Improving Soil Health Through Innovation, New Technology, and Partnerships

Sussex Conservation District

Located in Sussex County, Delaware

Formed by state law in 1944

Political Subdivision of the State of Delaware

Governed by an 8 member Board of Supervisors

3 in Delaware (each county)

50% of Sussex County is located in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Chesapeake Bay

Sussex County, Delaware Facts 938 square miles

303,800 acres of cropland (2012)

50% of the county is agricultural

3 Major Watersheds Chesapeake Bay (50%)

Delaware Bay

Inland Bays

Largest broiler producing county in the nation

Flat topography

Sandy Soils

46” of average rainfall

Major resource concern: Water Quality

A little history…

Sussex Conservation District is a big proponent of cover crops

Administered a Cover Crop Cost-Share Program for nearly 20 years About $1.2 Million in Cost-Share

annually

34,820 acres/year average (2005-2016)

Receive funding from multiple sources General Assembly - Bond Bill (State)

Federal Sources EPA – Chesapeake Bay & NPS Programs

NRCS Contribution Agreements

A little history…

The Sussex Conservation District attended the 2014 Cover Crop & Soil Health Forum at the Delaware NRCS State Office National conference - streamed

live videos and testimonies from farmers throughout the nation

Discussion about how to promote cover crops and soil health in Delaware Farmers in the room said that they

needed to go out-of-state to get soil health information

“We need to change the mindset of farmers to plant cover crops for soil health instead of for the incentive payment”

Sussex Conservation District’s Soil Health Initiative National initiative through USDA,

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Soil Health can be improved by:

Provide continuous living roots and maximize soil cover by planting cover crops

Minimize disturbance by utilizing minimal tillage practices

Maximize biodiversity through multi-species mixes and crop rotation practices

Practicing soil health management can decrease farm inputs, increase crop yields, therefore improving the bottom line.

Left the Forum with two questions…

How can the Sussex Conservation District help get soil health information to the farming community?

How do we get the air seeder technology to Delaware?

What Happened Next…

Getting an Air Seeder to Delaware

Establishing a local Soil Health Committee for information sharing

Utilizing the NACD Soil Health Champions Network to promote and share soil health knowledge

Air Seeder Technology to Delaware

The District began talking with members of the ag community and with the SCD Board. Would it work in Delaware? Would farmers be willing to run this

equipment through their cash crops?

What are the benefits of early established cover crops?

Researched air seeders Widely used in the Midwest Successful at early establishment

of cover crops

Crop damage was minimal

Benefits of Early Established Cover Crops Crop benefits from longer growing

degree days in the summer Cover crop is already established

when cash crop is harvested Gives cover crop as much as a 30

to 90 day head start to establish a good root system

Increases uptake of nutrients Improves water quality More biomass leads to increased

organic matter Improved soil health

How does the Air Seeder work?

Miller Nitro high clearance sprayer with a 90’ boom Adapted with a specialized seed

box Allows farmers to plant cover

crops while their cash crop is still in the field.

Drops seed below the canopy Better seed to soil contact

More even seed distribution

Planting early allows the cover crops to take advantage of the longer growing degree days

Grant request SCD submitted an NRCS Conservation

Innovation Grant (CIG) promote soil health through workshops

and field days purchase the air seeder develop a 2-year pilot program at no

cost to landowner After the two years – SCD would

charge a nominal fee for service to cover costs

Objective 1 - Give farmers the opportunity to try new technology with little or no risk Continue to use it without having to

purchase the expensive technology

Objective 2 – Get cover crops planted early for improved water quality and soil health

Grant Writing Process

Gathered information Water quality and soil health benefits

Benefits of the early establishment of cover crops

How this technology would help our farmers

Outreach and education plan

Equipment costs??

