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United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
9173 W. Barnes Dr., Suite C
Boise, Idaho 83709
 
For More Information:
Contact:  Jody Fagan, 208.685.6978

January 13, 2006


Conservation Practices Help Farmers Save Energy and Money

BOISE, ID—Conservation practices such as switching to low-pressure irrigation systems and using prescribed grazing plans can help Idaho farmers and ranchers save energy and, in return, save money.

“Increased fuel and electricity prices are cutting into producers’ bottom lines,” says Richard Sims, state conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). “Several conservation practices can help producers save energy, conserve natural resources and reduce input costs.”

Practices such as moving to a low-pressure irrigation system could save producers $9 or more per acre in fuel costs while replacing old or inefficient irrigation pumps could save up to $17,600 on a 1,000-acre farm. Improving pesticide use with scouting, spot spraying and integrated pest management could cut costs by 25 percent while intensive grazing management practices could save up to $10 per year per cow.

“There really is an advantage to these practices,” Sims says. “The hard part is getting the capital together to install the practices. However, there are a variety of state and federal cost share programs that can help with that.”

Conservation practices that can help save energy and money include:

  • Switching from conventional tillage to no-till
  • Moving to low-pressure irrigation systems
  • Replacing old or inefficient irrigation pumps
  • Using manure instead of petroleum-based fertilizer
  • Better managing nutrient and pesticide applications through precision agriculture
  • Improving pesticide use with scouting, spot spraying and integrated pest management
  • Adopting management intensive grazing practices
  • Planting windbreaks and shelterbelts

For more information on farming practices to save energy and available cost-share programs visit www.scc.state.id.us, www.id.nrcs.usda.gov or your local USDA NRCS Service Center.

 

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