Growing Returns

Selected tag(s): fertilizer runoff

This Iowa farmer proves that profit and sustainability go hand in hand

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: November 2, 2016

Photo credit: John Rae

Denny Friest is one of the most progressive and savvy farmers I’ve ever met. Through his participation in the Iowa Soybean Association’s On-Farm Network since 2001, Denny conducted replicated strip trials on his operation to compare different nitrogen application rates and find ways to be more efficient and profitable.

The Iowa legislature saw so much value in this field trial program that it provided funding to reimburse farmers who lost yield in their efforts to improve efficiency. With no risk involved, Denny was able to see “how low he could go” with fertilizer applications before he had an economic loss in production. Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged ag retailers, corn, Des Moines Water Works, fertilizer, fertilizer efficiency, fertilizer management, fertilizer optimization, iowa, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Land O'Lakes, nitrogen, nitrogen surplus, nutrient management, nutrient use, soil health, soy, SUSTAIN, sustainable agriculture, water quality | Comments are closed

Targeting conservation dollars makes good sense

By Karen Chapman / Bio / Published: April 15, 2016

Summer algae bloom in Lake Erie. Credit: NOAA

A University of Michigan study released late last month implies that in order to meet the U.S. and Canadian governments’ 40 percent phosphorous reduction target for Lake Erie by 2025, farmers will need to significantly ramp up their conservation efforts.

Some of the stories covering this study focused on the more drastic measures called for, such as converting thousands of acres of productive cropland to grassland. But I’m optimistic that we can indeed work with farmers to meet this goal by 2025, without having to impact production so drastically – we can do so through targeting.

Targeting refers to directing conservation dollars and practices to places on the landscapes where they’ll be most effective. In Ohio, that means targeting the areas delivering the highest amount of nutrients into Lake Erie.

Here’s the background on targeting, what the research says, and why targeting should be even more finely tuned and amplified at scale in order to accelerate on the ground environmental improvements. Read More »

Posted in Wildlife Protection / Also tagged agriculture, conservation, ecosystems, environmental defense fund, farmers, farming, fertilizer, funding, Lake Erie, nutrient efficiency, soil health, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, targeting, USDA, water quality, watershed, western water | Comments are closed

Lake Erie’s fertilizer problem isn’t over, but we’re working on it

By Karen Chapman / Bio / Published: August 6, 2014

Fertilizer is the engine of agriculture, but its inefficient use means that excess fertilizer ends up in our waterways, contaminating freshwater supplies and causing algae blooms, such as those that recently cut off water supplies to hundreds of thousands of residents in Toledo, OH. In addition to impacts on communities, algae blooms also affect ecosystems, killing millions of fish and harming the seafood and recreation industries.

Nutrient runoff from fertilizer is a problem that many stakeholders, including farmers, have been trying to fix for many years, both in the Western Lake Erie Basin and beyond. The efforts to date have had a real impact, but that impact has not been nearly enough to solve the problem of dangerous and costly dead zones.

We need to do much more at a much larger scale, while also increasing productivity to feed a growing population.

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged Adapt Network, ecosystems, fertilizer, General Mills, Lake Erie, Ohio, sustainable agriculture, Toledo, toxic algae, Walmart, water contamination, water quality, western water | Comments are closed