Search Site   
Current News Stories
Solar eclipse, new moon coming April 8
Mystery illness affecting dairy cattle in Texas Panhandle
Teach others to live sustainably
Gun safety begins early
Hard-cooked eggs recipes great for Easter, anytime
Michigan carrot producers to vote on program continuation
Suggestions to celebrate 50th wedding anniversary
USDA finalizes new ‘Product of the USA’ labeling rule 
U.S. weather outlooks currently favoring early planting season
Weaver Popcorn Hybrids expanding and moving to new facility
Role of women in agriculture changing Hoosier dairy farmer says
   
News Articles
Search News  
   

Network lets Indiana farms test practices toward water quality

 

 

By SUSAN BLOWER

Indiana Correspondent

 

FARMLAND, Ind. — Joining more than 400 crop producers across Indiana this year, a small band of farmers in Jay County will evaluate their management practices using technology provided through the On-Farm Network.

"We’ve got a lot of questions," said Kurt Theurer, chair of the Jay County Soil and Water Conservation District, and a participant. "I’m already planting cover crops. That’s a start. This (program) is a tool to determine if I need to make changes."

Theurer said the county’s water tests high in nitrogen and E. coli, and he is concerned about water quality in his community as well as efficiency on his farm. He is recruiting more growers to join him in the On-Farm Network, which will provide participants with an aerial image of their fields, stalk test results and management data on nitrogen rate, tillage, crop rotation and others.

The program is free and voluntary to growers in Indiana, organized by the State Department of Agriculture and funded by Hoosier checkoff dollars through its partners. Indiana began its program in 2010 with 15 farmers.

Candace Kindt, soil health director for Delaware County Soil and Water Conservation District, explained the On-Farm Network program to Jay County farmers last week in an information session, hosted by the Upper Mississinewa River Watershed Project.

Kindt said participating farmers have the option of enrolling 2-6 fields, which will be analyzed biennially. In any given geographical area, the network links 10-20 farmers for the purposes of collecting data that will inform future decisions about nutrient application rates, timing and form.

Asked if this data is confidential, Kindt said names and other identifying markers are deleted from shared information. "We make the information available online to help other farmers, but there is no way to identify the farm. EPA and IDEM won’t get names," she said.

A key component of this program is cornstalk nitrate tests. Kindt explained tests are completed on four locations of the farmer’s field to determine if the right amount of nitrogen is being used. After the stalk matures, an 8-inch sample is taken 6 inches above ground.

She explained the field tests are more helpful when completed for multiple years, which would allow for weather anomalies. "One year will not tell you a whole lot. You need to do several years to account for weather patterns," Kindt explained.

Replicated strip trials also give farmers a chance to compare four nitrogen rates and their resulting yields. "The benefit of replicated strip trials is that it gives more information than guided stalk sampling," she said.

In hosting the meeting, Colby Gray, director of the Watershed Project, said its organizers see value in the On-Farm Network because it will benefit landowners.

Mississinewa project update

 

Gray gave an update on the watershed project’s progress at the meeting. The Mississinewa River is considered impaired in the areas of fishing and recreation.

Studies and public input are being gathered to determine what grants are needed to restore the watershed.

At the end of this year, a final report will be made on the river’s water quality, Gray said. In his preliminary report, he shared the river has 11 logjams, which are disrupting its flow. Landowners, primarily farmers, along the river have reported excessive flooding and erosion as continual problems.

Gray has applied for a logjam removal fund to address the four largest logjams, and he expects if approved, work can begin on the logjams this fall. The application for cover crop funding was denied for this year, but he said he will continue to apply. "If desired by the community, we will take the information we learn (through studies and public input) and apply for future grants," Gray said.

He reported land use studies have shown that growing populations along the upper portions of the river have stressed septic systems, contributing to the high phosphorus rate of the water. "The combined sewer systems dwarf CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) in terms of phosphorus (output)," he said. "This also explains E. coli spikes as the water moves through the watershed."

Gray said the river is high in E. coli compared to other rivers in the state, while in nitrogen, phosphorus and solids, it is in the middle of the scale. "The ag community (along the river) is doing well in choosing the optimal application of fertilizer," he added. For questions about the On-Farm Network or watershed project, email Gray at cgray@flatlandresources.com or call 765-284-2328.

1/28/2015