70th SWCS International Annual Conference July 26-29, 2015 Greensboro, NC

1. Iowa farmers’ willingness to take
action in support of the Iowa
Nutrient Reduction Strategy
J. Gordon Arbuckle Jr.
SWCS Annual Conference
July 27, 2015

2. Study context:
• 1997 Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico
Watershed Nutrient Task Force
established
– 5 fed agencies, 12 states, tribes in MARB
– Goal: Reduce and control Gulf hypoxia
• 2008 Action Plan: Asked states to
develop Nutrient Reduction
Strategies by 2013
• Undercurrent of regulatory threat

3. Study context:
• Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy released May
2013
• Goals: Reduce point/nonpoint source nutrient flow
• Goal for agriculture: 41% reduction in N loss & 29%
reduction in P loss
• Strategy is voluntary
http://www.nutrientstrategy.iastate.edu/sites/default/files/documents/NRS1-141001.pdf

4. Science Assessment: What Practices Work
Goals will only be
reached if nearly
all farmers
increase use of
diversity of
practices: e.g.,
Cover crops + no-
till + MRTN
calculator + split
application

5. Research Questions
In the end, success depends on widespread farmer action
• Are farmers aware of the Nutrient Reduction Strategy?
• Do they support the plan?
• Are they willing to take action toward NRS goals?
• What are relationships between selected factors and
willingness to take action?
– Knowledge of NRS, information sources
– Trust in extension, private sector
– Environmental awareness and concern
– Perceived economic barriers
– Farm and farmer characteristics

6. Data from the 2014 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll,
an annual survey of Iowa farmers
• Focus on issues of importance to agriculture in
the Midwest
• Since 1982, longest-running survey of its kind
• In cooperation with Iowa Dept. of Ag and Iowa Ag
Stats
• Farm Poll 2014 surveyed 1,128/2,218 farmers:
51% response rate
• Questions focused on 1) knowledge of NRS, 2)
sources of info on NRS, and 3) attitudes toward
NRS and related issues
• OLS regression: Factors associated with
expressed support for actions to help meet
NRS goals
Methods

7. Dependent variable: Three-item scale measuring
proactive support for the Iowa Nutrient Reduction
Strategy (Mean 3.49/5; Alpha .709)
Strongly
Disagree Disagree Uncertain Agree
Strongly
Agree
—Percent—
I would like to improve conservation practices on
the land I farm to help meet the Nutrient
Reduction Strategy’s goals
0.8 3.7 23.6 63.6 8.3
I would be willing to have someone help me to
evaluate how my farm operation is doing in
terms of keeping nutrients out of waterways
4.5 10.3 38.9 40.5 5.7
Helping to meet the Nutrient Reduction Strategy’s
goals is a high priority for me
2.0 11.3 39.0 41.6 6.0

8. Awareness of the Nutrient Reduction Strategy
Not at all
knowledgeable
Slightly
knowledgeable
Somewhat
knowledgeable Knowledgeable
Very
knowledgeable
20% 27% 32% 18% 4%
Gave a description, then asked how
knowledgeable they were about the Iowa
Nutrient Reduction Strategy prior to reading
the description

9. Sources through which farmers had heard about the Nutrient Reduction
Strategy: Does support vary by type of source, private or public?
Source Percent
I had not heard about it until now 18
The farm press (magazines, TV programs, websites) 63
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach 45
Natural Resources Conservation Service or Soil and Water
Conservation District 41
Government agency (e.g., Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land
Stewardship) 39
Commodity or farm organization (e.g., Soybean Assn, Corn Growers,
Farm Bureau) 35
The popular press (general interest newspapers, magazines) 30
Local agricultural retailer (e.g., fertilizer, agricultural chemical dealer) 14
Seed company salesperson 9
Independent/private crop adviser or agronomist 8
Number of private ag sources heard about it from .31
Number of public sources heard about it from 2.23

