III. SOILS, AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENT

Core4     Next Section>>

Core4 (Fig. 22) is a program to promote practices that benefit both crop production and natural resource conservation. The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), headquartered in Indiana, originated the program. CTIC is an organization that integrates information programs of the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), several private companies, and other groups. Many of the Core4 practices will be described in the next several sections. Core4 includes:

Fig 22. Core4 Logo

1. Conservation Tillage—leaving crop residue (plant materials from past harvests) on the soil surface to reduce runoff and soil erosion, conserve soil moisture, help keep nutrients and pesticides on the field, and improve soil, water, and air quality.

2. Crop Nutrient Management—fully managing and accounting for all nutrient inputs to help ensure that nutrients are available to meet crop needs while reducing nutrient movement off fields.

3. Insect, Weed, and Disease Management—varied methods to keep these and other pests below economically harmful levels so as to protect soil, water, and air quality.

4. Conservation Buffers—from simple grassed waterways to riparian areas, buffers provide an additional barrier of protection by capturing potential pollutants that might otherwise move into surface waters.