INDIANA– The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) and partners throughout the state have worked with the Gulf Hypoxia Program (GHP) to develop a no-cost program that focuses on increasing soil sampling knowledge and use as a nutrient management practice to benefit farm operations. Indiana’s Mississippi River Basin Soil Sampling Program is now open to applicants.
“Indiana is a leader in soil conservation and that is thanks to programs like this one,” said Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture. “This funding will support our Hoosier farmers and landowners looking to increase soil conservation efforts on their farms, which we know will help them keep their soil fertile and healthy for generations to come.”
ISDA promotes the importance of nutrient management and the principles of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship framework. The 4R framework uses the “Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time, and Right Place” to achieve cropping system goals. This program focuses on soil sampling and testing as they are key components and the first step in developing a plan for nutrient management. Soil sampling assesses the soil’s fertility, which can be used for making fertilizer application recommendations, assessing available nutrients over time, increasing farmer profitability, and enhancing environmental protection by reducing the risk of nutrient loss. This project was developed to help further Indiana’s State Nutrient Reduction Strategy efforts.
“As a farmer myself, I know firsthand how much time, money, and effort goes into soil testing on farms,” said ISDA Director Don Lamb. “This program is crucial for Hoosier farmers and landowners to afford soil conservation efforts and nutrient stewardship, which are integral to their farms. I am thankful for this funding and our team and partners who make this soil conservation initiative a success year after year.”
This program includes row crop fields, pastures, hay, and specialty crops in Indiana’s portion of the Mississippi River Basin. Eligible landowners will be prioritized by acreage enrolled (i.e., 100 acres or less), fields that have never been soil sampled, and fields that haven’t been sampled regularly (i.e., within the last 4 years). Further prioritization may be implemented based on ISDA’s workload capacity. This program excludes hobby gardens and private lawns. Interested landowners can sign up online at ISDA’s website or by contacting, soilsampling@isda.in.gov.
Sign-ups begin Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, and ISDA will accept registrations until Friday, April 4, 2025, or until funds are exhausted.
This program was made possible thanks to ISDA,Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance (IANA), Indiana Conservation Partnership (ICP) members, farmers, and crop advisors.
