March 3 crops workshop to focus on key conservation tool

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AMES, Iowa -- Here’s a quick environmental quiz: What conservation tool works for corn-soybean as well as vegetable growers, can cut nitrate and erosion losses by 50 percent, yet is little used by Iowa farmers?

If you answered cover crops, you’ll want to attend the fifth annual workshop of the Midwest Cover Crops Council March 3 in the Gallery at the Iowa State Memorial Union in Ames from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Local sponsors for the event are the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the USDA’s National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment (NLAE) in Ames, Practical Farmers of Iowa and Iowa State University.

“Cover crops definitely are an underutilized conservation tool, especially in Iowa” said USDA plant physiologist Tom Kaspar. “I like to call it a patient investment, because cover crops can pay huge dividends in soil health and productivity over the long term.”

There are many ways to use cover crops, defined as any crop that grows between harvest and planting of conventional commodity crops. The most common cover crop used in Iowa is winter rye, but Kaspar was quick to add that there are a variety of options including winter canola, radishes and other small grains.

Because these crops grow when the soil otherwise would have been bare, cover crops can reduce soil erosion and prevent crop nutrients (such as nitrates) from entering lakes and waterways. Cover crops also can build soil organic matter, help control pests, manage soil fertility and water availability, add to biological diversity and improve wildlife habitat.

“We are encouraging farmers to attend this workshop to learn about cover crops and talk to other farmers who have planted cover crops,” Kaspar said, adding that the $25 registration fee will be waived for all farmers.

For more information about the workshop, or to register, go to the Midwest Cover Crops Council web site at http://www.mccc.msu.edu. Registrations are due February 24; walk-ins will be accepted on the day of the conference beginning at 8 a.m., but meals cannot be guaranteed. Workshop participants also are welcome to attend planning meetings for the organization March 4.

The Leopold Center, PFI and USDA-ARS coordinate the Iowa Cover Crops Working Group, which works with the Midwest Cover Crops Council and the Green Lands, Blue Water initiative to improve water and soil quality. 

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The Leopold Center was established by the 1987 Iowa Groundwater Protection Act as a research and education center at Iowa State University to develop sustainable agricultural practices that are both profitable and conserve natural resources. Iowa State does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Vietnam Era Veteran. Any persons having inquiries concerning this may contact the Director of Affirmative Action, 3210 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

This page was found at http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/02-16-2010/march-3-crops-workshop-focus-key-conservation-tool on 01/21/2013