Farmers Use EQIP to Make Changes in Crop Rotation

When Travis and Kyle Nielsen had success with one project cost-shared through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), they signed up for more. First, it was for assistance in converting an old flood irrigation system to a more water-efficient pivot system. Next, they want to change their crop rotation system from summer fallow to continuous crop.

Travis and Kyle farm approximately 10,000 acres near Nashua, Montana, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Farming together for nearly 13 years, the brothers said they saw the need to make some changes in their farming practices.

“If you plan on being in the farming business long-term, you need to think outside the box a little bit,” Kyle said. “Wheat on wheat is not going to keep you in business for the long term. You can either sit around and complain about it or take the plunge to do something about it.”

And, Kyle said, that’s where EQIP plays a vital role. “It would be a lot harder for us to make the changes we want to without EQIP assistance and some technical support.”

That technical support comes from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff located in Poplar. Tom Beck, NRCS tribal conservationist, said his job is to administer EQIP and provide good information to farmers like the Nielsens.

The Nielsen’s first EQIP contract enabled them to change the crop rotation on 350 acres of irrigated bottom land near the Missouri River. Under three irrigation pivots (one cost-shared through EQIP), they are growing pinto beans instead of hay because it has a higher value, Kyle said.

In addition to saving water with a new pivot, it allows the Nielsens to change the crops they grow. “We just couldn’t grow pinto beans without a good irrigation system,” Kyle said.

With only 13,500 acres of pinto beans planted in Montana in 2002, according to the Montana Ag Statistics Service, there aren’t a lot of other growers to turn to for information. “That’s where NRCS has been our best source of information,” Kyle said.

Then Kyle and Travis turned their attention to their dryland acres, the largest part of their farming operation. They have added mustard, peas, lentils, pinto beans, barley, and canola to their rotation.

“The peas use less moisture than wheat so we planted them in what used to be fallow,” Kyle said. “It gives us some income and keeps the soil covered.”

Legumes like peas also have other benefits, according to Beck. Legumes fix nitrogen from the air, which becomes available the following year to the next crop.

Kyle said the legumes are reducing their input costs by eliminating the need to add nitrogen to the soil. This year, he said, they only added phosphorus on the peas.

Since planting peas, the Nielsens noticed that the soil is easier to work with. Technically, Beck calls it soil tilth, or the soil’s condition for supporting plant growth.

Figuring out what works and what doesn’t work is all part of the learning process, Beck said. “We are all learning. I’ve even gotten inquiries from bankers who want to know about these odd crops; will they sell and make money for the producer. So the learning curve is not just in the field.”

What Kyle and Travis have learned so far is that changing crop rotations to include non-traditional crops presents many challenges:

• Seeds are more expensive
• Additional equipment is needed
• Chemicals that work well for weed control are limited
• Markets are a greater distance from the farm

“Without the incentive provided by EQIP, we couldn’t afford to makes these changes and learn from our mistakes,” Kyle said.

Last Modified: 05/25/2005