Agriculture’s efforts to better manage water have taken as step forward with the work of Daniel Hirmas, a professor at the University of Kansas. He and his team are using MLT scanners to predict water movement within the soil– a study which could lead to correct predictions of recharge rates of aquifers, predict how areas will react to climate change, … Read More
$41 Million Invested in Water Quality for Lake Erie Basin
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA‘s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will be putting $41 million into a three-year program designed to help farmers in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. The initiative hopes to improve water quality in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) with science-based conservation measures designed to reduce runoff. The invested will offer opportunities to farmers and … Read More
Research Leads to More Food with Fewer Resources
Science and agriculture have been working together to feed a rapidly growing population and increasing yields is one of the most important factors in that food production. Because yields are largely determined by a plant’s reaction to the stresses of drought, climate change and salinization of fields researchers at Arizona State University’s School of Life Sciences, the University of … Read More
Cargill, WRI Partner for Forest and Water Health
A new partnership is working together to mange natural resources for the agriculture industry. Cargill and World Resources Institute (WRI) are bringing WRI’s cutting-edge tools to help manage deforestation and water risk. Cargill will be able to utilized WRI’s world class maps, analytical tools and expertise and WRI will have access to Cargill’s global insights and experience working in the … Read More
Support Needed for Thirty Land Launch
These days you can find Conrad Weaver hunkered down in his editing room, frantically putting the final touches on a project a long time in the making. His documentary, Thirsty Land, is scheduled to debut at the Water for Food global conference on April 24th. Its impact is sure to reach across the nation. The project tells the story of the importance … Read More
USDA Announces $260 Million through RCPP
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced funds of up to $260 million for partner proposals to improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability. The money is available through USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) innovative Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Those applying for the funds must be able to match the money … Read More
Iteris Provides Growers with New ClearAg Mobile
Iteris ClearAg Mobile is a newly launched grower analytics application that uses information about weather, water, soil and crop growth to offer field-specific advisories to the grower. The program includes: Crop Growth and Health Advisor, Nutrient Advisor, Pest and Disease Advisor, Planting Advisor, Scouting Advisor, Soil, Weather and Water Advisor, and Timeline Advisor. ClearAg Mobile is a mobile application powered by … Read More
New Watersheds Added to NWQI Program
An allocation of $25 million by the USDA is being used to improve water quality in rivers and streams throughout the U.S. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will help agriculture producers in 187 watersheds integrate conservation practices to improve downstream waters through the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) program. “Clean water is in everyone’s interest, and the National Water Quality … Read More
Valley Irrigation – Tech & Support Update
The worry of flat tires in the field are over thanks to Valley Irrigation. The Valley® Revolution™ airless tire utilizes technology eliminating those flats at the center pivot. While at the 2016 National Farm Machinery Show (NFMS), Jim Winders, territory manager for Valley, explained. “Valley has designed an airless aperture style tire. There are plastic tires. There are steel tires … Read More
WOTUS Strikes Back
Farmers and ranchers will need the force to be with them as the EPA has struck back with an even more extreme version of the Waters of the U.S. Rule (WOTUS). Known as the Chesapeake Blueprint, the new rules will severely regulate and burden farms, possibly removing thousands of acres from production agriculture. The American Farm Bureau Federation is once … Read More