Current Issues

2017 Current Environmental Issue

AGRICULTURAL SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP

The Pennsylvania Farmer has played an important role in the efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Pennsylvania makes up 35% of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The Susquehanna River is the largest tributary to the Bay and the actions of the farms in the Bay Watershed play a critical role in the health of its waters. This year’s Current Environmental Issue focuses on Agricultural Soil and Water Conservation Stewardship.

Although great strides in reducing pollution have been made over the last decades, nearly one-quarter of Pennsylvania’s rivers and streams currently suffer from pollution. Contaminated runoff from agricultural, urban, and suburban areas, sewage treatment plants, septic systems, and even air pollution contaminate Pennsylvania’s streams and remain the leading sources of Pennsylvania’s pollution to the Bay.

Envirothon participants will learn about Pennsylvania’s natural resources and engage in hands-on training and testing. Students will learn the basic concepts of how agricultural Best Management Practices and all natural resource areas are interrelated. By providing a lifelong learning experience for these students, the Envirothon teaches the importance of maintaining a balance of the quality of life versus the quality of the environment specifically relating to agriculture.   In addition, as part of the Envirothon program, students gain an understanding of the importance of promoting soil and water conservation stewardship.

 

Key Topics

1. Soil and Water Conservation best management practices; their purpose and implementation.
2. How are soil and water conservation best management practices interrelated to the management of wildlife, forestry and aquatic systems?
3. How do agriculturists maintain a balance between their quality of life versus the quality of the environment?

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the training, the student will be able to:

1. Identify and recommend soil and water conservation best management practices in agriculture.
2. Describe the role of the federal government in conservation programs that benefit both agricultural producers and the environment.
3. Identify the concept of soil quality/health to provide the needed functions for the conservation planning process.
4. Identify various types of soil erosion and utilize different methods to estimate and predict soil erosion to assess land use impacts.
   • RUSLE equation
   • Aerial Photographs
   • Topographic Maps
   • Soil Maps
   • USDA Classification System
   • Soil Surveys
5. Explain why land-use planning is important to our ecosystems and to our economy to achieve sustainable agriculture.

Reference Materials – 2017

1. The Farm Bill 2014 Programs – Summary of program
2. Farmers Guide to Conservation Stewardship Programs
3. Conservation Choices for Maryland Farmers
4. Conservation Catalog
5. Managing Phosphorus for Agriculture
6. What is Sustainable Agriculture (SARE publication)
7. The Agronomy Guide – Water Erosion section
8. Soil Health Assessment
9. Soil Quality Indicator Fact Sheets
   1. Soil Quality Indicator Sheets How To Guide
   2. Infiltration
   3. Soil pH
   4. Earthworms
10. Understanding Erosion with the Revised University Soil Loss Equation

Learning Enhancements

Videos

‘The Hope in Healthy Soil’ Video Series

Textbook:

Soil Science Management 6th Edition, Edward J. Plaster   (Contact: Delmar Cengage Learning)

**You may also see questions relating to agricultural soil and water conservation stewardship in the soil and land use, forestry, aquatic ecology, and wildlife stations’ reference materials.