Although Iowa is now known for its corn and soybean fields, 85% of the state used to be covered in tallgrass prairie. Seeing this drastic change in the landscape over time has pushed some to reintroduce prairie into Iowa’s crop land in hopes of benefitting soil health and water quality. In our most recent webinar, Movement of Soil in Corn and Soybean Fields Managed with Prairie Strips, Jessica Nelson shares the results of her research on 12 field sites across Iowa.
Soil movement occurs through a three step process. First is soil detachment, when rain drops dislodge particles from the ground. After detachment, the soil is transported with the water. Finally, the soil is deposited in a new location. In her research, Jessica Nelson looked at each of these processes comparing fields with prairie strips, to fields without prairie strips. Using mesh pads and H-flumes, she was able to gather data across the 12 field sites to represent several different management practices ranging from no-tillage to intense tillage.
Through her many years of data collection, Jessica has seen the benefits that prairie strips can have on soil erosion. Learn more about the effects of prairie strips on soil movement by watching this week’s full webinar. Also, tune into next week’s webinar to hear Katie Dentzman with Iowa State University speak on “Community Approaches to Pesticide Resistance Management”, and feel free to explore our archives to watch past webinars.
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