Many of these practices have well documented reductions for nitrate-nitrogen leaching. Specifically, they can reduce nitrogen input needs and /or increase overall uptake of nitrogen making less available for leaching. For some alternative cropping systems, the AMTs may be conditional as they require already-established BMPs to be followed, such as, using nitrogen fertilizer recommendations from the University of Minnesota.
Increasing continuous cover can be accomplished by diversifying crop rotations, adopting perennial cropping systems, and incorporating cover crops.
- Crops with low nitrogen application needs and land cover
- Perennial forage (alfalfa, clover, grass pasture and others)
- Pasture and hayland
- Crops with relatively low nitrogen requirements, such as small grains (e.g., wheat, oats, rye, barley, triticale) and canola
- Perennial grains
- Selection of lower nitrogen requiring varieties and adjusting seeding density
- Forever Green crops and other innovative crops and cropping systems that have the potential to be the next generation of low nitrogen input or nitrogen management crops.
- Set-aside programs – continuous cover
- Land swapping to relocate high-intensity crops from vulnerable areas to a less sensitive location
- Land retirement
