The Iowa Learning Farms conservation webinar taking place August 16 at noon will feature Eric Henning, Ph.D. student in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Iowa State University. Henning conducts research related to the impacts of agricultural water management on nutrient export, soil health and crop yield.

In the webinar, “Comparing Infiltration Between Prairie Strips and Row Crop Fields Across Iowa,” Henning will highlight research into the effects of prairie strips on soil health and water infiltration at a field scale. He will also discuss the inclusion of prairie strips (CP43) as a CRP practice in the most recent Farm Bill and ways that this can influence adoption of this emerging practice.

“While prairie strips have been recognized for their positive impact on erosion control, water equality and wildlife habitat, is has also been noted that there are seasonal-and site-related variations in water infiltration performance of prairie strips,” said Henning. “The positive contributions in ecosystem services of prairie strips are disproportionately high when compared to the land area they occupy and what is happening in the soil is integral to many of these functions. I hope participants in this session will come away with an appreciation for prairie strips’ contribution as a soil and water conservation tool and will increase their understanding of the most significant positive changes that can result from implementation.

Shortly before noon CDT, click the link below or type this web address into your internet browser: https://iastate.zoom.us/j/364284172