Dive Into Water Monitoring with ISA Researchers BY BROCK JOHNSTON
I
owa farmers value data and science to solve problems. As land stewards, the state’s soybean growers continue to incorporate cutting edge tactics backed by research yielding tangible results to improve, enhance and restore natural resources benefiting all Iowans. The Iowa Soybean Association’s (ISA) Research Center for Farming Innovation (RCFI) has published a Water Monitoring Report for farmers, landowners and prospective partners interested in implementing or learning more about RCFI water management
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efforts. The resource provides valuable insights into water quality improvement practices, results and ISA engagement opportunities. “Knowledge gained from years of concerted research efforts with farmers, local government agencies, counties, municipalities, universities and ag retailers has allowed RCFI to position water monitoring, evaluation, programs and reliable information to interested growers and partners,” says Roger Wolf, RCFI director. Key areas of the inaugural
report include work on existing water monitoring efforts, watershed partnerships, and in-field and edge-offield practices, including cover crops, bioreactors, saturated buffers and drainage water recycling. Participating in ISA water monitoring and accessing management resources provide: •
Glimpses into ISA research projects, data sets and dynamics impacting water quality like weather, geography and land use. In 2021, data
paired from Agriculture’s Clean
