Journal Article

Field-Level Financial Assessment of Contour Prairie Strips for Enhancement of Environmental Quality

Tyndall, John C., Schulte, Lisa A., Liebman, Matthew, Helmers, Matthew

2013

Overview

The impacts of strategically located contour prairie strips on sediment and nutrient runoff export from watersheds maintained under an annual row crop production system have been studied at a long-term research site in central Iowa. Data from 2007 to 2011 indicate that the contour prairie strips utilized within row crop-dominated landscapes have greater than proportionate and positive effects on the functioning of biophysical systems. Crop producers and land management agencies require comprehensive information about the Best Management Practices with regard to performance efficacy, operational/management parameters, and the full range of financial parameters. Here, a farm-level financial model assesses the establishment, management, and opportunity costs of contour prairie strips within cropped fields. Annualized, depending on variable opportunity costs the 15-year present value cost of utilizing contour prairie strips ranges from $590 to $865 ha −1  year −1 ($240–$350 ac −1  year −1 ). Expressed in the context of “treatment area” (e.g., in this study 1 ha of prairie treats 10 ha of crops), the costs of contour prairie strips can also be viewed as $59 to about $87 per treated hectare ($24–$35 ac −1 ). If prairie strips were under a 15-year CRP contract, total per acre cost to farmers would be reduced by over 85 %. Based on sediment, phosphorus, and nitrogen export data from the related field studies and across low, medium, and high land rent scenarios, a megagram (Mg) of soil retained within the watershed costs between $7.79 and $11.46 mg −1 , phosphorus retained costs between $6.97 and $10.25 kg −1 , and nitrogen retained costs between $1.59 and $2.34 kg −1 . Based on overall project results, contour prairie strips may well become one of the key conservation practices used to sustain US Corn Belt agriculture in the decades to come.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Agricultural management / Agriculture / Agriculture - economics / analysis / Animal and plant ecology / Animal, plant and microbial ecology / Applied ecology / Aquatic Pollution / Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution / Best management practices / Biological and medical sciences / Conservation / Conservation of Natural Resources / Conservation practices / Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife / corn / Corn belt / Cost analysis / Cost-Benefit Analysis / Costs / Crop production / Crops / Earth and Environmental Science / Ecology / economics / Ecosystem / Environment / environmental enrichment / Environmental Management / Environmental quality / exports / farmers / Farms / Forestry Management / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / General aspects / Geologic Sediments / Herbicides / International trade / Iowa / Land management / Land use / Landowners / landscapes / leasing / Magnesium / Management / Models, Economic / Nature Conservation / Nitrogen / Nitrogen - analysis / Opportunity costs / Phosphorus / Phosphorus - analysis / Prairies / runoff / Sediments / Shape / soil / Strip / Synecology / Terrestrial ecosystems / Waste Water Technology / Water Management / Water Pollution Control / Watersheds