With more than one-half of Iowa’s land rented and farmed by someone other than the owner, it’s critical that landlords and tenants work together closely to develop plans to conserve soil and protect water quality, according to Mike Duffy, an Iowa State University (ISU) Extension economist.

"In the end, what we want is both sides to be satisfied with the agreement and to get more conservation practices on the land," Duffy said. "And I think farmers and landlords can do that by communicating and understanding each other’s positions."

Conservation practices such as cover crops, grass waterways and buffer strips have always been important to many farmers and landlords,...