Recent rains have delayed harvest across Iowa, but the wet conditions are also putting more attention on water quality and how farmers manage nutrients and conservation practices heading into the fall.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says the recent rainfall has shown just how significant the moisture deficit had become in some areas of the state. At the same time, interest in practices designed to protect soil and water continues to grow.
Naig says Iowa received cover crop cost share applications covering 1.4 million acres this year, roughly double the amount from last year. While about four million acres of cover crops are currently planted statewide, he says the goal is to eventually reach eight million acres and continue growing from there.
The recent combination of moisture and warmer temperatures could provide a good opportunity for cover crops being seeded this fall. Naig says the rainfall can also give farmers a chance to watch how water moves across their ground and identify areas that could benefit from additional conservation practices.
As harvest gets underway, attention will also turn toward fertilizer and manure applications for the next growing season. With wet conditions already compressing the fall fieldwork calendar, Naig says farmers may feel pressure to get those applications completed whenever they have an opportunity.
However, he says fall nutrient applications need to be based on conditions rather than the calendar. Naig is emphasizing the familiar “50 and falling” guideline, referring to soil temperatures reaching 50 degrees and continuing to decline.
Naig says applying nutrients at the proper time helps keep them available for next year’s crop while reducing the risk of nitrate losses into Iowa waterways.
With harvest already being pushed back by wet conditions, farmers could face a tighter window for the rest of their fall fieldwork. Naig says that makes it even more important not to let the calendar dictate when those nutrient applications happen. Watching soil temperatures and waiting for that “50 and falling” mark can help keep those nutrients where farmers need them next spring, instead of watching that investment wash downstream.
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