Row crop operations occupy large land areas and are therefore potentially major contributors to pollution of our waterways. However, there a number of pollution prevention strategies that can help farmers reduce their potential impact. These include conservation tillage systems, integrated pest management, and safe handling and storage of pesticides and other hazardous materials. Conservation tillage systems that reduce tillage and use winter cover crops have been documented to dramatically decrease erosion, increase water use efficiency, conserve energy, and reduce farm inputs. Consequently, supporting education on the benefits of conservation tillage systems has been a major focus of the crop pollution prevention program. In this effort, the Crop Production Program has partnered with local and the state Conservation Tillage Alliances, which are farmer led groups.
The Crop Production Program has also emphasized education on the potential for row crop production to affect water quality by creating an on-farm water quality assessment program and publishing a water quality newsletter, http://www.cpes.peachnet.edu/gh-web/WQNewsletter. The program partners with agricultural organizations, citizen-led groups, University programs, commodity teams, and state organizations to promote field days, hands-on workshops, educational workshops, informational programs, and K-12 educational programs on water quality and quantity. With the increasing emphasis on both water quality and quantity in the state, the Crop Production Program has provided needed educational resources in South Georgia.