Alternative Conservation Systems for Hel Cropland
Alternative Conservation Systems for Hel Cropland
NRCS, WI
Field Office Technical Guide
7/02
An Alternative Conservation System is defined as a practice or combination of practices that significantly reduces the level of soil loss by addressing all forms of erosion encountered within the highly erodible cropland fields. The Alternative Conservation System must address sheet and rill, wind, and ephemeral cropland gully erosion.
The objective in the planning and application of Alternative Conservation Systems is to significantly reduce soil loss on lands where the decision maker is not able to adopt all of the conservation practices necessary to achieve a Basic Conservation System. An approved Alternative Conservation System that meets the requirements of 1985 FSA may differ from a Resource Management System or a Basic Conservation System. Soil erosion may not be reduced to the level that will indefinitely protect the production potential of the soil.
During the process of planning an Alternative Conservation System, the producer is to be informed that the system reduces soil loss but does not provide protection to the tolerable level. Also, that the application of the Alternative Conservation System defined by the 1985 FSA may not meet the requirements of other local, state, or federal cost sharing programs or environmental protection regulations.
The producer should be provided with sound alternatives when planning the Alternative Conservation System. These alternatives should give producers a chance to consider the most cost effective land treatment that meets their objectives and also provides for compliance with the 1985 FSA. The producer will be given a Resource Management System and a Basic Conservation System to consider. This effort is to be noted in the cooperator assistance notes.
Soil maps and soils information need not be included in the conservation plan folder on conservation treatment units of 40 acres or less if all land treatment decisions are made at the time of planning and documented in a conservation plan.
A.The following requirements for erosion control must be addressed for an Alternative Conservation System to be fully acceptable.
The minimum level of treatment for an Alternative Conservation System is found in the Field Office Guide Sheets for these systems.
When planning an Alternative Conservation System, the following guide is to be followed:
Cropping systems that consist mainly of high residue crops will use a CP factor not to exceed[1]:
.12 for soils with an EI 8-15
.10 for soils with an EI 16-30
.08 for soils with an EI 31-51
.06 for soils with an EI 52+
Cropping systems that consist of combinations of both high and low residue crops will use a CP factor not to exceed .21 on all HEL soil mapping units[2].
Cropping systems that consist of only low residue crops will use a CP factor not to exceed .30 on all HEL soil mapping units[3].
The following guide sheets have been developed for high residue cropping systems. Additional guide sheets will be developed by the field office for cropping systems that include low residue crops.
The guide sheets will be filed in Section III of the Field Office Technical Guide.
B.Additional treatment
By definition, an Alternative Conservation System is provided where conditions do not allow the consideration of normal economic and practical aspects of planning and applying conservation treatment. For additional treatment, guidelines for development of Resource Management Systems should be referred to.
NRCS, WI
Field Office Technical Guide
7/02
for the food security act 1985
alternative conservation systems1 for erosion control on hel2
Dane County Guide Sheet
MLRA - 95B, 105
Cropping SequenceConservation Practices
Continuous CornSystem No. 1
Conservation Tillage (30% cover)
Grassed Waterway
System No. 2
System No. 3
System No. 4
Applicable HEL Soil Map Units: (EI's = 8-15)
NRCS, WI
Field Office Technical Guide
7/02
AsB – Ashdale
AsC2 – Ashdale
BaC2 – Basco
BoC2 – Boyer
DgB2 – Derinda
DkC – Dickinson
DsC2 – Dresden
DuB2 – Dunbarton
EdB2 – Edmund
GwC – Griswold
PnC2 - Plano
PoC2 - Plano
PrC - Port Byron
RnC2 - Ringwood
RoC2 - Rockton
SeC2 - Salter
SnC2 - Seaton
SpC - Spinks
SpD - Spinks
WrC2- Warsaw
NRCS, WI
Field Office Technical Guide
7/02
1 Additional Alternative Conservation Systems may be developed using practices found in Section IV of the Field Office Technical Guide that will provide a level of erosion control >= System No. 1 with a CP factor of .12.
2 Highly Erodible Land (HEL) as defined in the Food Security Act of 1985.
NRCS, WI
Field Office Technical Guide
7/02
[1] Cropping system includes the following crops: corn (for seed, grain, and silage), soybeans, small grain, sweet corn, legumes, grasses, and sorghum for grain.
[2] Cropping system includes crops in footnote 1/ plus vegetable crops and sunflowers.
[3] Cropping system includes vegetable crops and tobacco.