Researchers at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment are beginning on-farm studies to look at which Natural Resources Conservation Service’s practices work best for Kentucky grain farms.  In the project called Blue Water Farms which is funded by the Kentucky Soybean Promotion Board and the USDA NRCS, UK researchers Brad Lee, Erin Haramoto, Mark Akland (PSS), Dwayne Edwards (BAE) and Glynn Beck with the Kentucky Geological Survey evaluate best management practices help farmers retain the most soil and nutrients on their farms. This will help the NRCS fine tune its recommendations for Kentucky producers.

We are working with row crop producers in Western Kentucky to specifically evaluate the nutrient retention benefits of poultry litter injection and cover crops in no-till fields in corn and soybean rotations. UK researchers will monitor the effects of these best management practices on participating farms for around 10 years.