CORE4 United States Conservation Department of Agriculture Practices Natural Resources Conservation Service Training Guide The Common Sense Approach to Natural Resource Conservation · Conservation Tillage · Nutrient Management · Pest Management · Buffers CORE4—Key Conservation Practices Introduction The purpose of this workbook is to enhance the technical knowledge of Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) personnel and their col- leagues in both the public and private sector and to assist them in helping landowners effectively use conservation tillage, nutrient management, pest management, and conservation buffers. These key practices significantly reduce nonpoint sources of pollution from cropland as well as provide opportunities for many other conservation benefits when applied as a system. These few practices do not, however, exclude consideration for other practices or systems designed to protect the natural resources related to cropland agriculture. In January 1998, the NRCS through the National Conservation Buffer Initia- tive sponsored a Conservation Buffer Conference in San Antonio, Texas. During this conference several national experts expressed concern about the long-term functioning of conservation buffers without a systems ap- proach to address nutrients, pesticides, and sedimentation. The CORE4 concept was established by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) and supporting organizations as an information and marketing plan to promote the voluntary approach to conservation emphasizing conservation tillage, pest management, nutrient management, and conservation buffers. CORE4, to a large degree, is the result of a public survey and a series of public forums designed to capture the opinions and suggestions of farmers and ranchers, as well as other groups with a vested interest in reducing nonpoint sources of pollution on a voluntary basis. The concept is presented as a "common-sense" approach, meaning an easily understood system of conservation practices that solve many of the natural resource concerns associated with cropland agriculture. NRCS is supporting the CTIC/CORE4 marketing plan in a cooperative effort with many other conservation partners. The objective is to focus on cost- effective systems that can be planned and installed with limited technical and financial assistance. Within NRCS CORE4 is much more. It is • Providing a team of technical specialists to provide assistance to states. • Developing job sheets and modifying them to meet application needs. • Encouraging statewide training to NRCS employees and public and private partners. • Providing assistance for state conservation practice standard develop- ment or revisions. • Providing support for demonstration projects. The material in this book is designed to improve user knowledge and under- standing of the function, value, and management of this family of practices. In addition to improving water quality, these practices can improve soil quality, air quality, wildlife habitat, and aesthetics. Carbon sequestration is another benefit expected from the widespread application of these practices. This material is available to partnering agencies, private industry, special- interest groups, and other interested individuals. The job sheets and pre- pared training materials are presented from a national perspective. Where appropriate, the guidance should be tailored to fit local conditions. Core4 Conservation Practices, August 1999 i CORE4 Acknowledgments We wish to acknowledge the technical input of the many specialists who assisted in the development of this material. Conservation Tillage Dave Lightle, NRCS agronomist, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska Dave Schertz, NRCS national agronomist, Washington, DC Dan Towery, NRCS natural resource specialist, CTIC, West Lafayette, Indiana Arnold King, NRCS resource conservationist, Fort Worth, Texas Nutrient Management Jerry Lemunyon, NRCS nutrient management specialist, Fort Worth, Texas Bill Kuenstler, NRCS agronomist, National Cartography and Geospatial Center, Fort Worth, Texas Stephanie Aschmann, NRCS agroecologist, Watershed Sciences Institute, Lincoln, Nebraska Dave Moffitt, NRCS environmental engineer, National Water Management Center, Fort Worth, Texas Pest Management Joe Bagdon, NRCS pest management specialist, Amherst, Massachusetts Jerry Lemunyon, NRCS nutrient management specialist, Fort Worth, Texas Ken Pfeiffer, NRCS agronomist, Water and Climate Center, Portland, Oregon Ben Smallwood, NRCS national pest management specialist, Washington, DC Conservation Buffers Jerry Bratton, FS agroforester, National Agroforestry Center, Lincoln, Nebraska Seth Dabney, ARS research