Following is the dirt, I mean soil, on the Conservation Security Program (CSP). We have tried to get the information on this page that is applicable to Mills County producers. Of course, always check NRCS for the most current information (most of the links on this page are directly to NRCS pages anyway). Past CSP Eligibility In previous sign-ups, most producer's eligibility has been based on two criteria: tillage and nitrogen application rate. No-till is the system that helps get producers into CSP. To be eligible, each producer must have a positive Soil Conditioning Index (SCI) score. This rating comes from RUSLE2, the newest version of a computerized soil loss program that NRCS has used for many years. Following are some examples of different SCIs: On a typical, fully terraced, "D" slope (9-14%) in Mills County, if a farmer no-tills, he could expect a SCI of about .49 Light Disk before soybeans, your SCI goes to -.28 Cultivate before planting corn, the SCI is .011 Even if you only till once every eight years, your SCI would drop from a .49 to around a .3...this could be the difference between getting into the program or just coming close. Warning: Soil Conditioning Indices awarded CSP contracts keep increasing, meaning producers will have to go that extra step to beat the competition. Adding perennial covers (hay/pasture) will increase your chances of earning a CSP contract. Three years of alfalfa on the example-farm above bumps the SCI up to .76. Nitrogen and nutrient management is always a little touchier. Different groups and researchers recommend various levels of nitrogen application, so we'll tell you what the program has allowed in the past to be eligible. The CSP Nitrogen eligibility rate has been based on the productivity of the soils on the individual field. You can figure your rate below: Use the predominant soil on your farm and look up the yields. Take the yield times 1.1 for a genetics credit, then 1.1 for the nitrogen need per bushel of corn. Finally, subtract the soybean yield for that soil. You can prove your yields if you think these are low, but you need 10 years of records. There is talk of using ISU's recommendation of 150 lbs/acre or below. Don't count on it yet. Make sure that you have current (within 3 years) soil tests, and keep records of your fertilizer application rates and dates. Following a Nutrient Management Plan developed by NRCS or a Technical Service Provider will go a long way to ensure eligibility. The Tier System, three levels of conservation payments. NRCS Conservation Security Program Web-pages In an effort to ease the burden placed on you by hard to navigate websites, here are some of the need-to-see webpages. Iowa NRCS CSP Page: A good overall page, but easy to get lost in the shuffle. The CSP Self-Assessment Page: Where you start the journey to check your eligibility. PDF Format: Print it out and fill it out.