A new USDA report shows that farmers are using more no-till practices, crop rotations, more efficient irrigation methods, and advanced technologies over the last decade. The report from the Natural Resources Conservation Service says farmers are making a lot of progress in their voluntary conservation efforts.

“The latest report shows that farmers have done an outstanding job over the years of using innovative conservation strategies that help mitigate climate change,” said NRCS chief Terry Cosby. “But we have more work to do.”

Among the important findings, farmers are increasingly adopting advanced technology, including enhanced-efficiency fertilizers and variable rate fertilization, to improve efficiency, assist agricultural economies, and benefit the environment. Farmers are increasingly using more efficient conservation tillage systems, especially no-till, which has become the dominant form of tillage in rural America.

That helps improve soil health and reduces fuel usage.

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