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DESCRIPTION:INDIANA (July 16\, 2024) — In a remarkable achievement for sust
 ainable agriculture\, the latest results from the Conservation Tillage Tran
 sect survey reveal that 1.7 million acres of farmland are now under living 
 cover across all crops in Indiana. This significant milestone underscores t
 he increasing adoption of cover crops by farmers\, driven by their multiple
  benefits for soil health\, water management and overall farm productivity.
 \n\n“Protecting soil\, our most vital natural resource\, is top of mind for
  our Indiana farmers and year after year our farmers are breaking their own
  conservation records” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch\, Indiana's Secretary o
 f Agriculture and Rural Development. “Through the implementation of cover c
 rops and other conservation efforts\, farmers are ensuring our land and wat
 er resources remain healthy and productive for years to come." \n\nOverwint
 ering living covers (i.e. - cover crops and small grains\, like wheat) are 
 known for their environmental benefits. Cover crops and small grains help i
 ncrease organic matter in the soil and improve overall soil health by addin
 g living roots to the soil more months of the year. Cover crops also improv
 e water infiltration into the soil\, while other covers\, like legumes serv
 e as natural fertilizers.\n\nAlthough the conservation transect does not di
 fferentiate between cover crops and small grains\, Indiana farmers typicall
 y plant fewer than 300\,000 acres of small grains annually\, so cover crops
  vastly dominate the 1.7 million estimated acres. Apart from corn and soybe
 ans\, cover crops are planted on more acres than any other commodity crop i
 n Indiana. Cover crops are typically planted in the fall after harvest and 
 designed to protect the soil and keep roots in the ground throughout the wi
 nter\, which improves soil health and helps filter water runoff.\n\n"These 
 results are very encouraging\," said Damarys Mortenson\, state conservation
 ist for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Indiana. "The adop
 tion of cover crops on such a large scale indicates that farmers are recogn
 izing the long-term benefits of these practices for both their land and the
  environment."\n\nFarmers like Todd Armstrong\, who operates a 1\,100-acre 
 farm in Washington County\, have seen firsthand the advantages of cover cro
 ps.\n\n“The water holding capacity and tilth of the ground has just improve
 d so much and my neighbors have even seen that\,” said Armstrong. “Neighbor
 s that worked ground every year have stopped and started incorporating cove
 r crops because they’ve seen how good it has worked for us.”\n\nAs a result
  of the cover crops and other overwintering covers planted last year\, it i
 s estimated that 1.8 million tons of sediment was prevented from entering I
 ndiana’s waterways\, which would fill about 18.4 thousand train freight car
 s.\n\nThe conservation survey also showed that about 69% of row crop acres 
 were not tilled and about 17% had employed reduced tillage over winter\, af
 ter the 2023 harvest. This early spring survey is not intended to quantify 
 pre-planting tillage.\n\nDespite the clear benefits\, there are challenges 
 to the widespread adoption of cover crops\, including the initial cost of s
 eeds and the need for additional management skills. However\, various feder
 al and state programs offer financial incentives and technical assistance t
 o help farmers incorporate cover crops into their operations. One such init
 iative that helped contribute to the successful year for cover crops in 202
 3 was the Cover Crop Premium Discount Program (CCPDP). It is a program that
  provides a discount on crop insurance for planting cover crops. CCPDP assi
 sted landowners in planting about 19 thousand acres of cover crops in 2023.
 \n\nThe conservation transect is a visual survey of cropland in the state. 
 It was conducted between March and May 2024 by members of the Indiana Conse
 rvation Partnership\, including the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Ser
 vice\, the Indiana State Department of Agriculture\, Indiana’s Soil and Wat
 er Conservation Districts and Purdue Extension\, as well as Earth Team volu
 nteers\, to show a more complete story of the state’s conservation efforts.
 \n\nTo see the full conservation transect report\, click here. \n\n###
DTEND:20240716T220000Z
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SUMMARY:Conservation record broken by Hoosier farmers and landowners for th
 ird year in a row
UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_46984293402408
URL:https://events.in.gov/event/conservation-record-broken-by-hoosier-farme
 rs-and-landowners-for-third-year-in-a-row
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