Indiana soil conservation efforts hit new record
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Indiana landowners for the second consecutive year set a record in the number of conservation practices to maintain soil health, according to figures collected by the Indiana Conservation Partnership.
Landowners supported by the partnership, a consortium of public and not-for-profit groups, installed more than 50,000 new conservation practices last year, up 3,000 from 2022, according to a Wednesday news release. Last year’s 47,000 conservation practices installed was also a record.
The partnership works with Hoosier landowners to provide technical and financial assistance for conservation efforts.
“Year after year Hoosier farmers and conservationists are installing additional stewardship practices and working hard to ensure nutrients and irreplaceable topsoil stay on their fields,” Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, said in the news release. “Breaking records year after year is no small feat, and I want to thank the partners in this program and also the landowners and farmers for their contributions and wish them well on their continued success of improving soil health.”
The Indiana Conservation Partnership report showed that over the past year landowners helped prevent more than 1.6 million tons of sediment, more than 3.6 million pounds of nitrogen and more than 1.8 million pounds of phosphorus from entering Indiana waterways.
In the fall of 2022, Hoosier farmers planted more than 1.6 million acres of living cover, which includes cover crops and winter wheat. Cover crops and no-till practices sequestered an estimated 41,000 tons of soil organic carbon, which is the equivalent to the carbon emissions of more than 30,168 cars, the news release said.
“Indiana’s vitality is rooted in the soil. In a time when extreme weather events are inevitable, keeping our soil healthy and productive is of paramount importance,” said Indiana Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist Damarys Mortenson. “We are seeing great strides by our Indiana farmers who are working with the ICP to incorporate soil health principles on their land. These producers are increasing their soil’s organic matter, reducing the need for expensive inputs and improving microbial activity — all while harvesting better profits and often better yields.”
The membership of the Indiana Conservation Partnership includes the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Purdue Extension and the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service.