Scouting is a key component of a IPM System and would qualify as an enhancement. As I announced in last week’s column the signup for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CStP) with a deadline of June 11, it is a good time to provide more information. The CStP encourages land stewards to improve their conservation performance by installing and adopting additional activities, and improving, maintaining, and managing existing activities on agricultural land and nonindustrial private forest land. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is the lead agency for this program.

Through CStP, NRCS will provide financial and technical assistance to eligible producers to conserve and enhance soil, water, air, and related natural resources on their land.

Annual payments for installing and adopting additional activities, and improving, maintaining, and managing existing activities are available if accepted. Cropland, pastureland and rangeland are landuses eligible for this program.

One resource concern must be addressed at sign-up. For example, soil erosion is a resource concern identified by the state and Kleberg and Kenedy counties as being a priority on cropland. It has to be addressed on all the farms that an operator farms when making an application.

Then one enhancement activity has to be carried out within the first three years of the contract. An “Enhancement” is a conservation activity used to treat natural resources and greatly improve conservation performance. Conservation activities are implemented to control erosion, improve soil, water and air quality.

Just some of these enhancements on cropland include using drift reducing nozzles when spraying, using a controlled traffic system with your implements, and applying high level integrated pest management program (IPM) to control pests whether it be weeds or insects.

It is a five year program eligible for operators on agricultural land. The operator must obtain a five year written lease on the land being enrolled. If an operator loses control of any of the land during that five year period, he or she could be in violation of the contract.

In summation, CStP is a voluntary program that encourages producers to maintain existing conservation activities while adopting additional practices on their operations. This is newest of the conservation programs that reward good quality conservation on the land.

While CSP applications are accepted on a continuous basis, only applications received by the national cutoff date of June 11 will be considered for funding in fiscal year 2010 so don’t delay.

For more detailed information about CStP including eligibility requirements, come by the local NRCS office at 401 E. King Suite 100 in Kingsville or call 592-0309 Ext 3.