An expert on prairie reconstruction says he’s seeing more growers adopt prairie strips as a conservation practice.
Tim Youngquist with Iowa State University says the state’s prairie strip program has taken time to catch on.
“There’s a lot of people that don’t necessarily know about prairie, but they are curious,” he said. “An acre of prairie can help treat about 10 acres of cropland. We have about 260,000 acres of cropland that are being filtered through prairie.”
He tells Brownfield prairie strips help protect soil and water while also providing habitat for wildlife.
“If you have areas where you’re concerned about erosion or surface flow, prairie is really well suited,” he said. “You have these deep roots that hold the soil in place, you have stiff stems that slow down that water and take the power out so that a lot of your phosphorus and nitrogen can be kept on-site.”
Youngquist says Iowa State University research shows prairie strips are one of the most affordable and environmentally beneficial ag conservation practices available.
