Study Confirms Conservation Practices Work on Farms

A new study on cultivated cropland shows that conservation practices are reducing sediment, nutrient and pesticide losses from farm fields. The study, which focuses on cropland in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, revealed that soil erosion control practices are widespread in the basin with most acres receiving some sort of conservation treatment resulting in a 69 percent reduction in sediment loss. “This important new report confirms that farmers and ranchers are stepping up and implementing conservation practices that can and do have a significant impact on the health of America’s soil and water,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Review the report.