The Iowa Department of Agri­culture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) last week opened another sign-up period for cost share funds to help farmers install conservation and water quality improvement practices.

"We have seen significant growth in cover crops and other water quality-focused practices in recent years, but many farmers are still exploring how the practices fit on their farm," said Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey. "This statewide program is designed to help them get started with a new practice and learn how they can use one or more of these tools to help protect water quality."

Practices eligible for this funding are cover crops, no-till or strip till, or using a nitrification inhibitor when applying fertilizer.

The cost-share rate for Iowa farmers planting cover crops is $25 per acre ($15 per acre for past cover crop users) and for farmers trying no-till or strip-till is $10 per acre.

Farmers using a nitrapyrin nitrification inhibitor when applying fall fertilizer can receive $3 per acre.

Farmers who have previously planted cover crops are eligible for a reduced rate of $15 per acre. First-time cover crop users will receive priority consideration for this assistance. Farmers are only eligible for cost-share on up to 160 acres.

Funds available July 1

The funds will be made available in July, but farmers can immediately start submitting ap­­plications through their local Soil and Water Conservation District office.

"As farmers are busy planting, we wanted to get the announcement out as soon as possible so our staff and partners can prepare to sign up interested farmers if there are rain delays or as field work is wrapped up," Northey said.

Farmers are also encouraged to visit their local Soil and Water Conservation District office to inquire about additional opportunities for other cost-share funding programs. A directory of the offices can be found on www.IowaAgriculture.gov under "Hot Topics."

The Iowa Department of Agri­culture and Land Stewardship received $9.6 million for the Iowa Water Quality Initiative in fiscal 2016.

These funds will allow IDALS to continue to encourage the broad adoption of water quality practices through statewide cost-share assistance as well as more intensive work in targeted watersheds.

In the three years this program has been available, more than 2,900 farmers in all Iowa counties have put in new nutrient reduction practices on nearly 300,000 acres.

The state provided about $6.2 million in cost-share funding to help farmers try a water quality practice, and Iowa farmers provided more than $6.2 million of their own resources to support these water quality practices.