INDIANAPOLIS – A vast majority of Hoosier farmers will be able to have their soil tested for nutrients at no cost under a new program aimed at improving water quality in the Gulf of Mexico.

Indiana’s Mississippi River Basin Soil Sampling Program is now open for applicants.

“This free program is a great way for farmers to test their soil and ensure the proper nutrients are being utilized in their fields,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, who’s also Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development.

he Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) and various agency partners throughout the state worked with the Gulf Hypoxia Program to develop the free testing.

The purpose of the program is to increase the number of farmers engaged in land management practices so they know exactly how much fertilizer to apply in their fields to reduce the amount of nutrients in their storm run-off.

Participating farmers are expected to achieve a savings in their operating costs from using less fertilizer in areas that don’t require as much.

“As a farmer myself, I know how critical that is,” ISDA Director Don Lamb said.

The program includes row crop fields, pastures and specialty crops within Indiana’s portion of the Mississippi River Basin. Only sections in the northwest and northeast parts of the state are not within the boundaries of the basin.

Storm run-off in the rest of the state ends up in the Mississippi River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico.

High levels of nutrients often cause an overgrowth in certain species of algae, which can result in hypoxia or dead zones along with algal blooms. Hypoxia means oxygen depletion in a body of fresh or salt water after the plants die, sink to the bottom and decompose.

Every year in late spring, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates the size of the hypoxic zone in the northern section of the Gulf of Mexico for the summer.

Typically in July, NOAA supports an annual cruise to measure the extent of the zone. Hypoxic zones are created by the amount of nutrients carried into the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

According to NOAA, it’s not usual for a hypoxic zone to stretch along the entire southern coastline of Louisiana.

The Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, the Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance, Indiana Conservation Partnership, U.S. EPA, Certified Crop Advisors and farmers assisted in creating the program.

Paul Hodgen, president of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, said he’s excited to help bring it to fruition. Hodgen has a bachelor’s in agronomy, a master’s in soil science and a doctorate in agronomy and soil fertility.

“Soil testing is a keystone to sustainably producing a crop. This effort will further our goals for nutrient management stewardship across Indiana,” he said.

Participating farmers are also expected to gain a better understanding of their soils from the data compiled each year in sample taken from different areas of their fields.

“Regular soil sampling and testing is a critical part of a nutrient management plan to economically produce a crop. We look forward to working with ISDA and other partners to help Hoosier farmers continue to make informed decisions on nutrient management,” he said.

The Gulf Hypoxia Program under the U.S. EPA has annually provided millions of dollars in funding under a federal law renewed several times since 1997 to advance scientific understanding of hypoxia and support efforts to detect, monitor and curb its development.

ISDA also promotes the 4R Nutrient Stewardship framework, which incorporates using the “Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time and Right Place” slogan to achieve cropping system goals.

“This program would not be possible without a few incredible partners whose top priority is assisting Hoosier farmers and keeping Hoosier land in great shape,” Lamb said.

Interested farmers can sign-up online at ISDA’s website or by reaching out to soilsampling@isda.in.gov. ISDA is accepting sign-ups until April 17, 2024.