Also available in Spanish.
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Click here to see a 20-minute video produced by Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan State Extension highlighting legal, environmental, planning, and prevention issues of manure spills. Also available in Spanish.
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Koch is one of the largest producers and marketers of fertilizer in the world. Our Agrotain nitrogen stabilizer controls nitrogen loss for higher yields and better environmental performance. Our network of national experts and local representatives connects Koch Agronomic Services with the fertilizer dealers and farmers who can harness the benefits of Agrotain. |
Growmark is a cooperative organization based in Bloomington, Ill., one of the top ten co-ops in the nation. Among our core values is to "promote the welfare of the community and environmental stewardship," a commitment that we carry out daily throughout our organization. |
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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... crops and conservation tillage, to correctly incorporate the practices into their operation, to evaluate the changes and adapt management to optimize yield and resource protection. By providing this three-tiered support, this project builds producer capacity to effectively manage, adapt and commit to the long-term implementation of these conservation practices.
Partners
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Midwest Cover Crops Council, Ohio No-Till Council, The Ohio State University, Purdue University, Michigan State University, Indiana Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative
Activities
The project includes the following activities:
CTIC will host 18 workshops promoting the use of cover crops with continuous no-till. The first workshops will be in ... more. |
Information concerning odor mitigation, storage, nutrient management, and much more are listed here as well as a searchable Environmental Research Database.
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Conservation Tillage and Plant Biotechnology: How New Technologies Can Improve the Environment By Reducing the Need to Plow
Introduces and outlines environmental benefits of conservation tillage, while highlighting trends that like biotechnology with conservation tillage.
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Wetlands: A More Profitable Alternative?
CTIC tells the story of 10 operations around the country
that have restored wetlands on their agricultural property...
and have reaped environmental and economic benefits.
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The Living Landscape
An interactive computer game that takes learners of all ages through various best management and conservation practices to turn a rundown farm and landscape into an environmental showplace! Point and click on various areas of the farm to answer related multiple choice questions. With each correct answer the farm scape changes to show the improvement made (complete with sound effects!). Once you make it through the set of questions correctly, the farm is set in motion with animation. A learning tool that's downright fun! Developed jointly for CTIC by our public and pri ... 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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... primary hypothesis is that the way in which information is presented will significantly affect farmers’ interest in and eventual adoption of offset-eligible practices. In many cases,it isbelieved thatthis framing effect will be as strong as or stronger than the effect of a modest offset payment.
The information presented promotes conservation tillage with an environmental stewardship frame versus a neutral, control frame, and discussing the potential for offset payments for conservation tillage or not. As noted, we intend to determine if the framed treatments will generate greater interest in conservation tillage than unframed treatments, including unframed treatments that mention potential offset opportunities.
Partner
Purdue University
Activities
... more. |
... Wireless Center
1 Civic Center Plaza
Mankato, Minnesota
Commercial 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 Contac ... more. |
... and adopt a viable solution for the treatment of wastewater within their community.
October 22 - Mankato, Minnesota
CTIC hosted a one day workshop on October 22, 2009 to help small communities learn how to solve their wastewater problems that they are facing.
The workshop which was co sponsored by the University of Minnesota Extension, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided the tools needed to move forward and tackle the task of fixing the wastewater issues that small communities are facing. Community leaders, Township officials and Lake Associations attended this valuable workshop.
Barry Tonning's Presentations
Doug Malchow's Presentations
Pam Meyer's Presentations
Agenda
For more info ... more. |
... or purchase a copy of this manual, visit www.sare.org/publications/croprotation.htm.
Farmers can take steps to reduce manure pathogens in runoff
Scientists with The Ohio State University and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center 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 simp ... more. |
... Economic Returns for Conservation Tillage and Cotton
Scientists at the USDA Agricultural 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 det ... more. |
This is an Extension system website featuring resources and answers to inquiries from livestock waste experts. Includes timely topics and newsletters, and a calendar of conferences and educational events.
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A 20-minute video produced by Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan State Extension highlighting legal, environmental, planning, and prevention issues of manure spills. Also available in Spanish.
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In Illinois, there are three different manure management plans that a livestock facility might need to have. University of Illinois Extension has worked with Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to develop one website of step-by-step instructions that, if completed, will comply with the needs of all three agencies.
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What's a Crop Nutrient Management plan?
A Crop Nutrient Management plan is a tool to increase the efficiency of all the nutrient sources your crop uses while reducing production and environmental risk, ultimately, increasing profit.
10 KEY COMPONENTS
Ag experts agree that there are ten fundamental components of a Crop Nutrient Management Plan. Each component is critical to helping you analyze each field and improve nutrient efficiency for the crops you grow.
