EDITOR’S NOTE: This press release has been updated from a version published October 3, 2021 to include a recording of the webinar.
AMES, Iowa — The Iowa Learning Farms conservation webinar recorded Oct. 6 at noon features Reid Christianson, assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Christianson’s research focuses on how land management in agricultural, urban and native settings impacts water quality.
In the webinar, “Ticking the Box on Conservation Adoption,” Christianson discusses the adoption trends of no-till and how it is impacting water quality. He also addresses the questions of “how will we know when no-till is an integral part of farming culture?,” and “at what point of adoption can we claim success?.”
“As a culture, we want to get to the point where agricultural land management practices, like no-till, are simply what you do, not a special topic that needs to be considered and chosen for each farm or field,” said Christianson. “Understanding how to recognize that we have reached the point of cultural adoption is crucial to knowing when we reach this turning point. In addition, it is important to keep in mind that success is not 100% adoption, as that is not a realistic or even reasonable goal; we just need to know when we have surpassed a point of adoption that will embed the practices in farmer’s everyday planning processes.”
Iowa Learning Farms – October 6, 2021 from ISU CALS ONLINE on Vimeo.
About Iowa Learning Farms:
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, EPA Section 319 Grant Program and GROWMARK, Inc.
— Iowa Learning Farms
For more news from Iowa, click here.