Conservation

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack reminds farmers and ranchers that the USDA will conduct a four-week Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up from May 20 to June 14. Vilsack also announces the restart of sign-up for continuous CRP, including the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Initiative, the Highly Erodible Land Initiative, the Grassland Restoration Initiative, the Pollinator Habitat Initiative and other related initiatives. Sign-up for continuous CRP began on May 13 and will continue through Sept. 30, 2013....More

A gentle overnight rain turned into a science experiment for Darin Williams, Waverly, Kan., when he collected these samples of drainage water from nearby ditch waterways. The samples come from a ¾-mile radius of each other and have the same soil types....More

Soil compaction is invisible, but its effects are clear to see: cloddy soil, delayed crop emergence, restricted root growth, stunted plants, low water infiltration, poor nutrient uptake and lost yield....More

The American Soybean Association (ASA) presented Gail Fuller, Emporia, Kan., with the 2013 National Conservation Legacy Award on March 1, 2013, at the ASA Awards Banquet, held during the Commodity Classic convention and trade show in Kissimmee, Fla.

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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that the USDA will conduct a four-week general sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), beginning May 20 and ending on June 14. CRP has a 27-year legacy of protecting the nation’s natural resources through voluntary participation, while providing significant economic and environmental benefits to rural communities across the United States. Under Secretary Vilsack’s leadership, USDA has enrolled 11.7 million acres in various CRP efforts....More