Agriculture and the Environment

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Minnesota Soil Health Action Framework: Fact Sheet
(2024-01) Rhees, Suzanne; Lewandowski, A. Marcelle; Cates, Anna; Gile, Tom
The purpose of this report is to develop an action framework to increase adoption of soil health management practices. We believe that improving the health of soils across the state means a more stable, financially sound, and productive agricultural sector; healthier lakes, streams and groundwater; better habitat; more carbon storage; and opportunities for flood mitigation through more dispersed water storage. This document is a framework of desired outcomes, metrics, strategies, and actions, intended to be used by diverse interests to guide their planning for advancing soil health. The document resulted from meetings of an advisory group representing diverse interests from both the public and private sector.
Minnesota Soil Health Action Framework
(2024-01) Rhees, Suzanne; Lewandowski, A. Marcelle; Cates, Anna; Gile, Tom
The purpose of this report is to develop an action framework to increase adoption of soil health management practices. We believe that improving the health of soils across the state means a more stable, financially sound, and productive agricultural sector; healthier lakes, streams and groundwater; better habitat; more carbon storage; and opportunities for flood mitigation through more dispersed water storage. This document is a framework of desired outcomes, metrics, strategies, and actions, intended to be used by diverse interests to guide their planning for advancing soil health. The document resulted from meetings of an advisory group representing diverse interests from both the public and private sector.
Literature Review Summary of the Influences to Soil Health Practice Adoption Behavior in the Midwest
(2022-11-16) Roth, Sarah
Increasing voluntary adoption of conservation practices by producers is key to reducing agricultural pollution in Minnesota’s waterways. In order to do this, we must understand producer adoption behavior including the drivers of and barriers to adoption. A literature review was conducted that was exclusive to studies in the Midwest, published since 2000, and focused on soil health practices of interest including cover crops, conservation tillage, perennials, and livestock integration. The major factors that influence producer behavior related to adoption were grouped into 5 main categories: farm characteristics, personal characteristics, perceived practice characteristics, social factors, and structural factors.
Impacts of Soil Health Management on Environmental Quality: A Research Review for Minnesota
(2022-10) Reilly, Evelyn; Cates, Anna
This review was undertaken to summarize research on the impact of four in-field practices (cover crops, reduced tillage, perennials, and crop rotations) on nutrient losses, soil carbon, and runoff/erosion in Minnesota. Social, economic, and policy considerations, while highly relevant to agricultural decision making and design of incentives, are beyond the scope of this review. To maximize relevance of findings, this review focused on data from studies conducted in Minnesota, along with data from Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, South Dakota and Illinois if applicable. Since Minnesota has unique climatic conditions, findings from meta-analyses were not included, except as background or where regional differences were noted.
Measuring soil health in the Upper Midwest to improve water quality
(2023-07-28)
The Minnesota Office for Soil Health (MOSH) collaborated with six university partners, six external partners, and 27 farmer collaborators to learn what soil health looks like in Minnesota. Soil Health Management Systems (SHMS) have been shown across the country to hold tremendous potential for simultaneously supporting water quality and agricultural productivity. However, adoption of practices that build soil health have been limited in the northern climates of the Dakotas, Minnesota, and neighboring states where cold soils and shorter growing seasons create special challenges to using cover crops and minimal tillage. To increase adoption, farmers and their advisors need to network with other farmers to work out the challenges of building SHMS, and they need more data from their region to provide relevant guidance and support research on how to measure and interpret soil health changes.
Public-Private Partnerships for Protecting Minnesota’s Water
(2023) Roth, Sarah; Pradhananga, Amit
Findings from the Minnesota Cover Crop Guide stakeholder engagement activities
(2019-07) Freshwater for the Minnesota Office for Soil Health
To prepare the Minnesota Cover Crop Guide (available on the website of the Minnesota Office for Soil Health), staff at Freshwater conducted a survey of people in the agricultural sector to find out what information they need in the guide. The results of the survey are relevant to others aiming to support farmers and their advisors as they adopt cover crops.
Winter Rye Cover Crop with Liquid Manure Injection Reduces Spring Soil Nitrate but Not Maize Yield
(Agronomy, 2019-04) Everett, L.A.; Wilson, M.L.; Pepin, R.J.; Coulter, J.A.
