Conservation Practices
Practices To Improve Water Quality
To make farming operations productive and viable, most agricultural land located in north-central Iowa is artificially drained or tiled. Because of the tile systems, high concentrations of soluble nutrients like nitrate-nitrogen are reaching Iowa’s rivers and streams.
Edge-of-field treatment systems — bioreactors, wetlands and saturated buffers — can reduce contaminant loads in subsurface drainage. Other in-field practices, such as precision nitrogen application and cover crops, can help reduce nitrogen and phosphorus entering Iowa’s streams.
Cover Crops
Bioreactors
Saturated Buffers
