Grainswest - Fall 2023

Fall 2023 grainswest.com 39 “The co-benefit is if you’re controlling soil erosion, you’re typically using management practices that have the benefit to ecological services, which includes wildlife.” — Rick Cruse Photo:CourtesyofRickCruse financial return. The cost to establish and maintain such natural areas is low and can tap into alternative revenue sources. Applicable financial incentives may include Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Marginal Areas Program and ALUS, which pays farmers for ecosystem services derived from their land. These can include carbon sequestration and creation of wildlife habitat. Carbon credit systems which are now in the works may also provide additional economic encouragement. For a project summary of the Beneficial Insects Surveillance Network, visit the Canola Research Hub website. Galpern also encourages farmers to contact him at paul.galpern@ucalgary.ca to receive his research reports. PRAIRIE STRIPS Across the U.S. border, research of a similar nature has been ongoing since the early 2000s. Rick Cruse is a professor in the Agronomy Department of Iowa State University. He leads the Science-Based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips (STRIPS) program. Cruse defines a prairie strip as human constructed shelterbelts, natural waterways and riparian areas, pastureland, turnaround areas and areas along fencelines. The research program focuses primarily on soil erosion. “The co-benefit is if you’re controlling soil erosion, you’re typically using management practices that have the benefit to ecological services, which includes wildlife,” said Cruse. STRIPS has monitored the filtering effect prairie strips have on runoff. “The vegetated strips are a great filter when they’re combined with other practices— grassed waterways, for example. They have very positive soil and water effects, as well as the ecological effects.” The soil development rate for Iowa is about one imperial ton per acre per year, said Cruse. However, when poorly managed, land in the flat, central area of the state may lose five tons to erosion in a bad year. In the lush hills and long slopes of western Iowa, the rate can run an alarming 30 to 50 tons. Erosion mitigation methods include crop rotation, terracing, cultivation of close-growing crops as well as conversion of cropland to pasture. Prairie strips additionally increase biodiversity of insects, birds and small vertebrates, said Cruse. Maintenance of these areas does require concerted management. “They’re challenging to manage because anything that is Roundup Ready, anything that you spray will kill basically anything except [crops]. You have to groom those pretty well,” said Cruse. While uptake has been modest, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service provides guidelines and financial incentives to U.S. farmers who install prairie strips between 30 and 120 feet wide. Feedback from farmers who have adopted the practice is generally glowing. One such farmer is Maggie McQuown of Resilient Farms, a small corn, soybean and market garden operation in southwest Iowa. Having used prairie strips since 2014, she is pleased with the results. “Having perennial roots in the ground 365 days a year is very helpful, especially on degraded and sloping land,” saidMcQuown. She has also seen a vast increase in wildlife and pollinators on her property. Upon request, the USDA will conduct a soil and elevation analysis and build a farm-specific plan to create prairie strips for maximum benefit. Typically, this may be as much as 10 per cent of the cropped area. Dependent upon soil quality, incentive payments can range from $150 to $300 USD per acre, McQuown estimated. Farmers who wish to use prairie strips should look at the long-range benefits, five to 10 years down the line, she said. “Make sure they research what were the native grasses and forbs that were there prior to settlement and try to use the seed mix and select the types of plants to match what was originally in that area as much as possible.” While farmers may be reluctant to take land out of production, the maintenance or creation of uncropped areas can benefit soil health, crop yield and their bottom line.