In maize-based cropping systems, leaching of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) to drainage tile and groundwater is a significant problem. The purpose of this study was to assess whether a winter rye cover crop planted after silage maize or soybean harvest and injected with liquid manure could decrease soil NO3-N without reducing the yield of the following maize crop. An experiment was conducted at 19 sites with predominant occurrence of Mollisols (15 out of 19 sites) in the upper Midwest USA immediately after soybean or maize silage harvest to compare a drilled rye cover crop and a non-cover crop control. Later in the fall, liquid swine or dairy manure was injected into the cover crop and control plots. Rye was terminated the following spring using herbicide, usually before reaching 20 to 25 cm in height, and incorporated with tillage at most sites, after which maize was planted and harvested as silage or grain. Across sites, soil NO3-N at rye termination was reduced by 36% (range = 4% to 67%) with rye compared to no rye. Nitrogen in aboveground rye biomass at termination ranged from 5 to 114 kg N ha−1 (mean = 51 kg N ha−1). Across sites, there was no significant difference in yield of maize silage or grain between treatments. These results demonstrate in a Mollisol-dominated region the potential of a winter rye cover crop planted before manure application to effectively reduce soil NO3-N without impacting yield of the following maize crop, thereby reducing risk of negative environmental impacts.
The Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework Experience from Minnesota ACPF Users
(Water Resources Center, 2016-05) Lewandowski, Ann
The Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF) is a set of desktop tools to help locate conservation practices within small watersheds. The University of Minnesota Water Resources Center (WRC) wanted to learn how the ACPF would work in our state. With funding from the McKnight Foundation, the WRC provided training to 39 GIS technicians across the state. Several months later, we interviewed several people who had used the ACPF to learn about their experience with the tool. This report summarizes what they told us
Literature review: winter deicer maintenance practices on impervious surfaces: impacts on the environment
(University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center, 2013-11-22) Sleeper, Faye
Drivers of nutrient load reductions: a survey conducted by the University of Minnesota Water Resources Center for the Great Lakes Regional Water Program
(University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center, 2012-09-19) Lewandowski, Ann; Sleeper, Faye
Twenty water planners from across five states were interviewed in 2012 to understand what drives successful nutrient reduction projects and what role Universities can play to support their work.
The TMDL and impaired waters process: a survey of needs
(University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center, 2012-03) University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center
The goal of this study was to identify appropriate roles for the GLRWP (Great Lakes Regional Water Program) and its partner universities to play in supporting the TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) and impaired waters process.
Review of conservation drainage practices and designs in Minnesota: results from focus groups with drainage professionals around the state
(University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center, 2010-10-18) Lewandowski, Ann
Review of conservation drainage practices and designs: results from focus groups with drainage professionals around Minnesota
(University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center, 2010-10) Lewandowski, Ann; Dittrich, Mark
Minnesota Conservation Professional Training Coordination Plan, June 2009
(University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center, 2009-06) University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center
Conservation Technical Services Provider Training and Certification Project, February 2007-June 2009: final project report
(University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center, 2009-06) University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center
Feasibility of an on-farm water quality program in Minnesota: July 15, 2008 (revised August 27, 2008)
(University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center, 2008-08-27) University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center; University of Minnesota Extension
The study examined the potential value, costs, designs, and support for a long-term program aimed at answering questions about the relationship between agricultural land uses and water quality through outreach and water quality monitoring on active commercial Minnesota farms.
Evaluation of bank erosion inputs to the Blue Earth River with airborne laser scanner
(University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center, 2001) Thoma, David; Gupta, Satish; Bauer, M.E.
Land application of manure: Minnesota livestock producers' practices and educational needs: focus group and questionnaire results
(University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center, 2002-11) Vickery, John; University of Minnesota. Water Resources Center
Antibiotic losses in runoff and drainage from manure-applied fields
(2003) Gupta, Satish; Singh, Ashok; Kumar, Kuldip; Thompson, Anita; Thoma, David
The objective of this research is to quantify the effects of liquid swine manure application on antibiotic and nutrient (N and P) losses via surface runoff and subsurface drainage under a conventional (moldboard plowing) and a conservation (chisel plowing) tillage system.