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From:
Amir Kassam <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Amir Kassam <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 31 Mar 2014 10:04:43 +0100
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*CA-CoP* *CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE*

*for sustainable production intensification*



Dear Subscribers,


For your information, from CTIC (the Conservation Technology Information
Center): Three-year project reduces nutrient loads in the Great Lakes
through cover crops.



*Amir Kassam *

*Moderator*


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: CTIC <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, Mar 31, 2014 at 6:11 AM
Subject: Three-year project reduces nutrient loads in the Great Lakes
through cover crops
To: [log in to unmask]


     *THREE-YEAR PROJECT REDUCES NUTRIENT LOADS IN THE GREAT LAKES THROUGH
COVER CROPS*

 West Lafayette, Ind. (March 31, 2014) - Keeping crop fields covered
between growing seasons for corn, soybeans and other cash crops can help
improve water quality by keeping nutrients on the farm, a collaborative
project led by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC)
demonstrated.

     Michigan farmers Nathan Clarke (left) and Dave Clarke (middle) examine
a field of winter wheat planted as a cover crops with Paul Gross, Michigan
State University Extension educator for Isabella County.  The Great Lakes
Cover Crop Initiative <http://www.ctic.org/GLCCI/> (GLCCI), which concluded
in December, promoted cover crops and conservation farming systems to crop
producers in the Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan watersheds. Along
with several university partners, agricultural organizations and government
agencies, CTIC launched the initiative in 2010 to broaden the knowledge and
adoption of cover crops to improve soil and water quality in the Great
Lakes Region.

 With this purpose in mind, CTIC and partners set out to plant 15,000 acres
of cover crops over the three-year span of the initiative. From 2010 to
2013, producers in the Great Lakes Basin planted over 36,970 acres of cover
crops, far above the original goal. The cover crops reduced nitrogen by
nearly 73,000 pounds, phosphorus by more than 24,100 pounds and sediment by
more than 1,440 tons in the Great Lakes.

 Chad Watts, CTIC project director, said that establishing cover crops is
one way that agriculture can contribute to the goal of cleaner water while
making a difference on individual farms.

 "Farmers not only can contribute benefits to water quality, but also can
improve the soils, beneficial soil biology, nutrient holding capacity, and
infiltration on their farms," Watts said. "If cover crops are properly used
over a large enough acreage, farmers can make a significant contribution to
the improvement of water quality in the Great Lakes and the rivers and
streams that run to them."

 Through GLCCI, farmers received one-on-one technical assistance to
identify objectives for their cover crop use, select the right cover crops
and crop rotations for their operations and plant and terminate cover crops
in a timely manner.

     Winter peas are one of the many crops that can be used as a cover
crop.   "Cover crops are best when used as part of a systems approach to
farming," Watts said. "Having experienced technical assistance from someone
who knows how to build a successful conservation cropping system is
absolutely necessary to achieve the farm objectives through cover crops.
This is the kind of service we provided through GLCCI."

 Les Seiler, a producer from Fayette, Ohio, said participating in GLCCI
helped him further develop his use of cover crops.

 "GLCCI provided information and connected me with resources for seed
selection and data about what would work in my area," he said. "Also,
sharing ideas with others through GLCCI was invaluable."

 To facilitate that sharing of ideas, GLCCI partners hosted several
educational opportunities. More than 80 field days reaching 5,500 people
demonstrated how farmers were taking steps to improve water quality in the
Great Lakes. In November 2013, CTIC hosted the Cover Crop
Summit<http://www.ctic.org/CoverCropSummit/>in the Fort Wayne, Ind.,
area. The summit featured four farms where farmers
discussed how they incorporate cover crops in their rotations, the
equipment used for planting and terminating cover crops and the soil health
changes they experienced when using cover crops.

 To understand further the status of cover crop use in the United States,
CTIC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's North Central Region
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program
conducted a comprehensive
cover crop survey<http://www.ctic.org/media/pdf/Cover%20Crops/SARE-CTIC%20Cover%20Crop%20Survey%202013.pdf>following
the drought of 2012 to quantify and promote the benefits of cover
crops. More than 750 farmers responded.

 Other activities included two focus groups that were held to better
understand the views of producers and ag retailers on cover crops. CTIC and
partners also provided support to GLCCI producers to attend the 2013 National
No-Tillage Conference<http://www.no-tillfarmer.com/pages/NNTC---National-No-Tillage-Conference-Home-Page.php>,
CTIC's Conservation in Action Tour <http://www.ctic.org/CIATours/> and the Ag
Media Summit <http://www.agmediasummit.com/>.

 Partners in GLCCI were The Ohio State University <http://www.osu.edu>, Purdue
University <http://www.purdue.edu>, Michigan State
University<http://www.msu.edu>,
Indiana Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative <http://ccsin.iaswcd.org/>,

   <http://youtu.be/9kJJFpyU4o4>  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 Story." Click on the
picture to access "Helping People, Land and Water: The Cover Crop Story."
Midwest Cover Crops Council <http://www.mccc.msu.edu/>, Ohio No-Till
Council<http://fabe.osu.edu/notill>and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency <http://www.epa.gov>.

 The project was funded by the Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative<http://greatlakesrestoration.us/>
.

 For more information on the project, as well as stories and videos
featuring producers who participated in GLCCI, visit www.ctic.org/GLCCI.
CTIC also captured the lessons
learned<http://www.ctic.org/media/CoverCrops/GLCCI_Lessons_Learned.pdf>from
the producer focus group and the
link between water quality and cover crops
<http://youtu.be/9kJJFpyU4o4>through talking to farmers, Extension
educators and university researchers.
More information on cover crops can be found on CTIC's cover crop
page<http://www.ctic.org/Cover%20Crops>or by contacting Chad Watts at
574-242-0147 or [log in to unmask]

 ------------------------------

   *CTIC's next cover crop project takes us to seven Midwestern states to
analyze the economic, agronomic and environmental benefits of cover crops.
We're looking for producers, cover crop advisors and beekeepers to work
with us on the project. Let us know
<http://www.ctic.org/CoverCropMath/Join%20Us> that you're interested or
sign up <http://www.ctic.org/CoverCropMath/Join%20Us> for our cover crop
mailing list. *

    ------------------------------

 Conservation Technology Information Center

765-494-9555 | www.ctic.org

Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/Conservation.Technology.Information.Center>|
Twitter <http://www.twitter.com/ctic_tweet> |
YouTube<http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYpBD4aXxd0ji2JnhPjDYnQ>



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