green lands, blue waters a vision and roadmap for the next generation of agricultural systems
TRANSCRIPT
Green Lands, Blue WatersA Vision and Roadmap for the
Next Generation of Agricultural Systems
Hansen, MN Exp Sta
Farris et al, Iowa DNR
Farris et al, Iowa DNR
DNR
Farris et al, Iowa DNR
Minnesota Harvested Soybean and Alfalfa Acreages
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1975 '78 '81 '84 '87 '90 '93 '96 '99
Alf
alfa
& S
oybe
an (
mill
ions
of
acre
s)
Alfalfa
Soybeans
Portion of total MN Crop land in Corn and Bean Production
40%
45%
50%
55%
60%
65%
70%
1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003
Corn and Soybean Acreage6 County Southeast MN
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
1975 2001
Corn and Soybeans
Gyles Randall,2003
Corn and Soybean acreage11 County South Central Minnesota
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
1975 2001
Corn and Soybeans
Gyles Randall,2003
May 3 - 16
April 5 - 18
Areas of perennialvegetation
Areas of annualRow cropping
2002 Growing Season
June 28 – July 11
May 31 – June 13
2002 Growing Season
October 4 - 17
July 26 – August 8
2002 Growing Season
Cottonwood River WatershedPrecipitation and Runoff
Annual Tile Drainage Lossin Corn-Soybean Rotation
Waseca, 1987-2001
July-March29%
April, May, June71%
Gyles Randall, 2003
Corn and Soybean Nitrate-N Loss Concentrations
• Tile drainage system• U of MN - Lamberton
0
5
10
15
20
25
Corn/Bean Perennials
mg/LMidpointof range
Gyles Randall, 2003
(from Dinnes et al., 2002)
Mississippi River Sedimentation
Rabalais et al. 2000
Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico
93.5 92.5 91.5 90.5 89.5
longitude (deg.)
28.5
29.0
29.5
30.0
lati
tud
e (d
eg.)
Atchafalaya R.
Mississippi R.
bottom dissolved oxygen less than 2.0 mg/L, July 1999
50 km
TerrebonneBay
Sabine L.L. Calcasieu
93.5 92.5 91.5 90.5 89.5
longitude (deg.)
28.5
29.0
29.5
30.0
lati
tud
e (d
eg.)
Atchafalaya R.
Mississippi R.
bottom dissolved oxygen less than 2.0 mg/L, July 1999bottom dissolved oxygen less than 2.0 mg/L, July 1999
50 km
TerrebonneBay
Sabine L.L. Calcasieu
Results of Annual Summer Cruises
January 2001
Management Approach:
…a a 30% reduction30% reduction(from the average discharge in the 1980-1996 time frame) in nitrogen discharges to the Gulf (on a 5-year running average)…
-0
-5,000
-10,000
-20,000
-15,000
-25,000S
quar
e K
ilom
eter
s
GOAL: By the year 2015, subject to the availability of additional resources, reduce the 5-year running
average areal extent of the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone to less than 5,000 square kilometers
Diversification of Agricultural Landscape Systems
ChippewaRiver
Wells Creek
Cultivated Land
Grassland
Deciduous Forest
Urban
80% in cultivation and includes a portion of Montevideo
Catchment size: 17,994 ha
Chippewa River Land Use
Four Scenarios
D Managed year-round vegetative cover
• Cover crops, increased managed grazing, prairie restoration, 90 m buffers
A Extension of current trends • Increased field size, focus on annual crop
productionB Adoption of best management practices • Shift to conservation tillage, use recommended nutrient application rates,30 m riparian buffersC Expand diversity • Five year crop rotation, more grazing • Wetland restoration
Chippewa River
Scenario AScenario B
Scenario CScenario D
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
Sediment Nitrogen Phosphorus
Ch
ang
e f
rom
bas
elin
e (%
)
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
Ch
ang
e fr
om
Bas
elin
e (%
)
WellsCreek
ChippewaRiver
Scenario AScenario B
Scenario CScenario D
Surface Runoff
Green Lands, Blue Waters
A Vision and Roadmap for the Next Generation of Agricultural
Systems
Initiative Vision To improve water quality in the
Mississippi River Basin, increase economic options and profitability for farmers, improve wildlife habitat, reduce flooding potential, strengthen vitality and quality of life of rural communities, and enhance human health.
Initiative Mission
To support development of and transition to a new generation of agricultural systems in the Mississippi River Basin that integrate more perennial plants and other continuous living cover into the agricultural landscape.
