Decode 6

Ecosystem services encompass the dynamic balance between plants, animals, and the surrounding environment. Ecosystem service markets seek to quantify these complex relationships and offer incentives to producers and land managers for improving ecosystem services. What’s the relationship between research and ecosystem service markets? Our expert with the answers is Dr. LaKisha Odom, Scientific Prog...

Not all crops are harvested equal. Nutrient cycling—the transfer of nutrients from the atmosphere, additives, or the soil into plants and back again—has a profound impact on the final product: the crops at harvest. What can farmers do to grow the most nutrient-dense crops possible? Listen in as Joy Youwakim, a soil scientist currently working as a farmer and an agroecology scientist at Biome Maker...

Farm data include yields, inputs, soil tests, machinery data, and business info. Keeping it all current and in ship-shape can be tough, but data are becoming a more and more powerful tools every day for you to document and communicate the value of your on-farm practices. Listen in as Ben Craker, a Portfolio Manager at AgGateway and president of the Ag Data Coalition, walks us through best practice...

We’ve talked a lot about big changes on the horizon for dairy production in the last few episodes. This week, we’re digging into some practical on-farm tweaks dairy farmers can make to instantly impact their sustainability. Listen in as Tara Vander Dussen, a fifth generation dairy farmer and environmental scientist, talks us through hands-on sustainability tweaks for dairy farms. Water, electricit...

Anaerobic digesters turn manure and other organic waste products into biogas and "digestate," a nutrient-rich product that farmers can use to add nutrients to fields. Digesters get a lot of hype, but how do they work? And when are they economical choices for dairy farms to install? Listen in as Lauren Ray, an agricultural sustainability and energy engineer at Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY, walks us throu...

A new feed additive is in the regulatory pipeline in the United States, well on its way to FDA clearance. It's called 3-NOP, and it's already in use in Europe under the name Bovear. This feed additive for dairy and beef cattle can cut enteric methane emissions by as much as 30%, and can make dairy and beef producers eligible for carbon markets. But how do feed additives like 3-NOP work? And are th...

When we think about emissions from dairy and livestock emissions, cow burps are at the top of the list. Those burps release methane, a greenhouse gas with 28 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. Today, we're breaking down how enteric methane is formed in the guts of ruminant livestock, and new technologies that are helping us cut emissions.   Listen in as Dr. Sara Place, an associ...

Dairies in the United States are responsible for about 2% of our greenhouse gas emissions. Where do those gases come from, and how can we reduce them? Listen in as Dr. Frank Mitloehner, a professor and air quality specialist in cooperative extension at the University of California-Davis, walks us through the sources of GHGs on the dairy farm.  Curious about carbon and ecosystem services and want t...

A virtual fence uses GPS collars and towers to create invisible movable barriers for cattle. It's an exciting technology--can you use it for intensive grazing? Keep cattle off sensitive streambeds? Save on hard fence costs? The possibilities are endless, but putting the technology into practice has a real learning curve.  Listen in as Anna Shadbolt, a research associate at Colorado State AgNext, t...

Deciding when to irrigate can feel like half art, half science. Visual inspections, weather reports, and soil moisture can give you a pretty good idea when your crop needs more water, but soil water potential could help you make even better use of your valuable water. Soil water potential is, in short, the amount of energy it takes for plants to pull water out of the soil, and it's the real limiti...

Carbon markets have hit a few hiccups. One is transparency: how much are carbon credits worth and where’s the money going? Blockchain—a decentralized digital public ledger that permanently records transactions—could help. Listen in as Alex Taylor, Core Contributor at KlimaDAO and Strategic Advisor for Carbonmark, talks us through the possibilities opened wide by using a public, open, immutable dig...

Rangelands take up a whopping 30% of all land cover in the United States. But we don’t really think of them as a carbon sink the same way we do crop land. So what’s the deal? Can rangelands store soil carbon? Tune in as Megan Nasto, Research Scientist at Working Lands Conservation , talks us through the potential for rangelands as a carbon sink. She’ll walk us through how to manage cattle to impro...

