Enhancing Soil Conservation Practice Adoption With Targeted Educational Programs

Authors

Elbert C. Dickey, University of Nebraska at LincolnFollow
David P. Shelton, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Paul J. Jasa, University of Nebraska at LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

1991

Citation

Applied Engineering In Agriculture, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 91-96, 1991.

Comments

Copyright 1991 American Society of Agricultural Engineers. Used by permission.

Abstract

Two independent, but closely related, grant funded educational programs were developed and implemented to reduce soil erosion in selected areas of eastern Nebraska. Traditional extension programming methods as well as other more non-traditional approaches were used extensively to enhance soil conservation practice adoption. In one program, encompassing 220 000 ha (540,000 acre) of cropland, annual soil erosion was reduced by 2.3 million t (2.5 million ton) and annual fuel savings of 1.5 million L (390,000 gal) were achieved through a reduction in the number of tillage operations. In the second project, more than 93 000 m (305,000 ft) of terraces were constructed, which resulted in an annual soil erosion reduction of 151 000 t (166,000 ton). These projects demonstrated that targeted conservation programs can be very effective.