A New Partnership

Contacted local equipment dealers looking for air seeder prices No idea what it was Sent the video to equipment

companies

Went straight to the source Contacted David Brandt Ryan Shanks – Buckeye Soil

Solutions LLC, Ada, Ohio

Beginning of a new friendship and partnership

Grant Process

Worked with Buckeye on a price for the air seeder List them as a private partner

Grant was not approved

Back to square one

Next steps…

SCD still believed it was a good idea and continued talking about it with partners

Gained support from Delaware Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) because it would help meet the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) and TMDL goals

Final decision…

Board discussed the option of purchasing the air seeder for several months

Mike Willeke of Buckeye Soil Solutions came to Delaware to meet with the Board to answer questions about the air seeder Custom application business

Board had concerns Crop damage Going into farmers fields New type of service

SCD Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of the air seeder

SCD Air Seeder Pilot Program –Year 1

SCD developed a pilot program with a first year planting goal of 4,000 acres

Through outreach efforts and interest by the farming community, 24 farmers participated in the program

SCD offered a $60 per acre incentive

Farmers were responsible for the seed, loading the seed, and fuel

All other expenses were covered by SCD

Air Seeder Pilot Program - Year 1

Took delivery of the air seeder on July 14

Buckeye came out and provided training

Held two “hands on” training days for farmers interested in using the air seeder

It was decided that most of the farmers were uneasy operating it Southern States – Dagsboro Store

partnered with SCD by providing an operator

Started planting on July 30 into corn Finished planting on October 15 into

soybeans

Air Seeder Operation

Had some growing pains Calibration issues

Loading of the seed

Cleanliness of the seed

The operator had Buckeye Soil Solutions on speed dial

SCD Air Seeder Pilot Program –Year 2

Second year planting goal of 8,000 acres

Much more interest by the farming community (40 enrolled in program) 32 farmers participated in the program 2 farmers experimented by planting a

few acres extra early in late June and early July

SCD offered a $60/acre incentive for new customers, $50/acre for returning

Farmers were responsible for the cost of the seed and loading the seed

Offered to purchase the seed All other expenses were covered by SCD

SCD Air Seeder Pilot Program –Year 2

SCD became a seed broker Partnered with Southern States –

Dagsboro Store Purchase seed in bulk Utilize their seed/fertilizer auger to load One stop shop Offered 4 different seed blends

Rye, radish, crimson clover

Radish and crimson clover

Triticale, radish, and crimson clover

Rye and crimson clover

District supplied seed for ~75% of the acres planted with the air seeder

Rye, Radish

, Clover

48%

Rye, Clover

20%

Radish,

Clover 17%

Rye, Radish

6%

Rye, Radish

, Clover, Hairy Vetc…

Other 6%

Comparison of Acres Planted

6,324 Acres Planted in 2016

2786

867 367

4891

1135 298

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Corn Soybeans Other Crops2015 2016

The District planted 4,020 acres with the Air Seeder in 2015.

That’s a 57% increase in Year 2!

Cover Crop Acres on the increase…

Fall of 2015 – 39,374.7 acres planted in Sussex County alone Countywide - 21.4% increase from 2014 Chesapeake Bay - 33.8% increase in acres planted from 2014 Only reflects acres cost-shared through SCD Program

Fall of 2016 – 44,189.3 acres in Sussex County Countywide – 12.9% increase from 2015 Chesapeake Bay Watershed – 4.6% increase Inland Bays Watershed– 42.6% increase

Why the increase? Extra early acres planted with the air seeder Soil Health workshops and field days Commodity prices

Program Success

Fixed calibration issues from previous year

Rolled out a new seed program to: Make the air seeder program

more efficient Minimize application issues

Offer a lower seed cost to farmers Simplify participation

Optimize incentives for participants among multiple cost-share programs

Crop Damage?

