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| Hello folks,
some of you might be interested in the workshop described below.
I'll be sharing a presentation.
Joel
WIU Agriculture
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Cover crop workshop, demonstration slated for Aug. 19
A unique research opportunity in Central Illinois will allow farmers to see if cover crops reduce nutrient levels in field tile runoff. The project and a demonstration of seeding equipment will be the focus of an Aug. 19 workshop from 9 a.m. to noon at the Franklin Farm near Lexington. “This is a unique set of circumstances,” said Dave Bishop, resource conservationist with the McLean County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). Bishop referred to the project fields that have been the location of a multi-year wetland and water quality study by The Nature Conservancy and University of Illinois researcher David Kovacic. The researchers have collected data on nutrient levels in the tile runoff and changes in nutrient levels as the water moves through a series of wetlands, said Maria Lemke, a researcher with the Conservancy.
Now with a Conservation Innovation Grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Conservancy will expand the research project to study the impact of a cover crop on tiled fields planted with a corn-soybean rotation. A cover crop mixture of cereal rye and tillage radish will be seeded next month into standing corn on half of the study fields. The other half won’t receive the cover crop treatment, and researchers will compare the runoff results of the two. “We will directly monitor the tile runoff. We know the inputs and we’ll know the (nutrient) exports. And we have baseline (background) data,” Lemke said.
In addition to the unique research site, uniquely suited equipment will be used to seed the cover crop. A custom RoGator that can be elevated to 10 feet six inches of clearance will be demonstrated. The equipment was adapted by the father-son team of Don and Matt Birky. The Birky's operate On Track Farming Inc. The August workshop and demonstration will include presentations about the field nutrient experiments at the farm, conservation programs, and the potential use of cover crops as a conservation practice. There is no charge, but meal reservations are needed by Aug. 12. For more information or to make a reservation, contact the SWCD at 309—452-0830. | |
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Cover Crop Workshop in Lexington IL this Friday 8/19
