Resources
Documents & Websites
Labs that Conduct Soil Health Tests for NRCS CEMA 216
Soil testing can help producers understand what their land needs to function well. Soil fertility testing is a common practice to assess nutrient availability. Soil health testing is a more…
Lake Decatur Watershed Cover Crop Guide
This resource, created by The Nature Conservancy as part of the Lake Decatur Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), details cover crop seeding rates, dates, management, economics and suggested mixes in…
Digging Deeper – Limiting Nitrate Loss with Successful Nutrient and Cover Crop Management
Nitrogen loss from agriculture is a primary source of water quality issues in Illinois and Midwestern states. Management considerations such as 4R Nutrient Stewardship and integrating cover crops can help…
Digging Deeper – Cover Crops & N2O Emissions
A pair of short-duration studies on Illinois fields suggested that cover crops reduce nitrate leaching (a win for water quality) but may increase nitrous oxide (N2O, a greenhouse gas). ISAP…
Digging Deeper – More Than Trash – Why Residue Matters
More Than Trash – Why Residue Matters breaks down how residue from each crop impacts soil nitrogen availability. The resource explores key questions related to decomposition of residue, soil microbial…
Field Day Toolkit
This Field Day Toolkit is the product of Iowa Learning Farms’ many years of planning and hosting field day events across the state of Iowa. While ILF utilizes many different…
Dairy Conservation Navigator
Dairy Conservation Navigator is an online platform that consolidates science-based information about dairy conservation topics and the practices and technologies that reduce a farm’s environmental footprint. Created by the U.S. Dairy…
Digging Deeper: A Comparison Between Standard Soil Tests and the Haney Soil Health Test
The Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership (ISAP) has released our comparison guide showing the similarities and differences between a standard soil fertility test and the Haney Soil Health Test. Based the…
Illinois Cover Crop Quick Reference Guide
The Illinois Cover Crop Initiative (ICCI) created this general overview of planting information for common cover crops.
Cover Crop Seeding Methods Guide
Making cover crop seeding decisions can be a complicated process. ISAP developed the Cover Crop Seeding guide to help producers understand the benefits and considerations of various cover crop application methods. The…