Lawrence Svien, BWSR Training Conservationist, reviews use of the NRCS GIS Watershed Tools in the design of CPS 393 Filter Strips.  In addition, Lawrence also covers National Agricultural Technical Note 2, using RUSLE2 for the Design and Predicted Effectiveness of Vegetative Filter Strips (VFS) for Sediment.

Shannon Carpenter, NRCS Water Quality Specialist St. Paul reviews CPS 393 Filter Strip Practice Standard details, practice design, and Filter Strip Implementation requirements worksheet. This session also covers a brief review of Agronomy Technical Note #31 and how the Filter Strip Standard relates to the Note 31 and use of the Seed mix calculator.

Join the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership, American Farmland Trust, and the Upper Macoupin Creek Watershed Partnership for an informative webinar focused on managing phosphorus in conservation cropping systems. Presentations will highlight current research and management tips for farmers and their advisors on best management practices that reduce non-point source phosphorus loading. • Dr. Heidi M.

Forest development stages, successional pathways and characterization of forest disturbances, both background and human-caused, based on size, frequency and intensity, with a brief introduction of silviculture as one type of disturbance.

Introduction of biotic factors affecting forests and forest composition and structure as habitat elements.

Lecture series overview and introduction to habitat, habitat selection, and abiotic elements influencing forests and habitat for selected species.

Jeff King, NRCS Water Quality Specialist, walks participants through all of the considerations for inventorying an operation for nutrient management: producer's objectives, operation delineation, plan maps, cropping history, realistic yield goals, nutrient sources, rates, timing, and placement. 

Tech Talk Replay from August 31. Larry Gunderson, Travis Hirman, and Kevin Hauth from MDA review the nitrogen considerations for nutrient management planning. This session covers current impairments, loss pathways, ground water protection rules, nitrogen loss assessments, and practices to reduce movement.

Tech Talk Replay from August 24 at 1:00. Dr. Daniel Kaiser (UMN Extension) and Dorian Gatchel discuss fertilizer considerations in soil health systems.

Tech Talk Replay from August 24 at 9:00 am. During this presentation Lance Smith, NRCS Rangeland Specialists, walks through the steps of making a visual estimate of forage production and then clipping and weighing a representative sample to verify the visual estimation. The goal is to repeat this process to the extent that a person can make an accurate visual estimate of forage production without taking the time to clip and weigh a sample from every site.