This week, the Iowa Seed Association and AAI submitted a proposal to receive funding from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) for a Water Quality Initiative project.
The $1.9 Million project would support the efforts of the Iowa Seed Association “Cover Crop Challenge”, an effort that encourages seed corn companies and their growers to work toward adopting cover crops on all seed corn acres.
The three-year demonstration project would provide assistance with the adoption of cover crops, increase the percentage of seed corn growers utilizing cover crops, develop partnerships among agribusinesses to develop turn-key cover crops services, and develop educational and informational materials targeted to first-time cover crop adopters.
Seed corn production has historically been a cropping system utilized to test and develop new technologies and crop recommendations that lead to broader adoption and incorporation into larger acreages devoted to grain production. The project is intended to utilize that development cycle and help provide a catalyst for cover crop use in both seed and grain production acres across Iowa.
Additional partners on the proposal are the Soil & Water Conservation Society, Iowa Corn, and Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. Projects selected by IDALS to receive funding are anticipated to be given notice by December 4, 2015.
More information on the Iowa Seed Association “Cover Crop Challenge” can be found in their Summer newsletter: http://bit.ly/agribiz151119a
Specifics about the IDALS Water Quality Initiative request for proposals can be found here: http://bit.ly/agribiz151119c