Cover crop growing in field of no-till corn. Photo courtesy of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
AMES, Iowa — A new study from Iowa State University sheds light on the evolving landscape of agricultural conservation in Iowa. It found that many farmers who adopted two key conservation practices -- cover crops and no-till -- did not continue to use the practices over time.
The research, published in the journal Society & Natural Resources, explored farmers’ self-reports of whether they adopted, continued or abandoned the conservation practices between 2015 to 2019. The survey data from more than 3,200 farmers across six major watersheds in the state demonstrates the importance of factoring “disadoption" rates for conservation practices into conservation assessments and goals.
The findings showing high disadoption rates challenges conventional assumptions about conservation practice implementation and offers important insights for policymakers, extension professionals and conservation advocates.
Adoption is not a one-time decision
“This study shows that adoption is not a one-time decision—it’s a dynamic process influenced by a range of factors,” said co-author Suraj Upadhaya, former ISU research scientist and current assistant professor of sustainable systems at Kentucky State University. “To meet Iowa’s sustainability goals, we need to understand the degree to which farmers are disadopting conservation practices, and figure out how to help them maintain the practices over time.”
Other researchers on the study were:
- J. Arbuckle, professor of sociology and criminal justice, Iowa State
- Chris Morris, postdoctoral research associate in sociology and criminal justice, Iowa State
- Laurie Nowatzke, social scientist, College of Public Health, University of Iowa
- Suraj Uphadaya, assistant professor of sustainable system, Kentucky State University
- Zhengyuan Zhu, professor, Iowa State Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology
Funding came from the Iowa Nutrient Research Center.
Adoption in flux over time
Most conservation adoption research operates under the assumption that once a practice is begun, it will remain in use. Researchers have so far understood very little about how often farmers shift or abandon their conservation practices, according to co-author Arbuckle.
“We used a three-tiered measure of adoption: non-adoption, openness to adoption and adoption,” he said. “We then tracked these adoption status categories from one year to the next. This nuanced approach allowed closer examination of practice use over time, revealing a striking flux in conservation behavior.”
The survey showed that nearly 20% of farmers who used cover crops in one year had stopped using them by the following year. Similarly, about 13% of no-till adopters discontinued the practice after one year. These reversals significantly reduced net adoption rates over time.
For cover crops, although 192 farmers moved from a non-adoption status to adopter status over the study period, 142 shifted out of the adoption category, leaving a net gain of 50 individuals—an overall adoption rate increase of only 1.9%. For no-till, the overall net gain of adopters was only 26 individuals, or 1.0%.
The report also examined differences between watersheds. Of the five watersheds, the Missouri-Nishnabotna watershed that includes the Loess Hills, some of the most erosive landforms in Iowa, showed substantial shifts toward adoption relative to the other watersheds. Farmers there also reported the lowest magnitude of shift out of no-till practices.
Greater support needed to sustain adoption rates
The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (INRS) aims to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus runoff into waterways by 45%, requiring widespread adoption of conservation practices. Yet the new study suggests that current conservation support efforts may not be sufficient to sustain long-term practice use.
The state of Iowa and the federal government provide millions in funding for soil and water conservation programs each year, much of that going to short-term incentives in the form of cost share and technical assistance. The study’s results suggest this support may be insufficient to help farmers maintain practices in the face of the difficult economic and operational realities of specialized commodity production. Factors such as market fluctuations and weather variability can influence farmers’ decisions to adopt or abandon conservation practices.
The report recommends that conservation programs focus not only on encouraging initial adoption but also on supporting long-term continuance. Strategies could include longer-term financial incentives, regular engagement with adopters and tailored outreach based on regional characteristics.
“We think that providing ongoing engagement and support to adopters beyond the initial one to three years typical of conservation programs would be impactful,” noted co-author and ISU research associate Chris Morris. “We are conducting follow-up research with long-term adopters and disadopters to learn more about the factors that influence practice persistence and abandonment.”
The research team will continue exploring the interplay between individual decision-making and landscape-level influences. Their next phase will model how farm structure, social networks and environmental conditions affect shifts in adoption behavior.
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Contacts
J. Arbuckle, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, 515-294-1497, arbuckle@iastate.edu
Ann Y. Robinson, Iowa Nutrient Research Center, 515-294-3066, ayr@iastate.edu