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Cost Share Available for Soil Erosion Mitigation

Termination of cover crop

We saw a drought snapping amount of rain this past spring and with that we saw a dramatic amount of topsoil erosion. Without implementation of soil erosion mitigation practices, you likely saw a lot of silt flow into the low elevations of your fields. If you have thought about how to reduce that soil loss, we at the Papio NRD have cost share incentives for you.

If you are in the Papillion Creek Watershed, the Papio NRD can work with you on cost share opportunities for the planting of cover crops on your field. The great thing about cover crops is that they not only help reduce the amount of topsoil loss in the event of major rain events like those we saw this past spring, but also increase the amount of organic matter in the topsoil after they are terminated in the spring.

We also work with USDA agencies to provide more cost share programs such as field borders and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grassed waterways. In the case of the CRP grassed waterways, we provide an additional $150 per acre of waterway, totaling $450 per acre per year, within the Papillion Creek Watershed.

For more information, please call the Papio NRD Blair Field Office at (402) 426-2625 or Charles Stanley at (402) 350-3695.

 

Cover Crop Roller Crimper Now Available to Farmers

A roller crimper, an alternative mechanical method to terminate cover crops without herbicides, is now available for farmers in and around Washington County. By crimping cover crops and rolling them over like a blanket on a field, it can improve weed suppression and reduce moisture evaporation from the soil.

Grant funding from the EPA, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) and the Papio NRD for practices relating to water quality improvements enabled the recent acquisition of the roller crimper.

It’s available to local farmers for use at a low cost of $1/acre (to address routine maintenance). Farmers who may be hesitant about this practice are encouraged to try it on a few acres initially to make their own judgement and consider it a potential future investment.

To learn more about the roller crimper and cost-share on eligible conservation practices, contact Armando Zarco with the Papio NRD at 402-350-3695 or azarco@papionrd.org.

To schedule the roller crimper, contact Phil Kempcke at 402-533-3122 or Nate Kempcke at 402-278-0584 with Kempcke Seeds in Blair.

 

 

Roller Crimper Soon Available to Farmers

Roller Crimper photo courtesy of Thomas Hennig.

If you planted cover crops this fall and would like to save some money next spring and improve your soil quality on your fields, a Roller Crimper might be the way to go. A Roller Crimper is an alternative option to terminate cover crops without costly herbicides or tillage in the spring. By crimping cover crops and rolling them over like a blanket on a field, it can improve weed suppression and reduce moisture evaporation from the soil. In a nutshell, it can be a win-win scenario.

Don’t want to spend thousands of dollars to try out a new piece of equipment? You’ll be happy to know that with the assistance of the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE), the Papio NRD has placed an order for a 31-foot Roller Crimper, which should be delivered this Fall. It will be available for local farmers to rent at very little cost.

We’ll be providing further details early next year on how to go about renting this Roller Crimper. You don’t have to do your entire field – maybe give it a try on a few acres and make your own judgement. It might just be something worth investing in for the future. Call Armando Zarco with any questions at (402) 350-3695.

 

 

 

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