NRCS offers webinar presenting findings about conservation on cropland

How has conservation on cultivated cropland changed since the beginning of the 21st century? A new report released by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) demonstrates progress made through voluntary conservation over a 10-year period. It found significant gains for soil health and soil carbon storage, while also identifying areas where additional and targeted nutrient management strategies are needed. Findings from the report will inform future conservation strategies, including USDA’s efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

For this report, farmer survey data was collected from 2003-2006 and again from 2013-2016. NRCS evaluates conservation practice adoption through the CEAP Cropland Assessment, using a combination of farmer surveys, land use and soils information, along with resource models. CEAP project findings are used to guide USDA conservation policy and program development, along with assisting conservationists, farmers and ranchers and other land stewards with making sound and science-based conservation decisions.

In this webinar, Dr. Lee Norfleet, CEAP Modeling Team Leader at NRCS, will present findings on changes in practice adoption trends, including conservation tillage, cover crops, structural practices, irrigation practices, and advanced technologies such as enhanced-efficiency fertilizers and variable rate fertilization to improve efficiency. He will also discuss the impacts of these practices on sediment and nutrient losses, carbon sequestration, water use and fuel use.

No registration is required. Access the webinar shortly before 3:00 pm ET/12:00 pm PT on April 28, 2022, at https://nrcs.adobeconnect.com/ceap2/ . (We have found that participants may have difficulties when accessing via Internet Explorer, so we recommend an alternate browser).

Closed captioning is available . Add to my calendar.

Each webinar will be recorded and archived for later viewing on this website.

Questions? Contact Dan Mullarkey at daniel.mullarkey@usda.gov