Nitrous oxide isn’t just “laughing gas” — it’s also a greenhouse gas that’s more than 200 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Corn farmers in Indiana and the rest of the U.S. use a lot of nitrogen fertilizer on their fields — which releases nitrous oxide.
A new report by the Environmental Working Group shows that if corn farmers in 11 Midwest states adopted conservation practices that helped reduce fertilizer use, the U.S. could significantly cut those emissions.
EWG’s Scott Faber said many of these aren’t new to Indiana farmers.
Still, the report said very little of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s conservation funding goes to help pay for climate-smart practices. Faber said only about 23 percent of funding from the Environmental Quality Incentive Program, and 5 percent of the Conservation Stewardship Program, went to these practices.
Source: indianapublicmedia.org
Photo Credit: gettyimages-jessicahyde
Categories: Indiana, Crops, Corn