Washington-Cropland conservation practices are reducing sediment, nutrient, and pesticide losses from farm fields, according to an unprecedented environmental quality study in the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB). “This important new report confirms that farmers and ranchers are stepping up and implementing conservation practices that can and do have a significant impact on the health of America’s soil and water,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, on the release of the comprehensive USDA study. “The information gathered for this study will make it possible to quantify the effectiveness of conservation practices for the first time and enable USDA to design and implement conservation programs that will not only better meet the needs of farmers and ranchers, but also help ensure that taxpayers’ conservation dollars are used as effectively as possible.” Key findings from the study, “Effects of Conservation Practices on Cultivated Cropland in the Upper Mississippi River Basin,” include that: targeting critical acres improves effectiveness significantly; practices have the greatest effect on the most vulnerable acres, such as highly erodible land and soils prone to leaching; and uses of soil erosion control practices are widespread in the basin. The most critical conservation concern in the region is the loss of nitrogen from farm fields through leaching, including nitrogen loss through tile drainage systems. The study also revealed opportunities for improving the use of conservation practices on cropland to enhance environmental quality. For instance, the study found that consistent use of nutrient management (proper rate, form, timing, and method of application) is generally lacking throughout the region. The complete UMRB cropland study report can be found at www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/nri/ceap.
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