Potential Ecosystem Services Provided by Perennial
Cropping SystemsNutrient Cycling, Flood
Management, Natural Pest Management, Soil Health,Wildlife Diversity, Water Quality, Erosion
Control, Carbon Management, Climate Mediation
Benefits to Bird Populations
•Tilled row crops > 18 species
•Tilled row crops, herbaceous fencerow, grass waterway, alfalfa and pasture > 25 species
•Tilled row crops, herbaceous fencerow, grass waterway, pasture, alfalfa, and marsh > 52 species
•Tilled row crops, herbaceous and wooded fencerows, grass waterway, pasture, alfalfa, marsh, and farmstead shelterbelt > 93 species
Best, L. et al. 1995. A Review and synthesis of Habitat Use by Breeding Birds in AgriculturalLandscapes of Iowa. The American Midland Naturalist, 134:1
Bird responses to habitat changes(sightings per 160 acres)
Grazing Systems• Perennial ryegrass
Winter hardiness, Seed production, Rotational grazing
• Illinois bundleflower and other native legumes
Mixed warm season grass-rotational grazing systems
Grazing
Biomass Energy• Willows, Salix sp.• Alfalfa, Medicago sativa,
JoAnn Lamb USDA-ARS St. Paul
• Perennial sunflower, Helianthus sp.
• Perennial flax, Linum perenne
• Native legumes, False indigo, Amorpha fruticosa
Trees and Shrubs
• Willows, Salix sp. Decorative and energy• Hybrid popular,
Populus sp. Energy and fiber • Hazelnuts, Corylus
avellana x C. americana and C. cornuta
Oil, confectionary, and energy
Perennial Native Legumes• 50 species preliminary
evaluation Winter hardiness• 10 species more detailed
studies Production and selection Feeding trials—swine Antioxidants—Food, fuel,
feed and cosmetics Antimicrobial—Food,
cosmetics and feed
Oil Seed Crops
• Perennial flax, Linum sp.
• Perennial sunflower, Helianthus sp.
Lewis Flax (Linum perenne lewisii)
Wetland Restoration• Willow, Salix sp. Nitrogen harvesting,
energy, water retention
• Native wetland species
Unique industrial chemicals, wildlife habitat-hunting
Cover Crops
• Red clover, Trifolium pratense
• Winter rye, Secale cereale, Paul Porter
• Brassica sp.• Alfalfa, Medicago
sativa• Birdsfoot trefoil,
Lotus corniculatus• Native legumesApril 30, 1999
Advantages to Production Agriculture
• Improve environmental performance
• Improve economic diversity/profitability
• Keep working lands working
• Adopt a non-regulatory, long term strategy
Strategy 1Involve diverse stakeholders
– Audubon Society, Upper Mississippi Basin Initiative**– Illinois Stewardship Alliance**– Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy**– The Land Institute**– Land Stewardship Project**– Minnesota Farm Bureau – Mississippi River Basin Alliance**– National/Minnesota Farmers Union – The Nature Conservancy, Upper Mississippi Basin Project** – Minnesota Pollution Control Agency– US Environmental Protection Agency– USDA/US Forest Service
Strategy 2:Engage land-grant institutions– The University of Illinois**– Iowa State University, including the Leopold
Center for Sustainable Agriculture**– Louisiana State University – North Dakota State University **– University of Minnesota **– University of Missouri– University of Wisconsin**
Strategy 3:Organize at the Watershed, State
& Basin Levels• Watershed Learning Groups (Kellogg Foundation)
– Initially focus on two watersheds/state– Develop learning groups
• State Coordinating Committees (Federal Leopold)– Representatives from learning groups and the
consortium – Responsible for planning, implementing and
monitoring in that state
• Multi-state consortium (Charter Partners & McKnight)– Land-grants, NGOs, and government agencies– Responsible for overall planning, monitoring and
budget oversight
Strategy 4: Targeting a portion of the most environmentally sensitive lands will maximize the environmental benefit
Strategy 5:
Develop Supporting InfrastrutureMarket – Technical – Financial
Social – Human - Policy
Strategy 6:Imbed in Mainstream Thought
Strategy 7:Rely on Voluntary Approaches
Objectives: Develop and promote profitable
enterprises• Build Capacity of stakeholders regarding
continuous living cover systems and water quality;• Significantly expand the knowledge base
regarding continuous living cover systems and their impacts and potential
• Coordinate and build on related new and existing activities
• Heighten visibility and increase financial support of and focus on continuous living cover systems
• Identify and promote supporting policy changes
Ten-Year Outcomes• Development of new crops, products, and associated
markets for products of continuous living cover systems• Increased continuous living cover on the agricultural
landscape in the Mississippi River Basin • Reduced N loading from agricultural production at the
watershed level by 30%• Reduced number of impaired waters in the watersheds• Increased migratory waterfowl and neo-tropical
songbird populations at the watershed level by 30% or more.
• Shrinkage of the hypoxic zone from its 2002 level
Budget
On the scale of
$105 million over ten years
Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS
www.greenlandsbluewaters.org