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Soil and Water Conservation

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Precision Conservation

No, soil doesn’t just grow on trees

January 15, 2015 //  by Tom Buman

You would think by now that those of us working in the conservation field would have a really good handle on the value of topsoil.  Again, you would think.  In the abstract, I think we would all say that we “value” topsoil. However, in the 80 years since we’ve identified soil erosion as an issue in the U. S., we have been unable to even begin to quantify the value of topsoil in real numbers; until recently.  Thanks to the leadership of Iowa State University Professor, Rick Cruse, we’ve moved one step closer to identifying the value of one ton …

Category: Precision Conservation, Soil ErosionTag: Cost of Soil Erosion, SoilCalculator

Getting it right with AdaptN

October 15, 2014 //  by Tom Buman

Note from Tom: A couple of weeks ago, I eluded in the post entitled “Looking at Both Sides of the Equation” that Nitrogen Index tool was the only nitrogen tools that provided information on the amount of nitrogen that is lost for a crop system by leaching, surface transport, and  denitrification.  Shortly after posting this article, I received an email from Dr. Harold van Es of Cornell University correcting this statement.  The following is a guest blog by Dr. van Es.Guest post written by Dr. Harold M. van Es, Cornell UniversityThese days, …

Category: Precision ConservationTag: 4R, Adapt-N, Nitrogen

Looking at Both Sides of the Equation

September 29, 2014 //  by Tom Buman

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of spending a couple of hours with Dr. Jorge Delgado at his office in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Dr. Delgado is a research soil scientist with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and one of the godfathers of Precision Conservation.  While visiting, Dr. Delgado demonstrated his Nitrogen Index tool.  The Nitrogen Index tool is designed to help resource professionals quickly assess the N loss risk related to agricultural nitrogen. Currently, there are several nitrogen tools available through the …

Category: Precision ConservationTag: Jorge Delgado, Nitrogen Index, Nitrogen Management

Putting the Data to Work

July 14, 2014 //  by Tom Buman

The talk today is about Big Data.  The question is, will we use what we collect?  It reminds me of the 1990’s tagline, “Data Rich, Information Poor.” In the mid 1990’s, USDA NRCS Chief Paul Johnson commissioned a Blue Ribbon panel to study NRCS data collection named “Data Rich, Information Poor.”  As you can guess from the title, the conclusion of the report found that NRCS had a huge storehouse of natural resource data that was never converted into useful information.Organizations produce data every day. However, many companies fail to turn …

Category: Precision ConservationTag: Big Data

5 Things We Must Do to Accelerate Soil and Water Conservation

July 9, 2014 //  by Tom Buman

It is abundantly clear that we need to utilize all aspects of Precision Conservation.  However, the following are my top five conservation priorities we need to do to make a significant change in how we deliver soil and water conservation.5. Reduce the time, cost, and hassle for farmers implementing structural conservation practicesMachine control technology will fundamentally change how conservation structures are designed, staked, and constructed. The software is already available to utilize LiDAR data and develop a grassed waterway design …

Category: Precision Conservation

Tools of the Future

June 20, 2014 //  by Tom Buman

I have had the pleasure of being a part of Successful Farming’s Tools of the Future event this past week. The event featured the newest ag tools that can make farming more profitable.  The technology ranged from automated soil sampling to drones.  The first day’s program was in Des Moines, IA. From there the show traveled to Bloomington, IL and West Lafayette, IN. Each event included demonstrations and hands-on exhibitions. Below are my top tech picks from the tour. Google Glass A new wearable computer that, once in the hands of farmers, …

Category: Precision ConservationTag: Ag Technology, Precision Agriculture

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