1. Field map. The map, including general reference points (such as streams, residences, wellheads ... 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 practices when apply nutrients to the fields. The swine manure testing project helps facilitate farmers’ proper application of nutrients.
The goal of this project is to discover if local ... more. |
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
US Environmental Protection Agency
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
Livestock Waste Management Information for the Midwest - CTIC
International Plant Nutrition Institute—Plant Nutrition Today
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... 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 the need for insecticides
Attract beneficial insects such as pollinators
Increase yields of the following crop
Improve soil quality
Cropping Decisions Survey Summary with Howard G Buffet Foundation and CTIC.
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... 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. |
... St. Louis Frontenac
Special lunch speaker Louis Aspey, NRCS Associate Chief
2:00 Arrive at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (DDPSC)
2:00-2:40 pm Soil Carbon Technology
-Mike Decamp, CEO, Cover Cress
-Melissa Motew, Sr. Director, Carbon Science & Modeling, Indigo Ag
-Chris Topp, Ph.D., PI, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
-Cinitia Ribeiro, Ph.D, Carbon Program Lead, Bayer Crop Science
2:40-3:20 pm Remote Sensing & Data Science
-Soren Rundquist, OpTIS Science Lead, Regrow Ag
-Michael Sunde, Ph.D., Director, Missouri Resource Assessment Partnership
-Noah Fahlgren, Ph.D., PI, Dir of Data Science, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
-Joshua White, Geospatial Director, T-Rex
3:20-4:00 pm - Advanced Nutrient Technology
-Adam Herge ... more. |
... 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. |
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. |
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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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. |
... is coordinated by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), a non-profit data and technology information transfer center.
Getting To Know Your Local Watershed
We all live in a watershed. Watersheds are the places we call home, where we work and where we play. Everyone relies on water and other natural resources to exist. What you and others do on the land impacts the quality and quantity of water and our other natural resources. Understanding your watershed is the first step in protecting the water and other natural resources.
Building Partnerships
Partnerships are a key to effective watershed management. Through a partnership different people and organizations work together to address common interests and concerns. A partnership is the easiest way to ... more. |
Register Online Today
"Now is the time to register—we've got only two more weeks until our cut-off date for seats on the bus and our special Conservation in Action Tour price for hotel rooms at the Embassy Suites Downtown in Des Moines," says Komp.
Online registration takes just moments at https://www.ctic.org/cia_tour/registration. The $175 registration fee includes transportati ... more. |
... 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. |
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. |
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 Council (Instituti ... 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. |
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. |
... 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. |
Location
Lyden, WA
Documents
Whatcom County Dairy Farmers Tackle Water Quality Challenges, Capital Press, February 3, 2017
Images
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... more. |
... 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 https://www.ctic ... more. |
Wallaces Farmer, August 2018
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... 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.
CHAMPION
CTIC he ... more. |
CTIC Projects « Promoting Conservation « NARS Water Quality Spotlights
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... 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 the need for insecticides
Attract beneficial insects such as pollinators
Increase yields of the following crop
Improve soil quality
Cropping Decisions Survey Summary with Howard G Buffet Foundation and CTIC.
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... 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. |
... 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. |
... 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 the need for insecticides
Attract beneficial insects such as pollinators
Increase yields of the following crop
Improve soil quality
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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. |
... 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. |
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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Ron Rice and Luigi Trotta
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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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... and canola -- in rotation with his sorghum and wheat acres.
Caldwell, Jeff. 2009. The great crop rotation cover-up. Agriculture Online.
Using Cover_crops 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- ... 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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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. |
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. |
... 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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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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... 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. |
... 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. |
... 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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... 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 the need for insecticides
Attract beneficial insects such as pollinators
Increase yields of the following crop
Improve soil quality
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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. |
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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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. |
... 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. |
... 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. |
...
helps farmers overcome challenges.
How does it help create better soil?
By leaving crop residue undisturbed for as long as possible, microbial and other biological
activity in the soil feeds on the stalks, leaves and other crop residues. This increases organic matter,
improves soil 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. ... more. |
... research
helps farmers overcome challenges.
How does it help create better soil?
By leaving crop residue undisturbed for as long as possible, microbial and other biological activity
in the soil feeds on the stalks, leaves and other crop residues. This increases organic matter, improves
soil 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.
... 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. |
... 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. |
... Benson, picking up litter from hundreds of farms, so they're likely to reach areas not affected by the outbreak.
Langmo says that the large service area is a hedge against running short on litter. It's also a service to the state's turkey industry. Rather than charging a tipping fee, Fibrominn pays growers for their litter – up to $10 per ton, depending on its fuel quality.
It's not a steady, predictable flow of material, but the plant has a fuel hall, negatively pressured to keep odors from escaping, that houses a five-day supply of liter. In the facility's yard, the company has also stacked scrap wood that can be blended with the litter on the way to the furnace.
