The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) is seeking farmers to participate in its tile water monitoring program from April through September.

“This is a great opportunity for farmers to learn more about their operation and how their practices impact water quality,” said Adam Kiel, ISA operations manager of water resources. “Based on the results, we can either confirm the practices are working or offer cost-effective recommendations to reduce nutrient-loss.”

ISA’s goal is to expand water monitoring efforts by adding approximately 20 new sites statewide.

Participants will be expected to collect and submit a minimum of four samples between April and September. The samples will be tested for nitrate-N as well as ortho-phosphorus. ISA will provide the participant with regular reports, as well as a comprehensive annual report with potential recommendations.

Data collected through this program is confidential. All participants must sign a monitoring agreement and they must provide management data for the field being monitored, such as crop rotations, fertilizer applications, yield, etc. ISA will cover shipping to the producer, but the participant will need to pay return shipping to ISA.

ISA will work with farmers to identify appropriate monitoring sites, but farmers should consider the following when selecting a potential site:

For more information contact Kiel at [email protected] or 515-334-1022 or sign-up at http://www.iasoybeans.com/programs/isa-research/get-involved/sign-up/.