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<\/a>Irrigation water management in rice is one of the practices supported by the\u00a0Texas Conservation and Sustainability Initiative, which offers direct payments for implementing or continuing proven soil health and water management practices. (Chris Swann\/Texas A&M AgriLife)<\/p>\nThe\u00a0Texas Conservation and Sustainability Initiative<\/a>, a Texas A&M AgriLife<\/a>-led program, is open to farmers, ranchers and small forest landowners. It offers direct payments for implementing or continuing proven soil health and water management practices.<\/p>\n Payments to adopt\u00a0select conservation practices<\/a> range from $30 per acre to more than $1,500 per acre, depending on the practice.<\/p>\n For many producers, this means getting paid to try something new or getting paid for what they\u2019re already doing.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is about reducing risk for producers,\u201d said Jason Vogel, Texas A&M AgriLife Research<\/a> project manager, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences<\/a>. \u201cIf you want to try a new practice, there\u2019s funding to help. If you\u2019re already doing it, there\u2019s funding to reward that too.\u201d<\/p>\n What producers can get paid for<\/p>\n Highlighted row\u2011crop incentives include:<\/p>\n Cover crops \u2014 $80 per acre.<\/p>\n Reduced tillage \u2014 $30 per acre.<\/p>\n No\u2011till \u2014 $30 per acre.<\/p>\n Soil carbon amendments, e.g., biochar \u2014 $275\u2013$1,500 per acre.<\/p>\n Nutrient management, slow\u2011release manure per compost \u2014 $275 per acre.<\/p>\n Conservation crop rotation \u2014 $30 per acre.<\/p>\n Irrigation water management for rice \u2014 $150\u2013$300 per acre.<\/p>\n Why producers are signing up<\/p>\n The practices included are good for both the land and producers\u2019 bottom line, Vogel said.<\/p>\n Benefits can include:<\/p>\n Lower labor and fuel costs.<\/p>\n Reduced weed pressure.<\/p>\n Natural fertilizer from decomposing residues.<\/p>\n Improved pest suppression.<\/p>\n Higher yields over time.<\/p>\n Better water retention and reduced compaction.<\/p>\n Cooler soil temperatures during extreme heat.<\/p>\n In short: healthier soil, healthier crops, healthier margins.<\/p>\n What personalized support includes<\/p>\n Producers don\u2019t have to navigate the process alone, Vogel said.<\/p>\n Participants will receive:<\/p>\n \u201cWhether you\u2019re new to regenerative practices or fine\u2011tuning what you already do, the program provides both the dollars and the expertise to make it work,\u201d Vogel said.<\/p>\n About the initiative<\/p>\n The program is funded by the\u00a0U.S. Department of Agriculture\u00a0<\/a>Natural Resources Conservation Service<\/a>. It is led by\u00a0AgriLife Research scientists Julie Howe, Ph.D., soil chemistry and fertility professor and associate department head, and Nithya Rajan, Ph.D., agronomy and agroecology professor and director of the\u00a0Hood Family Center for Greenhouse Gas Management in Agriculture and Forestry<\/a>, both in the\u00a0Department of Soil and Crop Sciences.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>
\nTexas row crop and vegetable producers looking to improve soil health and boost long\u2011term profitability have access to a new round of financial incentives through the\u00a0Texas Conservation and Sustainability Initiative, a Texas A&M AgriLife-led program. (Hannah Harrison, Michael Miller\/Texas A&M AgriLife)<\/p>\n