overhead view of Spring Green WI

The Agriculture Water Quality Program delivers educational content for farmers, crop advisors and conservation professionals on the relationships between ag production practices and water quality outcomes.

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Combine harvesting beans in the fall

Scouting for Soil Erosion in Fall

2024 has provided no shortage of variable weather patterns here in Wisconsin. Each season has contributed to a unique domino effect the likes of which we haven’t seen in some time, if ever. We began by emerging from the single warmest winter on the books for Wisconsin, allowing for field work to take place early and plenty of tillage was concluded before the spring rains arrived.

Image of a track with the corn stages going around the track

Manage nitrogen as a budget to reduce groundwater contamination

Nitrogen (N) is at the center of agronomy, climate change, and water quality conversations. Farms are striving to achieve higher yields and quality while reducing emissions and leaching losses by improving their nitrogen use efficiency.

Visual of a slake test, two jars of water one is clear and one is filled with broken soil particles

 Cover crops for improved surface water quality: Benefits and limitations

This article highlights how cover crops impact phosphorus loss dynamics, including 1) soil and water movement and 2) placement and forms of phosphorus within the soil. Ultimately, situations where cover crops will have the largest impact on total phosphorus loss will be discussed to help farmers and conservation professionals maximize impact. 

Snowmelt running off a farmyard

Spring impacts of climate change on Wisconsin agriculture

This article includes 1) impacts of climate change in spring in Wisconsin, 2) the consequences of climate change with a focus on phosphorus, and 3) practices to increase farm resilience in the face of rapidly changing weather in spring.

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Who are we?

The Agriculture Water Quality Program helps to address the water quality challenges facing agricultural producers in Wisconsin. Our Program adds support and structure for collaborations and initiatives to conduct research and education to improve water quality related to agricultural production for farmers, crop advisors, and conservation professionals.

We build on the research, knowledge, and experience of faculty and staff in Extension that have been working on this issue, including Extension’s very successful Discovery Farms® Program.

Contact our Extension Agriculture Water Quality Program team at agwater@extension.wisc.edu

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