And if that's not enough, the system can burn nearly any kind ... more. |
... it works
The way you handle materials that could contaminate a water supply, and the distance of possible contaminants from a well or other water source, can have a dramatic effect on the quality of drinking water on the farm. For instance, if you typically mix pesticides near the well, your chances of drinking water contamination from pesticides escalates. To protect your well, take an inventory of farming practices like pesticide mixing and container washing and disposal. Then assess the risk of contamination and make necessary changes.
How it helps
Modifications in farming oper ... 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. |
... 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. |
... 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. |
... 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. |
... 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. |
... 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. |
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. |
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.
2.
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.
1.
Record Keeping: Records of soil management, planting dates, weather data, treatments and other appropriate information are ... more. |
... 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. |
... of electricity, enough to power 150 homes.
Gas and heat are circulated back to feed the digester’s heating system and generators, as well as pumps and other equipment. “Everything we put in here had better run on methane,” says George DeVore, who heads up the operations team and research and development efforts for the digester. Separated solids are composted into a high-quality soil amendment, and processed liquid is returned to the farms for land application in the same trucks that will turn around and bring back fresh manure for the digesters.
Feasibility studies in the Midwest
The success of Western community digesters has John Reindl, recycling manager for Dane County, Wis., excited. His county recently launched a study on manure management options that foll ... more. |
... 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 step further by supporting the only organization that pro ... more. |
5-minute video about how The Nature Conservancy and partners work with farmers to improve water quality in the Pecatonica River. |
... of directors of Field to Market.
Formed in 1982, CTIC brings together farmers, crop advisors, researchers, policy makers, regulators, agribusiness leaders, conservation group staffers and other stakeholders to share information on farming practices that can help farmers become more economically and environmentally sustainable. The Center's staff develops demonstration projects, convenes and facilitates meetings, disseminates research findings, runs market-based nutrient credit programs, and serves as a hub for information on a wide range of conservation farming topics. CTIC staff members sum up their mission as "champion, promote and provide information on climate smart, sustainable agricultural ... more. |
... of leadership in conservation-oriented organizations made him the perfect choice for the role.
"Ryan has put his farm background and deep love for nature to work in a career in conservation," White notes. "He is a skilled organizer, mobilizer, coalition builder and fundraiser. He knows many of our partners. He has implemented on his own family farm some of the very conservation programs CTIC helps farmers and their advisors understand. Finally, he has led projects and secured grants that have provided himknowledge of what it takes to put conservation on the ground so it has animpact for all the stakeholders involved.
“I am humbled to have the opportunity to join and help lead CTIC as we celebrate 40 years of accomplishments and adapt to new challenges. ... more. |
... is your chance to get a (virtual) front row seat for the latest OpTIS research updates! Since you last joined us for an OpTIS webinar, we’ve added data for 2019-2020 and even more states.
We’ll be joined by Prof. Roderick Rejesus of NC State as he’ll describe how he used remote sensing data from OpTIS to study the impact of crop insurance programs on cover crop use. The Operational Tillage Information System (OpTIS), a Regrow technology (https://www.regrow.ag), uses satellite data and a sophisticated algorithm to monitor conservation practices in agricultural systems, including reduced tillage and winter cover crops.
This free webinar event wouldn’t be complete without hearing from Soren Rundquist (Regrow) and Dave Gust ... more. |
... resilience of agricultural fields to both drought and intense rainstorms. Broad-spectrum herbicides such as glyphosate are used to terminate any cover crops that survive the winter.
Cover crops, conservation tillage and other conservation practices—and timely data on the adoption of these practices that can serve as the foundation of carbon markets and help policymakers direct programs where they can do the most good—promise a brighter future for American farmers! But only if our judicial system begins to adjudicate the power of voluntary conservation efforts and the safety of valuable conservation tools like glyphosate based on facts, rather than on misleading tales told in urban courtrooms – far removed from the realities of US agriculture.
About the ... more. |
... with our thousands of contacts across U.S. agriculture. After all, it's part of our mission to Connect, Inform and Champion.
If you've got data or insight about conservation farming systems that should be shared through our clearinghouse of information, please let us know. We can include it in our new, easy-to-search website or weave it into our other communications programs.
Want to cooperate on demonstration plots or programs that put conservation practices to work in real-world situations? Let us know and we will find a way to team up with one of our many programs around the country.
Got a story to share that spotlights your work in conservation agriculture? Contact the CTIC office—(765) 494-9555 or ctic@ctic.org—and we'l ... more. |
... problems. The CASA communication network strengthens not only individual efforts but also the shared goal of increasing conservation in agriculture.
