Grassed waterways protect soil from concentrated water flows, significantly reduce gully erosion and improve runoff water quality resulting from the concentrated surface flow.…

Through NRCS assistance, wetlands can be created, enhanced, or restored. Wetlands are essential components of healthy watersheds because they encourage habitat variability and increase biodiversity. They also provide essential ecosystem services such as processing nutrients, improving water quality, and reple…

Crops such as cereal rye, oats, winter wheat and many other species are planted to temporarily protect the ground from wind and water erosion and supply living roots to the soil during times when cropland is often not adequately protected. In conjunction with no-tilling, keeping living roots in the soil as mu…

Crop residue prevents soil erosion, protects water quality, improves soil tilth and adds organic matter to the soil as it decomposes. When soil is left undisturbed, microbial activity increases, helping build soil structure and improving soil health. No-till helps form root channels and other near-surface voi…

A blind inlet, also known as a French drain, is a structure that is placed in the lowest point of farmed depressions or potholes to minimize the amount of sediment, and potentially other contaminants, that would be transported to receiving ditches or streams. Using a blind inlet can remove at least 90% of the…

Prior to 2016, the Kelloggs planted most of their crops with conventional tillage. They decided to change to strip tillage to reduce fieldwork and improve nutrient efficiency. They purchased a strip tillage toolbar that places fertilizer about 5 inches below the ground in a 9-inch band. This was a major inves…

Dr. Stephen Jacquemin of Wright State University introduces Saturated Buffer research in Ohio. There are only a few dozen Saturated Buffers across the U.S. This conservation method helps reduce nitrogen and phosphorus-rich water from fields. How it works: Below the field, nutrient-rich water is collected in p…

Experimenting with corn planted into a cover crop with manure applied to one field in the Fall and one during the growing season.…

Side dressing manure into growing corn crop at Stateler Family Farms in Ohio. The economics and impact on the environment.…

The Demo Farms team meets up with water quality researcher and professor, Dr. Stephen J. Jacquemin of Wright State University Lake Campus to discuss the wetlands restoration project at Grand Lake St Marys in Ohio. We go over what wetlands are, how they improve water quality, and how farmers or landowners can …

Aaron Heilers, Project Manager of Ohio Demo Farms, walks you through taking a look at Legacy Phosphorus fields, fields that, in the past, had a high amount of phosphorus applied on them and the levels remain high today since crops can only uptake a certain amount. If this is your field, a phosphorus removal s…

The 4 R’s of nutrient management: the right source, the right rate, the right time, and the right place. Soil testing is the best place to start in order to get an accurate sampling so you can implement the 4 R’s model. Learn more with Aaron Heilers, the Demo Farms Network Project Manager.…