State Soil Conservation and Terrace Contest
July 1950
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Wordless Wednesday-Conservation Photos from our Field Staff
ISDA-DSC Resource Specialist and CREP Leader, Julie Harrold, snapped these photos of a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) wetland. The practice was completed two years ago. For more information on CREP, please visit our website: http://www.in.gov/isda/2479.htm
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Changes In Our Conservation Team
It's been a busy few months with our ISDA-Division of Soil Conservation Team!
Since April, we saw three of our Resource Specialists take on new roles.
Jordan Seger, who served an RS in the
northwestern portion of the state, is our new program manager for Agricultural Affairs. Jordan has a very diverse
background in agriculture and natural resources and has been an excellent
addition to our central office team!
Logan Garner is taking on a new role with ISDA moving from his Resource Specialist position for the Tippecanoe Watershed based in Kosciusko County to Program Manager for the ISDA Water Quality Initiatives at the Central Office in Indianapolis. In this role he will manage the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), as well as play an integral part in developing Indiana’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy. Prior to joining ISDA in 2011, he was a Research Assistant at DOW AgroSciences.
Geneva Rawlins is our new District Support Specialist covering Northeast Indiana. Geneva previously served as a RS in the central part of the state. Geneva is an excellent addition to our DSS Team and we are very excited to have her talents serving to build the capacity amongst Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
In June, ISDA announced Sarah Simpson as Interim Director of the
Division of Soil Conversation for the Indiana State Department of
Agriculture. Simpson joined ISDA in 2006, is currently the Director of
Agricultural Policy, and will continue to serve in that capacity.
Simpson, who replaces former Soils Director Jerod Chew, will oversee ISDA’s environmental stewardship initiatives and conservation programs such as: direct on-farm technical and financial assistance for conservation practices implementation, supporting Indiana’s 92 Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and conservation promotion.
In July, Jamen Frederick joined ISDA. Jamen is a RS in the southwest portion of the state, and is located in Boonville. Before joining ISDA, Jamen served as a technician for Gibson and Pike County Soil and Water Conservation Districts. His passion for cover crops, soil health and the On-Farm Network make him a great fit for this position. We are happy to welcome him to our team.
Since April, we saw three of our Resource Specialists take on new roles.
Logan Garner is taking on a new role with ISDA moving from his Resource Specialist position for the Tippecanoe Watershed based in Kosciusko County to Program Manager for the ISDA Water Quality Initiatives at the Central Office in Indianapolis. In this role he will manage the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), as well as play an integral part in developing Indiana’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy. Prior to joining ISDA in 2011, he was a Research Assistant at DOW AgroSciences.
Geneva Rawlins is our new District Support Specialist covering Northeast Indiana. Geneva previously served as a RS in the central part of the state. Geneva is an excellent addition to our DSS Team and we are very excited to have her talents serving to build the capacity amongst Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Simpson, who replaces former Soils Director Jerod Chew, will oversee ISDA’s environmental stewardship initiatives and conservation programs such as: direct on-farm technical and financial assistance for conservation practices implementation, supporting Indiana’s 92 Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and conservation promotion.
In July, Jamen Frederick joined ISDA. Jamen is a RS in the southwest portion of the state, and is located in Boonville. Before joining ISDA, Jamen served as a technician for Gibson and Pike County Soil and Water Conservation Districts. His passion for cover crops, soil health and the On-Farm Network make him a great fit for this position. We are happy to welcome him to our team.
Ashley Linville joined ISDA in August as a Resource Specialist in the Johnson County
field office as part of the Division of Soil Conservation team. Before joining
ISDA, Ashley worked as a Natural Resource Specialist for the Shelby County Soil
and Water Conservation District. She is proficient in Highly Erodible
Land/Wetland compliance determinations and has assisted with conservation
planning efforts for several Farm Bill programs including Conservation Reserve
Program, Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality
Incentive Program. Ashley is an Indiana
native from Shelby County. She is a 2006 graduate of Hanover College with a
Bachelor’s degree in biology. She lives in Shelbyville on her family’s beef
and grain farm. She enjoys working on the family farm, spending time with
friends and family and boating.
Friday, April 13, 2012
The 4 R's - Nutrient Stewardship
If you have been paying attention to nutrient management in agriculture over the past few years then you have likely heard about "the 4 R's".
Right fertilizer source at the..... Right rate, at the.... Right time and in the..... Right place.
This is a simple way that reminds us that appropriate utilization of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is more complex than simply how many pounds per acre were applied. Nutrient management can be a real challenge in agriculture, homeowners, golf courses, any type of entity managing open lands due to weather and climate fluctuations, soil variability, and environmental/social sensitivities.
This is a really important issue that is regularly misunderstood. Nutrient management is complex and is difficult to summarize into simple soundbytes and requires years of experience to properly implement. Let's take nitrogen for example, nitrogen changes molecular forms regularly in nature and some forms are what plants(corn, lawn grass, trees, etc.) want, some not; some forms of nitrogen turn into gas easily and simply become part of our air and many forms easily move whereever the water flows. Tricky isn't it?
