Farmers today manage their fields for many different results. They work to increase yields and earn a profit while protecting the land’s soil and water resources. Rain, especially torrential rain, is a major challenge since it can wash away fertilizer and susceptible soil. This problem is called runoff.
Dr. Lisa Schulte Moore and Dr. Matthew Helmers lead an interdisciplinary team of scientists who have found an innovative way to minimize runoff, keeping water clean without sacrificing production. The research team is experimenting with strategically planting strips of native prairie within corn and soybean fields.
Farmers respond to data. It’s our job to provide them with the best possible information for managing their fields to meet a variety of goals.
– Dr. Lisa Schulte Moore
They learned that prairie plants’ deep, interlocking roots and stiff, upright stems provide the perfect architecture for preventing runoff. By strategically interspersing these strips on an average of 10 percent of a field, they are able to drastically reduce water, soil, and nutrient loss without altering per acre-yield. The team also determined that the practice does not cause fields to become overrun with weeds.
Their next step is to work with additional farmers and partners in Iowa and beyond to implement the practice and monitor results.
