Green Lands, Blue WatersA Vision and Roadmap for the

Next Generation of Agricultural Systems

Hansen, MN Exp Sta

Farris et al, Iowa DNR

Farris et al, Iowa DNR

DNR

Farris et al, Iowa DNR

Minnesota Harvested Soybean and Alfalfa Acreages

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1975 '78 '81 '84 '87 '90 '93 '96 '99

Alf

alfa

& S

oybe

an (

mill

ions

of

acre

s)

Alfalfa

Soybeans

Portion of total MN Crop land in Corn and Bean Production

40%

45%

50%

55%

60%

65%

70%

1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003

Corn and Soybean Acreage6 County Southeast MN

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

1975 2001

Corn and Soybeans

Gyles Randall,2003

Corn and Soybean acreage11 County South Central Minnesota

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

1975 2001

Corn and Soybeans

Gyles Randall,2003

May 3 - 16

April 5 - 18

Areas of perennialvegetation

Areas of annualRow cropping

2002 Growing Season

June 28 – July 11

May 31 – June 13

2002 Growing Season

October 4 - 17

July 26 – August 8

2002 Growing Season

Cottonwood River WatershedPrecipitation and Runoff

Annual Tile Drainage Lossin Corn-Soybean Rotation

Waseca, 1987-2001

July-March29%

April, May, June71%

Gyles Randall, 2003

Corn and Soybean Nitrate-N Loss Concentrations

• Tile drainage system• U of MN - Lamberton

0

5

10

15

20

25

Corn/Bean Perennials

mg/LMidpointof range

Gyles Randall, 2003

(from Dinnes et al., 2002)

Mississippi River Sedimentation

Rabalais et al. 2000

Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico

93.5 92.5 91.5 90.5 89.5

longitude (deg.)

28.5

29.0

29.5

30.0

lati

tud

e (d

eg.)

Atchafalaya R.

Mississippi R.

bottom dissolved oxygen less than 2.0 mg/L, July 1999

50 km

TerrebonneBay

Sabine L.L. Calcasieu

93.5 92.5 91.5 90.5 89.5

longitude (deg.)

28.5

29.0

29.5

30.0

lati

tud

e (d

eg.)

Atchafalaya R.

Mississippi R.

bottom dissolved oxygen less than 2.0 mg/L, July 1999bottom dissolved oxygen less than 2.0 mg/L, July 1999

50 km

TerrebonneBay

Sabine L.L. Calcasieu

Results of Annual Summer Cruises

January 2001

Management Approach:

…a a 30% reduction30% reduction(from the average discharge in the 1980-1996 time frame) in nitrogen discharges to the Gulf (on a 5-year running average)…

-0

-5,000

-10,000

-20,000

-15,000

-25,000S

quar

e K

ilom

eter

s

GOAL: By the year 2015, subject to the availability of additional resources, reduce the 5-year running

average areal extent of the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone to less than 5,000 square kilometers

Diversification of Agricultural Landscape Systems

ChippewaRiver

Wells Creek

Cultivated Land

Grassland

Deciduous Forest

Urban

80% in cultivation and includes a portion of Montevideo

Catchment size: 17,994 ha

Chippewa River Land Use

Four Scenarios

D Managed year-round vegetative cover

• Cover crops, increased managed grazing, prairie restoration, 90 m buffers

A Extension of current trends • Increased field size, focus on annual crop

productionB Adoption of best management practices • Shift to conservation tillage, use recommended nutrient application rates,30 m riparian buffersC Expand diversity • Five year crop rotation, more grazing • Wetland restoration

Chippewa River

Scenario AScenario B

Scenario CScenario D

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

Sediment Nitrogen Phosphorus

Ch

ang

e f

rom

bas

elin

e (%

)

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

Ch

ang

e fr

om

Bas

elin

e (%

)

WellsCreek

ChippewaRiver

Scenario AScenario B

Scenario CScenario D

Surface Runoff

Green Lands, Blue Waters

A Vision and Roadmap for the Next Generation of Agricultural

Systems

Initiative Vision To improve water quality in the

Mississippi River Basin, increase economic options and profitability for farmers, improve wildlife habitat, reduce flooding potential, strengthen vitality and quality of life of rural communities, and enhance human health.

Initiative Mission

To support development of and transition to a new generation of agricultural systems in the Mississippi River Basin that integrate more perennial plants and other continuous living cover into the agricultural landscape.

