Relay Intercropping, Soil Health and Water Quality Field Day

AMES, Iowa—Iowa Learning Farms will host a relay intercropping, soil health and water quality field day near Gilmore City on Tuesday, July 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the ISU Drainage Research and Demonstration Project Site. The no-cost event is open to farmers and landowners and includes a complimentary meal.

In a relay intercropping system, where three crops are grown in two years, the benefits include a marketable small grain for use as cover crop and additional revenue for the farmer. Similar to cover crops, a relay intercropping system can provide many benefits to farmers and landowners, including reduced soil erosion, weed suppression, reduced nutrient loads entering water bodies, increased organic matter in the soil, and forage for livestock.

The field day will begin with an introduction to relay intercropping with Gentry Sorenson, ISU Extension and Outreach field agronomist. Matt Helmers, Iowa Nutrient Research Center director, Carl Pederson, agricultural specialist in agricultural and biosystems engineering, and Chris Witte, research scientist in agricultural and biosystems engineering, will highlight the relay intercropping research being conducted on the site and share results from the first year of the project. The Iowa Learning Farms will present their Conservation Station On The Edge trailer and Liz Ripley, Iowa Learning Farms conservation and cover crop outreach specialist, will discuss a smart agricultural drainage project led by ISU researchers.

The field day will be held at the ISU Drainage Research and Demonstration Project, owned by the Pocahontas Soil and Water Conservation District, 31325 510th St, Gilmore City, IA 50541. The no-cost event and open to farmers and landowners, though we require reservations to ensure adequate space and food. For reasonable accommodations and to RSVP, please contact Liz Ripley at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu by July 1.  Attendees will be entered in a drawing for ISU Prairie Strips honey.

Iowa Learning Farms field days and workshops are supported by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. This event is planned in partnership with Iowa Nutrient Research Center and Iowa Corn and supported by a USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation grant award NR233A750011G012 and U.S. National Science Foundation award 2125484.  For more information about Iowa Learning Farms, visit www.iowalearningfarms.org.

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, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Iowa Department of Natural Resources, EPA Section 319 Grant Program and GROWMARK, Inc.

Related Links: https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/events-1