CROPPING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
COVER CROPS
Cover crops play an important role in preventing soil erosion and enriching soil health. Adopting cover cropping practices can increase microbial diversity, agricultural productivity, and protect future harvests. Downstream communities have cleaner water inputs as a result, too. They also improve the health of the overall system by increasing infiltration and adding nutrients to the soil. BSRP can help make a plan for your land, and connect you with our partner organizations to see what kinds of cover crops will be best for your situation. Submit your interest form (at the bottom of this page).
TERRACING
Terraces prevent soil erosion and gully formation, and allow water to soak into the soil. Water quality is improved since not only is there less runoff carrying nitrates, phosphorus, and sediment into our waterways, but water seeps into the soil more readily and is naturally filtered through the ground. Soil structure is maintained, and costly chemicals are helping crops grow instead of going down the drain. BSRP has, and continues to, cost-share the building and repair of terraces in our watershed.
CONSERVATION TILLAGE &
NO-TILL
Conservation tillage and no-till play important roles in preventing soil erosion. Conventional tilling loosens soil and leaves it susceptible to wind and water erosion. Not only does this take precious soil away from land, it often enters our waterways, bringing along with it pollutants from fertilizers and pesticides. BSRP can help make a plan for your land, and connect you with our partner organizations to see what method of conservation tillage will be best at preventing soil erosion on your land.
GRASSED WATERWAYS
Grassed waterways prevent, you guessed it, soil erosion. Instead of allowing water to flow uncontrolled over your land forming rills and gullies, grassed waterways convey water to an outlet in a slowed and controlled manner. As with other best management practices, grassed waterways are good for water quality. They can even provide habitat for wildlife. Grassed waterways also have some advantages over tile, as we have observed in the past several years of heavy rains and flooding, not to mention the cost savings of grassed waterways. BSRP can help cost-share the seed and engineering of grassed waterways.
GRASS SEEDING
BSRP can help connect landowners and operators with resources for grass seeding, whether it be for a waterway, buffer strip that needs a little push, or for a wildlife habitat area. BSRP can also cost-shares grass seed and planting when it is a benefit to water quality.
BANK AND SHORELINE STABILIZATION
BSRP has been a part of planning and installing rip-rap and unstable banks. On occasion, we still implement this practice and work with producers and engineers to come up with a plan that works. However, SRAM and RAM are now more favored for shore-stabilization. The roots of prairie grasses are exceptionally good at growing a deep, interconnected, strong net to stabilize shoreline.
NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PLANNING
BSRP offers nutrient management planning services to assist producers with the best plan for their land. Barry Berg is a certified nutrient management specialist, and the BSRP can connect producers with other resources, too.
