Recent News
SMART Wetlands
SMART Wetlands Author: Jean McGuire, Field Outreach Specialist | The Wetlands Inititative What happens when soil, clay, plants, and water are combined using human engineering? Could this combination create smart outcomes for the landscape? Usually, there are concerns when several thousand cubic yards of soil are moved on Illinois croplands. However, in this case, it was done by design to...
The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast – NEW EPISODE
Tune in to Episode 43 of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast – “Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy 2021 Biennial Report Update.” The episode features a summary of key points from the Biennial Report. Trevor Sample, the Agency Coordinator for the NLRS with Illinois EPA, provides a brief background on the NLRS, implementation and water quality findings from the 2021 Biennial...
The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast – NEW EPISODE
Tune in to Episode 42 of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Podcast – “Illinois Regenerative Ag Initiative.” The episode features a thoughtful discussion about the Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative (IRAI) with guests Dr. Adam Davis, Professor and Crop Sciences Department Head at University of Illinois, and Dr. Emily Heaton, Professor of Crop Sciences at University of Illinois and Director of...
New “Soil Health Check Up” Video Series
A new three part video series called “Soil Health Check Up” was recently co-created and released by Dr. Stacy Zuber, Illinois State Soil Health Specialist with NRCS, and Jennifer Jones, Extension Watershed Outreach Associate with University of Illinois Extension. Each video describes and demonstrates at-home soil health tests that farmers, landowners, or homeowners could use to visually assess the health of...
Cereal Rye: Late Summer / Fall Seeding Rates For Corn And Soybean Systems
Cereal Rye: Late Summer / Fall Seeding Rates For Corn And Soybean Systems Author: ISAP Soil Health Specialist, Jim Isermann For many farmers, harvest season also can entail seeding time for cover crops. There are many options of cover crops, but as the fall moves on and the calendar page turns, options become limited for most corn and soybean farmers...
More Work Needed to Meet Nutrient Loss Reduction Goals in Illinois
More Work Needed to Meet Nutrient Loss Reduction Goals in Illinois Author: American Farmland Trust Policy Manager, Max Webster Illinois released the third update to the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy, or NLRS, report to show where progress is being made and where certain challenges persist. In 2015, a policy working group led by the Illinois Water Resource Center-Illinois Indiana Sea Grant,...