10. MOST trusted Information Sources
Considering the [following] topics, which group would you trust the most for
information to help you make decisions?
Is trust in Extension associated with greater support for NRS?
Fertilizer or Ag
Chemical Dealer
Seed
Dealer
USDA/NRCS/
SWCD Service
Center
Private
Crop
Consultant
Iowa State
University
Extension
Fertilizer type 67.0 0.8 0.8 5.7 15.1
Fertilizer timing 64.8 1.7 1.2 6.1 15.0
Fertilizer application rates 64.3 1.2 1.3 6.0 17.4
Insect pest management 51.9 6.2 2.0 7.7 23.3
Weed management 61.2 2.2 2.1 7.2 18.5
Crop disease management 42.3 11.2 2.6 8.6 26.1
Soil and water conservation 3.8 0.7 62.3 1.4 19.1
Dealing with extreme weather
(e.g., drought, hail, excess
water)
5.8 3.6 17.5 4.0 37.3
Livestock production 1.8 0.0 2.3 0.7 28.9
Farm financial management 1.6 0.1 2.3 3.8 23.3
Mean number private sector most trusted 5.15
Mean number Extension most trusted 1.46

11. Awareness: “Nutrients from Iowa farms contribute to
hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico”

12. Concern: “I am concerned about agriculture’s
impacts on Iowa’s water quality”

13. Economic barriers: “The cost of further reduction of nutrient
losses from my farm operation would be too high”

14. Fertilizer and ag chemical dealers should do more to
help farmers address nutrient losses into waterways

15. Individual and Farm Characteristics 2013
Average Age: 65 years
Percent of farmers who rented land: 48%
Percent of farmers who raised livestock: 26%
Corn and soybean acres: 7-categories 0 – 1000+
Gross farm income: 10 categories $0 – 1m+

16. Standardized
Coefficients
(Constant)
Knowledge of NRS .054
Learned about NRS from agribusiness .000
Learned about NRS from public sources .108**
Number info types Extension most trusted .073*
Number info types private sector most trusted -.010
Nutrients from Iowa farms contribute to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico .123***
I am concerned about agriculture’s impacts on Iowa’s water quality .387***
Cost of further reduction of nutrient losses too high -.133***
Fertilizer/ag chemical dealers should help farmers address nutrient losses .130***
Age -.019
Gross farm sales 2013 -.031
Number of crops 2013 .037
Corn and soy acres categories .101*
Livestock raised in 2013 .050
Rented land in 2013 -.026
*p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001
OLS regression results

17. Conclusions
• Iowa farmers seem to have positive attitudes
toward Iowa NRS, are supportive of NRS goals
• Larger-scale row crop farmers more supportive
• Awareness and concern strong predictors of
support: Need to continue building awareness of
agriculture’s impact on water quality, knowledge
of solutions
• Connection with public sector agencies and
Extension associated with higher support:
However, farmers tend to rely on private sector
for most farming decisions
Multiple-Benefit Prairie Conservation Strips. Photo courtesy of A. McDonald

18. Pathways to change: Private sector advisors
• Most farmers look to ag retailers for info on nutrient
management
• Few farmers report hearing about NRS through ag
retailers
• But many think that ag retailers should do more to help
farmers reduce nutrient loss into waterways
• Need to engage advisors more, especially fertilizer
dealers
– Advisors need to take more responsibility for helping farmers to
reduce nutrient losses.
• Are stakeholders doing enough engage ag retailers and
other private sector advisors?
Multiple-Benefit Prairie Conservation Strips. Photo courtesy of A.

19. Limitations
• Intention to act is a necessary, but not sufficient
condition for behavior change
• Willingness to improve conservation in support
of the Iowa NRS important first step, but does
not necessarily lead to action
• Omitted variables
– Perceptions of threat of regulations?
• A lot has changed since spring 2014: Much
more information and emphasis on NRS
Multiple Benefit Prairie Conservation Strips. Photo courtesy of A.

20. Conclusions
• Early returns encouraging
• In Iowa, dialogue on agriculture and water quality is lively,
and despite some contentiousness, there is a lot of
consensus that although progress is being made, there’s
a long way to go
• Unprecedented institutional commitment to water quality
in ag community, both public (agencies and universities)
and private sector (ag retailers) are taking both symbolic
real steps
• Social science research increasingly viewed as key to
progress: New 5-year survey effort funded by Iowa Dept.
of Ag to examine farmer perspectives over time
Multiple Benefit Prairie Conservation Strips. Photo courtesy of A.

21. Thank you!
Multiple Benefit Prairie Conservation Strips. Photo courtesy of A.
McDonald