The word “resilience” brings sports movies to mind, with underdog teams grittily battling their way forward for a moment in the spotlight. But when it comes to agriculture, resilience is all about maintaining crop performance in the face of environmental stressors, pest pressure, and a changing climate. Underdogs, indeed! Tune in as Dianna Bagnall, Research Soil Scientist for the Soil Health Insti...

Protect, preserve, and create economic resources. This is the mission of the National Indian Carbon Coalition (NICC), which works with tribal members and leaders to find new opportunities for tribal land. NICC works with tribes to develop carbon sequestration projects, protect tribal natural resources, and generate revenue for land acquisition and community development.  Bryan Van Stippen, program...

There are three pillars of agriculture: Soil chemistry, soil physics, and soil biology. New techniques for measuring soil biology are popping up, but what can they actually tell you? And will they give you a better bang for your buck on the farm? Meri Mullins, technical account lead at Biome Makers, is our expert with the answers. Meri will walk us through why measuring soil biology is so importan...

Crop residue is no waste--when left on a field, it's a great way to boost soil microbial activity and provide nutrients for the next crop.  Listen in as Dr. Jeanette Norton, a soil microbiologist at Utah State University, explains the benefits of leaving crop residue on the soil, the role of microbes in the soil food web, and the benefits of different residue types for supplying nutrients.  Curiou...

Preventing nutrient loss and improving water quality go hand-in-glove. But actually implementing conservation practices like tile drainage treatment systems or bioreactors? Now that can be tough. Enter John Swanson, Water Resources Supervisor in Polk County, IA. John's team has used a "batch-and-build" method of getting conservation practices from concept to completion. With this method, John and...

Precision nutrient management is all about "spoon-feeding" your crops the right nutrients at the right time, improving efficiency and improving your on-farm return on investment.  Tune in as Carrie Vollmer-Sanders, the Sustainability Director for US Farmers and Ranchers in Action, talks us through the first steps you can take to get started with precision nutrient management on your farm.  Curious...

Soil supports plant growth, regulates chemical processes, controls and filters water--soil and water interact all the time. So how does soil health impact water quality?  Dr. Ron Turco, a professor and head of the Agronomy Department at Purdue University, is here with the answers. He'll walk us through the interactions between water and the soil, and how changing practices can help us keep soil, n...

Nutrients are essential for us to grow food, feed, fuel, and fiber. But what happens when there's too much of a good thing?  Dr. Helen Jarvie, a professor at University of Waterloo, Canada, is here to talk us through the impact of nutrients on water quality. She'll tackle eutrophication, watershed conservation, and how we can preserve our non-renewable resources and improve water quality. Curious...

Back in 2007, Alberta (one of Canada's 13 provinces) instituted legislation to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from large emitters. Part of that legislation included an option to buy carbon credits.  So what can we learn from Alberta's carbon market? Join us as Sarah Sellars, a PhD student at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, breaks down the lessons we can learn from Alberta's carb...

Over 90% of farmers are aware of carbon markets, but only 3% of the surveyed farmers are participating in a market, according to a 2022 report by Trust in Food. So what are the barriers keeping farmers out of carbon markets?  Join us as Lee Briese serves as our expert with the answers. Lee is an independent crop consultant and CCA from central North Dakota. He provides agronomic advice to farmers,...

When we talk about carbon markets, "additionality" is one of those terms that's tough to avoid. But what is additionality? And what does it mean when it comes to agricultural carbon?  Join us as Scott Gerlt, chief economist at the American Soybean Association, serves up the answers. Scott breaks down what additionality is, what it looks like on the farm, and why it matters for producers and market...

Decarbonization is the push to hit "net zero" or "carbon neutral." It's all about reducing or eliminating carbon emissions from manufacturing and energy production. But what does it have to do with agriculture? Join us as Jim Jordahl, a project analyst at Iowa State University's Bioeconomy Institute, walks us through the demand for decarbonization and agriculture's prime position as one part of th...

Say you're ready to commit to a carbon program. But before you declare "love at first sight" and sign on the dotted line, there are a few questions you should ask. Join us as Chad Hart, a professor of economics at Iowa State University, walks us through the four questions you need to ask before signing a carbon contract.  Curious about carbon and ecosystem service markets and want to learn more? ...