Search
Research helps farmers succeed with prairie
More landowners are interested in planting strips of deep-rooted prairie within crop fields or on marginal land as an effective soil conservation and water quality practice. But they need reliable answers about the costs and benefits. Practical answers are coming out of projects led by University of Northern Iowa researchers, funded by the Iowa Nutrient Research Center at Iowa State University.
Conservation Takes Teamwork
The Roadman family owns a farm in Grundy County on a tributary of the Cedar River that has been in the family for five generations. Years ago, Larry Roadman’s grandfather established Roadman Memorial Park to honor his father. Inspired by their love of Iowa and its land, the family conservation tradition continues with adoption of new practices like prairie strips and a saturated riparian buffer.
Science-Based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips (STRIPS)
Improving Outcome Predictability, Multifunctionality and Cost-effectiveness in Nutrient Reducing Prairie Strips
STRIPS Virtual Field Day
A free virtual prairie strips field day will be held on Thursday, July 9 at 1pm CDT. Join us as we explore the multitude of benefits prairie strips can offer with Tim Youngquist, ISU Prairie STRIPS farmer liaison, and Gary Guthrie, Story County landowner with prairie strips. Hosted by Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with the Iowa Nutrient Research Center and Conservation Learning Group.
Dr. Matthew Helmers
Dr. Justin Meissen
Dr. Lisa Schulte Moore
‘The dead zone is real’: why US farmers are embracing wildflowers
Strips of native plants on as little as 10% of farmland can reduce soil erosion by up to 95%
Article in The Guardian, by Rachel Cramer