A record number of Iowa farmers again signed up this year to install nutrient reduction practices on their farm through the Iowa Water Quality Initiative’s cost-share program.

More than 2,800 farmers from all 99 Iowa counties signed up to try cover crops, no-till, strip till or nitrification inhibitor on more than 300,000 acres. The state will provide over $5 million in cost-share funds to match the estimated $9.1 million invested by Iowa farmers.

“We continue to see growing interest by farmers in using water quality-focused practices on their farm. Together, we are building a culture of conservation across the state, and it is encouraging to see farmers continuing to invest in these practices,” says Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “This is one of several programs that are available to assist farmers as they work to protect water quality and build soil health.”

Many trying covers
Participants include more than 1,000 farmers using a practice for the first time, and nearly 1,800 past users that are trying cover crops again and are receiving a reduced-rate of cost share.

Farmers not already using the practice were eligible for cost share for cover crops of $25 per acre, $10 per acre for trying no-till or strip till, and $3 per acre for using a nitrapyrin nitrification inhibitor when applying fall fertilizer. Farmers that had used cover crops in the past were eligible for $15 per acre in cost share this year. Cost share was only available on up to 160 acres per farmer.

The Iowa Water Quality Initiative marked its fifth anniversary earlier this year. Over the past five years, approximately 8,000 farmers, including nearly 4,600 first-time users, signed up to use a water quality-focused practice through the Water Quality Initiative, investing more than $17 million to try cover crops, no-till, strip till or a nitrification inhibitor on their land.

“We understood from the start that this would be a long-term process, and it is great to see farmers making an extended commitment to cover crops and understanding how to use them in a variety of situations and conditions,” Naig says.

Get crop insurance discount
While sign-up for the Iowa Water Quality Initiative’s cost-share program for this year has closed, farmers are encouraged to reach out to their local soil and water conservation district as other programs may be available to help them implement water quality and conservation practices.

One program available this fall that farmers may want to consider is an incentive that provides a crop insurance premium reduction for farmers who use cover crops. Through this program, farmers who plant cover crops may be eligible for a $5-per-acre premium reduction on their crop insurance for 2019.

Source: IDALS