An Iowa State University research team in collaboration with Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge and other partners has discovered that strategically adding a little bit of prairie back onto the agricultural landscape can result in many benefits – for water and soil quality, habitat for wildlife and pollinators, as well as opportunities for biomass production. With assistance from ETPBR member USDA Farm Service Agency, research has shown how small amounts of native prairie vegetation integrated within corn and soybean row crops produce environmental benefits at levels disproportionately greater than their extent and in a cost effective manner. The project has now transitioned to demonstration and evaluation of the prairie strips practice on farmers’ fields. Based on initial responses from participating farmers and institutions, prairie strips will be implemented at 17 sites across Iowa by the end of 2014; additional sites will be implemented in 2015. They are now establishing protocols and developing the funding to conduct research on farmers’ fields. Outreach activities and experimental applications will also continue at the Refuge.