Potential Ecosystem Services Provided by Perennial

Cropping SystemsNutrient Cycling, Flood

Management, Natural Pest Management, Soil Health,Wildlife Diversity, Water Quality, Erosion

Control, Carbon Management, Climate Mediation

Benefits to Bird Populations

•Tilled row crops > 18 species

•Tilled row crops, herbaceous fencerow, grass waterway, alfalfa and pasture > 25 species

•Tilled row crops, herbaceous fencerow, grass waterway, pasture, alfalfa, and marsh > 52 species

•Tilled row crops, herbaceous and wooded fencerows, grass waterway, pasture, alfalfa, marsh, and farmstead shelterbelt > 93 species

Best, L. et al. 1995. A Review and synthesis of Habitat Use by Breeding Birds in AgriculturalLandscapes of Iowa. The American Midland Naturalist, 134:1

Bird responses to habitat changes(sightings per 160 acres)

Grazing Systems• Perennial ryegrass

Winter hardiness, Seed production, Rotational grazing

• Illinois bundleflower and other native legumes

Mixed warm season grass-rotational grazing systems

Grazing

Biomass Energy• Willows, Salix sp.• Alfalfa, Medicago sativa,

JoAnn Lamb USDA-ARS St. Paul

• Perennial sunflower, Helianthus sp.

• Perennial flax, Linum perenne

• Native legumes, False indigo, Amorpha fruticosa

Trees and Shrubs

• Willows, Salix sp. Decorative and energy• Hybrid popular,

Populus sp. Energy and fiber • Hazelnuts, Corylus

avellana x C. americana and C. cornuta

Oil, confectionary, and energy

Perennial Native Legumes• 50 species preliminary

evaluation Winter hardiness• 10 species more detailed

studies Production and selection Feeding trials—swine Antioxidants—Food, fuel,

feed and cosmetics Antimicrobial—Food,

cosmetics and feed

Oil Seed Crops

• Perennial flax, Linum sp.

• Perennial sunflower, Helianthus sp.

Lewis Flax (Linum perenne lewisii)

Wetland Restoration• Willow, Salix sp. Nitrogen harvesting,

energy, water retention

• Native wetland species

Unique industrial chemicals, wildlife habitat-hunting

Cover Crops

• Red clover, Trifolium pratense

• Winter rye, Secale cereale, Paul Porter

• Brassica sp.• Alfalfa, Medicago

sativa• Birdsfoot trefoil,

Lotus corniculatus• Native legumesApril 30, 1999

Advantages to Production Agriculture

• Improve environmental performance

• Improve economic diversity/profitability

• Keep working lands working

• Adopt a non-regulatory, long term strategy

Strategy 1Involve diverse stakeholders

– Audubon Society, Upper Mississippi Basin Initiative**– Illinois Stewardship Alliance**– Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy**– The Land Institute**– Land Stewardship Project**– Minnesota Farm Bureau – Mississippi River Basin Alliance**– National/Minnesota Farmers Union – The Nature Conservancy, Upper Mississippi Basin Project** – Minnesota Pollution Control Agency– US Environmental Protection Agency– USDA/US Forest Service

Strategy 2:Engage land-grant institutions– The University of Illinois**– Iowa State University, including the Leopold

Center for Sustainable Agriculture**– Louisiana State University – North Dakota State University **– University of Minnesota **– University of Missouri– University of Wisconsin**

Strategy 3:Organize at the Watershed, State

& Basin Levels• Watershed Learning Groups (Kellogg Foundation)

– Initially focus on two watersheds/state– Develop learning groups

• State Coordinating Committees (Federal Leopold)– Representatives from learning groups and the

consortium – Responsible for planning, implementing and

monitoring in that state

• Multi-state consortium (Charter Partners & McKnight)– Land-grants, NGOs, and government agencies– Responsible for overall planning, monitoring and

budget oversight

Strategy 4: Targeting a portion of the most environmentally sensitive lands will maximize the environmental benefit

Strategy 5:

Develop Supporting InfrastrutureMarket – Technical – Financial

Social – Human - Policy

Strategy 6:Imbed in Mainstream Thought

Strategy 7:Rely on Voluntary Approaches

Objectives: Develop and promote profitable

enterprises• Build Capacity of stakeholders regarding

continuous living cover systems and water quality;• Significantly expand the knowledge base

regarding continuous living cover systems and their impacts and potential

• Coordinate and build on related new and existing activities

• Heighten visibility and increase financial support of and focus on continuous living cover systems

• Identify and promote supporting policy changes

Ten-Year Outcomes• Development of new crops, products, and associated

markets for products of continuous living cover systems• Increased continuous living cover on the agricultural

landscape in the Mississippi River Basin • Reduced N loading from agricultural production at the

watershed level by 30%• Reduced number of impaired waters in the watersheds• Increased migratory waterfowl and neo-tropical

songbird populations at the watershed level by 30% or more.

• Shrinkage of the hypoxic zone from its 2002 level

Budget

On the scale of

$105 million over ten years

Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS

www.greenlandsbluewaters.org