Crop damage was minimal Mostly on turn rows, and entrance

and exit points

Air seeder could follow the sprayer tracks in soybeans if both were 90’ booms

Air Seeder planting into corn on July 30, 2015

Planting into sorghum in early September

Planting into soybeans in September

Earth Worm

Root Structure

Photo taken January 15, 2016

Winter kill of Radish and Hairy Vetch Taken February 22, 2016

Winter kill of Radish and Hairy Vetch Taken February 22, 2016

Tillage/forage radishes are one of the most popular cover crop choices Radish measured 18.5” long Radish and hairy vetch

Radish, clover, and rye planted with the air seeder on August 17, 2015 Photo taken 8 days after seeding Photo take 20 days after seeding

Results after first year…SUCCESS!

Program Success!!

4,020 acres were planted with the air seeder Corn – 2,786 acres

Soybeans – 867 acres

Sorghum – 82 acres

Other vegetables – 285 acres

Results after Year 2…SUCCESS again!

Goal was 8,000 acres

6,324 acres were planted in 2016 Corn – 4,891 acres

Soybeans – 1,135 acres

Other crops – 298 acres

57% increase over 2015

Weather was a challenge

How can the District help get soil health information to the farming community?

SCD established a Soil Health Committee and the Delaware Soil Health Partnership was born

Met with several progressive, early adopters to find out what information they wanted and how best to share the information

Held soil health workshops and field days in conjunction with Delaware Ag Week and throughout Sussex County

Field Days and Workshops

1st workshop “Soil Health 101” in December 2014

Hold 3 or 4 workshops per year Winter (in conjunction with

Delaware Ag Week)

Summer (field day)

Late fall (after harvest)

This year – Soil Health Series 3 workshops (Dec, Jan, and Feb.)

Field Days and Workshops

Discussion topics Started with basic soil health principles

Feedback from farmers

What topics are they interested in learning more about

Some of our most popular topics Choosing the right cover crop/mix?

Nutrient management and soil health

Transitioning to no-till

Early establishment of cover crops

Vegetables and soil health

Economics of soil health

Air Seeder Demo and Soil Health Field Day – August 2016

Air Seeder Demo and Soil Health Field Day – August 2016

Demonstrations Air Seeder

Rainfall Simulator

Herbicide Carryover

Extra early establishment of cover crops

115 participants

Used the watermelon bus so people could see the air seeder in the corn

Feed them and offer continuing education credits and they will come

Served homemade ice cream by a local dairy farm that has opened a creamery

Former board member

Air Seeder Demo and Soil Health Field Day – August 2016

Soil Health Outreach Events

Congressman Carney, now Governor Carney (right) talking with Soil Health Champion, Chip Baker at our field day in August.

Now Governor Carney talking with local farmers and DE Secretary of Agriculture (seated front) and SCD Board Member Richard Carlisle.

National Soil Health Champions Network Initiative In 2015 – NACD sent out a “Call

for Candidates”

Several farmers in our county that are championship material

Sussex County, DE has 5 Soil Health Champions Practicing soil health on their

farms

Share what they have learned

Participate on farm panels and host field days

Jay Baxter Chip Baker

Guy Phillips

C.P. King, Jr.

Brad Ritter

Delaware Soil Health Champions

Soil Health Champions on Farm Panels

Soil Health Champions

DE Soil Health Champions

Soil Health Champion Outreach

Partnered with DE NRCS and the USDA Office of Communications to create soil health videos

Four area farmers were featured in the commercials that aired on local TV stations from May through August 2016

Two were Soil Health Champions

Individual short videos were also done for the champs

Soil Health Champion Outreach

NC Soil Health Champion OH Soil Health

Champion

Delaware Soil Health Champion Outreach Efforts

Film Crew from WTOL-TV Toledo, Ohio came to Delaware to learn about our air seeder and how we were using it to protect the Chesapeake Bay

Interviewed Champion Jay Baxter on using the District’s air seeder

Jay took the opportunity to talk about soil health

A model for others…

WTOL-TV from Toledo, OH came to Delaware to learn what we are doing to protect the Chesapeake Bay.

Our Partners!

Questions? Debbie Absher, Dir. of Ag Programs Sussex Conservation District 21315 Berlin Road, Unit 4 Georgetown, Delaware 19947 (302) 259-7453 www.sussexconservation.org