So.....how efficiently nitrogen is utilized in nature, on your lawn, and in the farm field depends on your ability to predict the weather (meteorologist anyone?), determine if your vegetation/plants are/will be at a stage which they need nitrogen (agronomist/plant biochemist anyone?), and what form would be best to select for application based on those previous factors (yikes!). Did I mention that nitrogen is expensive, so you really don't want to get this wrong or it will be painful on the pocketbook! And of course an over-abundance nitrogen in our aquatic ecosystems can be detrimental in many ways too. Lastly, in agriculture without the addition of vital nutrients, crop yields would be poor and declining, leading to serious food security concerns in the future.
Here are more details about the 4 R's nutrient stewardship initiative: The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) has been working collaboratively with the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), the International Fertilizer Industry Association and the Canadian Fertilizer Institute (CFI) to advance the 4R nutrient stewardship initiative. Two goals within the initiative include establishing 4Rs as a recognizable strategy for economic, social, and environmental sustainability and expanding the adoption of 4R nutrient stewardship as well as the awareness of these efforts to federal and state program officials.
Some conservation best management practices that Todd Welch, a 4 R's Advocate from Lafayette, IN utilizes on his farm to better ensure efficient use of nutrients.
• Utilize grid soil samples to create management zones
• Use manure nutrients from the hog operation to meet a fraction of fertilizer needs by applying to acres most in need of P and K
• Utilize Phytase in feed rations to improve phosphorus efficiency in the animal diet
• Utilize amendment to increase availability of P and K throughout the crop year
• Account for manure nutrients and adjust levels of commercial fertilizer to meet remainder of plants’ needs
• Utilize variable rate technology to apply commercial fertilizer
• Split apply nitrogen in fall and spring to reduce losses
• Incorporate nitrogen stabilizer with fall ammonia application to reduce losses
• Utilize in-season tissue sampling to obtain a snapshot of plant nutrient needs
• Utilize post-season stalk tests to evaluate nitrogen utilization
• Implement minimum tillage to help build and maintain organic residue
• Plant cover crops to generate organic matter, improve soil tilth, reduce compaction and improve
nitrogen management
• Enhance water management through utilization of waterways and tile control
• Install a precision planter system for better seed placement and spacing
What Todd says about the 4Rs: “Our farming operation firmly believes that the proper use of organic and commercial fertilizer is not only vital to our operation, but also economical and environmentally friendly to our natural resources”.
Right fertilizer source at the..... Right rate, at the.... Right time and in the..... Right place.
 |
| State of the art devices help farmers to monitor nutrient applications. |
This is a simple way that reminds us that appropriate utilization of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is more complex than simply how many pounds per acre were applied. Nutrient management can be a real challenge in agriculture, homeowners, golf courses, any type of entity managing open lands due to weather and climate fluctuations, soil variability, and environmental/social sensitivities.
 |
| Soil nutrient needs are tested and mapped; this aids with application recommendations. |
So.....how efficiently nitrogen is utilized in nature, on your lawn, and in the farm field depends on your ability to predict the weather (meteorologist anyone?), determine if your vegetation/plants are/will be at a stage which they need nitrogen (agronomist/plant biochemist anyone?), and what form would be best to select for application based on those previous factors (yikes!). Did I mention that nitrogen is expensive, so you really don't want to get this wrong or it will be painful on the pocketbook! And of course an over-abundance nitrogen in our aquatic ecosystems can be detrimental in many ways too. Lastly, in agriculture without the addition of vital nutrients, crop yields would be poor and declining, leading to serious food security concerns in the future.
Here are more details about the 4 R's nutrient stewardship initiative: The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) has been working collaboratively with the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI), the International Fertilizer Industry Association and the Canadian Fertilizer Institute (CFI) to advance the 4R nutrient stewardship initiative. Two goals within the initiative include establishing 4Rs as a recognizable strategy for economic, social, and environmental sustainability and expanding the adoption of 4R nutrient stewardship as well as the awareness of these efforts to federal and state program officials.
Some conservation best management practices that Todd Welch, a 4 R's Advocate from Lafayette, IN utilizes on his farm to better ensure efficient use of nutrients.
• Utilize grid soil samples to create management zones
• Use manure nutrients from the hog operation to meet a fraction of fertilizer needs by applying to acres most in need of P and K
• Utilize Phytase in feed rations to improve phosphorus efficiency in the animal diet
• Utilize amendment to increase availability of P and K throughout the crop year
• Account for manure nutrients and adjust levels of commercial fertilizer to meet remainder of plants’ needs
• Utilize variable rate technology to apply commercial fertilizer
• Split apply nitrogen in fall and spring to reduce losses
• Incorporate nitrogen stabilizer with fall ammonia application to reduce losses
• Utilize in-season tissue sampling to obtain a snapshot of plant nutrient needs
• Utilize post-season stalk tests to evaluate nitrogen utilization
• Implement minimum tillage to help build and maintain organic residue
• Plant cover crops to generate organic matter, improve soil tilth, reduce compaction and improve
nitrogen management
• Enhance water management through utilization of waterways and tile control
• Install a precision planter system for better seed placement and spacing
What Todd says about the 4Rs: “Our farming operation firmly believes that the proper use of organic and commercial fertilizer is not only vital to our operation, but also economical and environmentally friendly to our natural resources”.
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