Agriculture Conservation is Key to Improving Health of the Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay watershed, which extends across New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, has more than one quarter of the land devoted to agricultural practices. Research has demonstrated that conservation practices such as no-till, cover crops and nutrient and manure management help improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Because of this, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation has requested $120 million annually from the state of Maryland to help implement these proven practices. Agriculture Secretary Lewis R. Riley said it is important to keep farmers on the land because “well-managed agricultural land provides many more environmental benefits than developed land.”
For more information, visit www.cbf.org or www.chesapeakebay.net.
Increasing Yields with No-till and Poultry Litter
Cotton producers have a tool to use in overcoming the affects of drought – no-till and poultry litter. A study conducted by agricultural engineer Dinku Endale and agroecosystems ecologist Harry Schomberg, both with USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), showed that combining no-till with applications of poultry litter fertilizer can increase cotton yield by as much as 42 percent above conventionally tilled cotton fertilized with ammonium nitrate. No-till alone increases yield by 33 percent over conventional tillage practices.
Soil in no-till fields is able to absorb and hold water, which provides much needed moisture during drought periods. According to the ARS report, long-term use of no-till helps build soil structure, which increases filtration and reduces evaporation, leading to biological activity and improved nutrient cycling.
For more information, visit No-Till Plus Poultry Litter Raises Cotton Yields in Drought.
Four Decades of No-till May be Lost
The longest running no-till test plots in Ohio may be in danger of destruction. Perhaps due to the growing popularity of no-till, support for the Triplett-Van Doren no-till plots, which were established in 1962, has dwindled in recent years. The plots, established well before no-till was a highly accepted practice, have been invaluable in getting no-till adopted in the United States. The plots prove that no-till improves crop yields, reduces farming costs and prevents soil erosion.
The cost to maintain the plots is more than the $1,000 endowment set by The Ohio State University. Efforts are underway to raise more money to continue research and maintenance on the test plots.
For more information about the test plots or to donate to the Triplett-Van Doren Endowment Fund, contact Warren Dick at the School of Environment and Natural Resources, OARDC, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, Ohio 44691; Tel: (330) 263-3783; E-mail: dick.5@osu.edu; or contact the Ohio State University Development Office and direct contributions to Development Fund #405639.
Report Reveals Characteristics of Conservation Farmers
A report released in February by the USDA Economic Research Service examines the characteristics of farmers who adopt conservation practices. The research looks at the business, operator, and household characteristics of farms that implemented conservation. According to the report, these characteristics are associated with the likelihood of adopting certain conservation practices and with the amount of participation in conservation programs. The report says, for example, that “operators of small farms and operators not primarily focused on farming are less likely to adopt management-intensive conservation-compatible practices and to participate in working-land conservation programs than operators of large enterprises whose primary occupation is farming.”
For more information, go to www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/err14/
2006 National Wetlands Awards Announced
Six wetlands educators, scientists, and conservationists were selected as recipients of the 2006 National Wetlands Awards for exemplary contributions in conserving or restoring the Nation’s wetlands. They will be honored at a Capitol Hill presentation in the Cannon Caucus Room of the Cannon House Office Building on May 10, 2006 in Washington, DC. This year’s awardees are:
- Royal Gardner (Florida) – Education and Outreach
- Curtis Richardson (North Carolina) – Science Research
- Alan Ammann (New Hampshire) – Conservation and Restoration
- The Higel Family (Colorado) – Landowner Stewardship
- Francisco Abarca (Arizona) – State, Tribal, and Local Program Development
- Chester McConnell (Alabama) – Wetland Community Leader
The National Wetlands Awards Program celebrates individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication, innovation or excellence in wetlands conservation. The Program is co-sponsored by the Environmental Law Institute, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, NOAA Fisheries, and the Federal Highway Administration.
For more information about the National Wetlands Awards, please contact Roxanne Thomas, Wetlands Program, at Tel: (202) 939-3827.
Pesticides in the Nation’s Streams and Ground Water
The U.S. Geological Survey released a report describing the occurrence of pesticides in streams and ground water during 1992-2001. The report concludes that pesticides are typically present throughout the year in most streams in urban and agricultural areas of the Nation, but are less common in ground water. The report also concludes that pesticides are seldom at concentrations likely to affect humans. However in many streams, particularly those draining urban and agricultural areas, pesticides were found at concentrations that may affect aquatic life or fish-eating wildlife.
The USGS findings show strong relations between the occurrence of pesticides and their use, and point out that some of the frequently detected pesticides, including the insecticide diazinon and the herbicides alachlor and cyanazine, are declining. The report is based on analysis of data collected from 51 major river basins and aquifer systems across the Nation from Florida to the Pacific Northwest and including Hawaii and Alaska, plus a regional study in the High Plains aquifer system.
The report, "Pesticides in the Nation’s Streams and Ground Water, 1992-2001," Circular 1291 is available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2005/1291/, or by calling Tel: 888-ASK-USGS, or by Fax (303) 202-4693. In-depth information about the pesticide assessment may be found at: http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/ under "What’s New."
