Hoosiers set conservation record

INDIANAPOLIS — For the third year in a row, Hoosier farmers broke a record for the number of conservation practices in the state, according to the Conservation Tillage Transect survey.

Indiana farms boast 1.7 million acres of cover crops, which benefit soil health, water management and overall farm productivity.

Farmers like Todd Armstrong of Washington County have seen firsthand the advantages of cover crops.

“The water-holding capacity and tilth of the ground has just improved so much and my neighbors have even seen that,” he said.

“Neighbors that worked ground every year have stopped and started incorporating cover crops because they’ve seen how good it has worked for us.”

As a result of the cover crops and other overwintering covers planted last year, it is estimated that 1.8 million tons of sediment was prevented from entering Indiana’s waterways, which would fill about 18,400 train freight cars.

The conservation survey also showed that about 69% of row crop acres were not tilled and about 17% had employed reduced tillage over winter after the 2023 harvest.

“These results are very encouraging,” said Damarys Mortenson, state conservationist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Indiana.

“The adoption of cover crops on such a large scale indicates that farmers are recognizing the long-term benefits of these practices for both their land and the environment.”

Challenges to adopting cover crops include the initial cost of seeds and the need for additional management skills.

Federal and state programs offer financial incentives and technical assistance to help farmers incorporate cover crops into their operations.

An example is the Cover Crop Premium Discount Program, which provides a discount on crop insurance for planting cover crops. CCPDP assisted landowners in planting about 19,000 acres of cover crops in 2023.

To see the full conservation transect report, go to https://tinyurl.com/4848h78j.