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INfield Advantage aiding in farm nutrient management

 

By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH
Indiana Correspondent

WOODBURN, Ind. — Producers who live in watersheds that flow into Lake Erie’s western basin sometimes find themselves the targets of finger-pointing when the question arises of who is responsible for the toxic algae found in the lake, an Adams County farmer said.
“A lot of (farmers) feel that way,” said Mike Werling, who farms in the northwestern part of this Indiana county. “We try to make the point that it’s not just farmers, but we’re certainly a part of the problem.”
Harmful algae blooms have been found in Lake Erie in several recent years. In August, the water supply in Toledo, Ohio, was contaminated, apparently by toxins from algae found in the lake. Residents were told not to drink water from the city’s water treatment plant for two days. Phosphorous runoff from farm fields has been cited as one factor in the presence of the algae blooms.
Farming activity makes up a large percentage of land use in several watersheds that eventually drain into the Western Lake Erie Basin. For example, the Upper Maumee River Watershed is about 78 percent agriculture, officials have said. The watershed is in Allen and DeKalb counties in Indiana and Defiance and Paulding counties in Ohio.
Werling, who uses practices such as cover crops and “never”-till, has hosted field days and also occasionally goes one-on-one with interested producers.
“I have a standing invitation for anyone to come out and go dig,” he noted. “The ones that do come out are interested, but they’re always amazed at what the soil looks like and what we’re doing. Some may not think (putting in new practices) pays back quickly enough. But long-term, we always get back what we put into it.
“Change is difficult. We don’t like to change anything.”
Rob Ternet, who farms in neighboring Allen County, said phosphorous may be found in products and locations not specifically associated with agriculture.
“Farmers are very aware and conscious of the problems in Lake Erie,” he stated. “Phosphorous is in all kinds of soaps; there are a lot of other sources of phosphorous. There’s runoff from lawns after a heavy rainfall.”
Most producers are strong stewards of the land and want what’s best for them and their farms, he noted.
“We don’t want our soils washing away,” Ternet explained. “You have to weigh the pros and cons (of any decision). But if we can implement something where we can see the benefits environmentally and economically, that’s what you want to do.”
Werling and Ternet were among attendees at the March 4 Western Lake Erie Basin On-Farm Network meeting organized in part to share 2014 program results with participants. The network provides its farmer participants with tools and data designed to help them make sound environmental and economic management decisions.
The program, which will soon see its name changed to INfield Advantage, started with a Conservation Innovation Grant in 2010. The grant ended last year but the program will continue as a partnership among the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), Indiana Assoc. of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Purdue University and Indiana Conservation Partnership.
The network has about 260 growers across the state, said Meg Leader, agricultural affairs program manager for ISDA. Officials hope to see that number increase to 500.
A survey done last year for the network by Purdue found nearly half of those who participated in the network said they changed their nitrogen management because of the program, Leader said. Forty-seven percent said they recommend to other farmers that they join the network.
Respondents said the program’s replicated strip trials and aerial imaging of their fields are highly valued by the participants.
“This survey is serving as a baseline,” Leader noted. “We hope to see a growing impact of the program. ISDA is committed to the On-Farm Network, but (the agency) doesn’t have the funding to pay for aerial photography and lab tests.
“With the survey, we wanted to find out if farmers who participate are more apt to adopt nitrogen management practices than those who don’t, and if they’re sharing knowledge of these practices through informal networks.”
3/17/2015