AMES, Iowa — Iowa Learning Farms, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and the Iowa Nutrient Research Center will host a cover crop field day on Thursday, November 11 from 11:30am-1:30pm at the Borlaug Learning Center near Nashua. The event is free, open to the whole family, and includes a complimentary meal.
Cover crops continue to grow in popularity in Iowa due to their many benefits – reduced soil erosion, potential weed suppression, improved infiltration, reduced nutrient losses, increased soil organic matter and more! This field day will focus on new research funded by the Iowa Nutrient Research Center examining the potential for using perennial ground cover like Kentucky bluegrass, as well as cereal rye and early interseeded cover crop mixtures in a corn system to reduce runoff, enhance soil organic matter and reduce nitrogen leaching.
The field day will begin with lunch at the Borlaug Learning Center. The program will kick off at the research plots north of the farm with researchers Brian Dougherty, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field agricultural engineer, Roger Hintz, assistant scientist in the department of agronomy, Daniel Andersen, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, Gabrielle Myers, graduate student in agricultural and biosystems engineering and Raj Raman, ISU Morrill Professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering.
The field day will begin at the Borlaug Learning Center, 3327 290th St, Nashua, IA 50658. The workshop is free and open to the whole family, but reservations are suggested to ensure adequate space and food. For reasonable accommodations and to RSVP please contact Liz Ripley at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu.
Iowa Learning Farms field days and workshops are supported by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. For more information about Iowa Learning Farms, visit www.iowalearningfarms.org.
Established in 2004, Iowa Learning Farms is building a Culture of Conservation by encouraging adoption of conservation practices. Farmers, researchers and ILF team members are working together to identify and implement the best management practices that improve water quality and soil health while remaining profitable. Partners of Iowa Learning Farms include the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Iowa Department of Natural Resources (USEPA section 319) and GROWMARK, Inc.
— Iowa Learning Farms
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