The Indiana Conservation Partnership (ICP) recently announced the results of the conservation transect survey, which estimated Hoosier farmers planted 1.58 million acres of overwinter living covers.
The conservation transect is a visual survey of cropland in the state. It is conducted between March and May each year by members of the ICP, including the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Indiana’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Purdue Extension, as well as Earth Team volunteers, to estimate agricultural conservation practices implemented post-harvest by private land owners throughout the state.
Overwinter living covers, such as cover crops and small grains, provide environmental benefits that include increasing organic matter, improving water infiltration, and adding living roots to the soil for more months of the year. Other covers, like legumes, serve as natural fertilizers.
This year's survey data estimated that 1.79 million tons of sediment was prevented from entering Indiana’s waterways, which would fill about 17,000 train freight cars. In addition, the results estimated 70% of row crop acres were not tilled and nearly 16% of row crops had reduced tillage on them over the winter. This early spring survey is not intended to quantify pre-planting tillage.
"Cover cropping and reducing tillage have become important conservation tools for Hoosier farmers to help keep their soil healthy and thriving in the winter months," said Don Lamb, Indiana State Department of Agriculture director and Boone County farmer. "I applaud our Division of Soil Conservation, along with partners in the Indiana Conservation Partnership, for their commitment to advancing the mission of conservation stewardship, and I encourage fellow farmers to implement these important practices."
The conservation transect does not differentiate between cover crops and small grains. On a typical year, Hoosier farmers plant fewer than 300,000 acres of small grains, which means the majority of the estimated 1.58 million acres is represented by cover crops.
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