Local stakeholder groups focus onimproving nutrient managementin Mississippi River Basin watersheds. CTIC led the formation of three collaborative groups, all including public and private members, to develop and oversee projects and programs in three regions: southern Minnesota, Missouri Bootheel and Upper Wabash River Watershed.
To help producersintegrate cover crops and adopt a continuous no-till system, CTIC connected producers with crop consultants for customized assistance and brought in expertise from the Midwest Cover Crops Council.
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... monitor and assess wetlands, set wetland program priorities and find program funding.
Thank you, Pueblo of Isleta, for hosting this event.
Want to find out more about the workshop? Click here to see the agenda or
Handouts provided at the 2013 Southwest Wetland Programs for Tribes
Using Aquatic Insects to Evaluate Physical and Biological Conditions in Wetlands
- Dan Mosley, Native Environmental Services
Wetland Macroinvertebrates Metrics
- provided by Dan Mosley
Vegetation Metrics
- provided by Dan Mosley
Other Macroinvertebrate Resources
- provided by Dan Mosley
Hydric Soil Information
- provided by Aaron Miller, USDA-NRCS
Presentations from the 2013 Southwest Wetland Programs Workshop for Tribes
Wetlands Resources: Cultural, Historical and Environmental Significa ... more. |
Join us for an up-close look at innovative conservation practices on a wide range of crops and farms in Idaho's Treasure Valley, August 23-24. Seats go fast for these great programs - register now!
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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 of how to use the aquatic resource survey methodology to inform state and tribal needs at multiple scales.
Visit the National Aquatic Resource Surveys web ... 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 of how to use the aquatic resource survey methodology to inform state and tribal needs at multiple scales.
Visit the National Aquatic Resource Surveys web ... more. |
Are you an experienced leader and manager who can step into a vibrant organization with a dedicated staff and diverse lineup of projects and programs? Applications due by March 9. More...
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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. |
The Livingston County field office provides technical assistance as well as financial assistance through EQIP and CSP programs. |
... plan and strive to achieve project goals within the defined timeframe. In addition, the project director provides important in-house technical expertise and helps to answer questions from members and partners. For more information about the position of Project Director please click here.
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
The CTIC Communications Director will develop, deliver and monitor programs, messages and materials to promote conservation agriculture. He/she will communicate regularly with, among others, federal, state and local government agencies; agriculture industry, media and associations; conservation groups and watershed partnerships. This position will also be responsible for grant-funded projects that involve technology transfer, publications, information dissemination, med ... more. |
The goal of IMMAG is to identify and share manure management information and educational programs, which can be used by producers, technical agencies, educational institutions, researchers, and the general public.
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www.delta-institute.org
For over a decade, Delta has helped individuals, organizations and communities demonstrate that building better economies and reforming our relationship with the environment go hand in hand. Delta creates, funds and implements programs that promote a healthy environment, a strong economy and thriving, vibrant communities.
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CTIC Institutional Member, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), is the 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 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.NACD ... more. |
CTIC Institutional Member, Michigan State University, is one of the top research universities in the world - on one of the biggest, greenest campuses in the nation. Home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs, a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artist, scientists and leaders. In ways both practical and profound, they work to create a stronger, more sustainable, and more hopeful future for all. To learn more about Michigan State University, visit www.msu.edu/
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CTIC Institutional Member, the Illinois Soybean Association, is the statewide organization for Illinois soybean farmers. The farmers on its board administer soybean checkoff funds to support research, promotion, and educational programs designed to increase demand for Illinois soybeans and administer legislative and membership programs. To learn more about the Illinois Soybean Association, visit www.ilsoy.org/
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... Member, The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), is the leading voice in the fertilizer industry, representing the public policy, communication and statistical needs of producers, manufacturers, retailers and transporters of fertilizer. Issues of interest to TFI members include security, international trade, energy, transportation, the environment, worker health and safety, farm bill and conservation programs to promote the use of enhanced efficiency fertilizer. To learn more about The Fertilizer Institute, visit www.tfi.org
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CTIC is seeking a Communications Director to help develop, deliver and monitor programs, messages and materials to promote conservation agriculture. The position involves regular communications with but not limited to federal, state and local government agencies; agriculture industry, media and associations; conservation groups and watershed partnerships. This position may also be responsible for grant-funded projects that involve technology transfer, publications, information diss ... more. |
CTIC seeks an enthusiastic communicator to join our team for the summer (and maybe longer) and help to champion, promote and provide information about conservation systems in agriculture.
The CTIC Communications Intern will develop, deliver and monitor programs, messages and materials to promote conservation agriculture. He/she will assist CTIC staff in creating communications and information material that supports CTIC projects, promotes CTIC and provides value to our membership. Audiences include, among others, federal, state and local government agencies; agriculture industry, media and associations; conservation groups and watershed partnerships.
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