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USDA measuring nutrient management practices of Illinois farmers

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is surveying Illinois farmers about their nutrient management practices.

The survey is for the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council and will measure methods including cover crops usage, fertilizer application timing, and methods of determining nitrogen application rates. It will also measure edge of field practices such as wood chip bioreactors and saturated buffers.

The NRCS says the surveys are the best way to save taxpayer dollars and still gather information from the best resource possible- farmers themselves.

Individual farm data will be kept confidential. Only state totals and averages will be released. The survey results will be published in August.