Posted on June 25, 2018 at 9:56 AM by Iowa Corn
This June marked the 10th anniversary of Cedar Rapids' devastating floods that garnered national news coverage. Click here to see how Iowa’s flood response has changed. Many parts of Iowa have recently experienced flooding, especially northwest Iowa, where a train carrying crude oil derailed and spilled thousands of gallons of oil. Saturated soils are common across Iowa, which creates challenges for crop growth and retention of inputs.
If you have areas that frequently flood or pond, you may consider removing them from row crop production. One option is to restore the area to wetlands by selling wetland mitigation credits to the Iowa Agricultural Mitigation, Inc. to pay for restoration. Conversely, if you are doing tile work and need to mitigate the loss of wetlands, you can buy wetland mitigation credits from Iowa Agricultural Mitigation. Click here for what to do before improving drainage in wet fields.
Another option for wet fields is to enroll in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Sign up is currently open for some limited CRP practices including waterways, buffer strips and wetlands. Visit your FSA office soon, as sign up is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Click here for more information.
Finally, I want to remind you that cost share is currently available from Iowa’s Water Quality Initiative for cover crops, no till, strip till and nitrification inhibitors when applying fall fertilizer. Sign up is generally on a first-come, first-serve basis, so visit your local Soil and Water Conservation District right away. Click here for more information.
Rob Stout of Washington County says he wants to do his part and encourage others to embrace conservation practices.