agronomist, Sedimentation Lab, Oxford, Mississippi Bill Donham, NRCS agronomist, Stephenville, Texas Jerry Grigar, NRCS agronomist, East Lansing, Michigan Hank Henry, NRCS biologist, Watershed Sciences Institute, Raleigh, North Carolina Jerry Lemunyon, NRCS nutrient management specialist, Fort Worth, Texas Dave Lightle, NRCS agronomist, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska Valerie Oksendahl, NRCS soil conservationist, Lewiston, Montana Ken Pfeiffer, NRCS agronomist, Water and Climate Center, Portland, Oregon Charlie Rewa, NRCS biologist, Wildlife Habitat Management Institute, Laurel, Maryland Jim Robinson, NRCS agroforester, National Agroforestry Center, Fort Worth, Texas Don Stettler, NRCS environmental engineer, Water and Climate Center, Portland, Oregon Lyn Townsend, NRCS forest ecologist, Watershed Sciences Institute, Seattle, Washington Gary Wells, NRCS landscape architect, National Agroforestry Center, Lincoln, Nebraska Bruce Wight, NRCS agroforester, National Agroforestry Center, Lincoln, Nebraska ii Core4 Conservation Practices, August 1999 Key Conservation Practices A very special thanks to Kim Isaacson and Clover Shelton of the Na- tional Agroforestry Center for compiling and layout of the material; Dianne Johnson, Grazing Lands Technology Institute for assembling materials and secretarial assistance; Mary Mattinson for editorial assistance; and to the National Production Services Staff for their assistance in publishing. Contact Information for Core4 Specialists Name Location Phone Fax Email Aschmann, Stefanie WSSI, Lincoln, NE 402-437-5178 x43 402-437-5712 [email protected] Bagdon, Joe NWCC, Amherst, MA 413-253-4376 413-253-4375 [email protected] Bratton, Jerry NAC, Lincoln, NE 402-437-5178 x 24 402-437-5712 jbratton/[email protected] Dabney, Seth ARS, Oxford, MS 601-232-2975 601-232-2915 [email protected] Donham, William Stephenville, TX 254-965-3213 254-965-2492 [email protected] Grigar, Jerry East Lansing, MI 517-337-6701 x 1228 517-337-6905 [email protected] Henry, Hank WSSI, Raleigh, NC 919-515-4181 919-513-1420 [email protected] King, Arnold ECS, Fort Worth, TX 817-509-3213 817-509-3210 [email protected] Kuenstler, Bill NCGC, Fort Worth, TX 817-509-3363 817-509-3469 [email protected] Lemunyon, Jerry Fort Worth, TX 817-509-3216 817-509-3210 [email protected] Lightle, Dave NSSC, Lincoln, NE 402-437-4008 402-437-5336 [email protected] Moffitt, Dave NWMC, Fort Worth, TX 817-509-3315 817-509-3486 [email protected] Oksendahl, Valerie Lewiston, MT 406-538-7401 406-538-9353 [email protected] Pfeiffer, Ken NWCC, Portland, OR 503-414-3061 503-414-3101 [email protected] Rewa, Charles WHMI, Laurel, MD 301-497-5657 301-497-5911 [email protected] Robinson, Jim NAC, Fort Worth, TX 817-509-3215 817-509-3210 [email protected] Schertz, Dave ECS, Washington, DC 202-720-3783 202-720-2646 [email protected] Schnepf, Max SWCS, Ankeny, IA 515-289-2331 x 15 515-289-1227 [email protected] Smallwood, Benjamin ECS, Washington, DC 202-720-7838 202-720-2646 [email protected] Stettler, Don NWCC, Portland, OR 503-414-3076 503-414-3101 [email protected] Towery, Dan CTIC, W. Lafayette, IN 765-494-6952 765-494-5969 [email protected] Townsend, Lyn WSSI, Seattle, WA 206-616-8414 206-616-8417 [email protected] Wells, Gary NAC, Lincoln, NE 402-437-5178 x 41 402-437-5712 [email protected] Wight, Bruce NAC, Lincoln, NE 402-437-5178 x 36 402-437-5712 [email protected] Core4 Conservation Practices, August 1999 iii CORE4 iv Core4 Conservation Practices, August 1999 CORE4 Key Conservation Practices Contents Part 1 Conservation Tillage Chapter 1 Introduction to Crop Residue Management and ........................... 1 Conservation Tillage Chapter 2 Impacts of Residue Management Practices ................................... 3 Chapter 3 Planning and Design of Residue Management Systems Part A—No-till/Strip-Till ................................................................. 11 Part B—Mulch-Till ........................................................................... 17 Chapter 4 Conservation Tillage Equipment ................................................... 23 Chapter 5 Crop Management ........................................................................... 33 Chapter 6 Economic Considerations—Conservation Tillage ...................... 37 Chapter 7 New Technology .............................................................................. 41 Appendix Residue Retention Values ............................................................... 43 Part 2 Nutrient Management Chapter 1 Nutrient Management Planning—Overview .................................. 1 Chapter 2 Nutrient Management Planning ..................................................... 13 Chapter