United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service

South Dakota
SD-FS-77

Developi
ng a
conserva
tion plan
for
healthier,
productiv
e
cropland
can lead
to long
-term
economic
and
environm
ental
sustainab
ility.
Conserva
tion
practices
can be
combine
d to
address
specific
resource
concerns
on each
operation
. The
Environm
ental
Quality
Incentive
s
Program
(EQIP) is
a
principle
program
of the
United
States
Departm
ent of
Agricultu
re
(USDA)
Natural
Resource

Common Agronomic
Conservation Practices
of the
Environmental Quality
Incentives Program
(EQIP)

s Conservation Service
(NRCS) for delivering
financial assistance to
private landowners.
Please contact your local
NRCS office for
conservation planning,
technical and/or financial
assistance.

Co
ns
er
va
ti
on
Cr
op
R
ot
at
io
n

32
8
Co
ndi
tio
ns
Wh
ere
Pra
cti
ce
Ap
pli
es:
all
cro
pla
nd
lan

d where annuallyplanted crops

make up at least
one-third of the
crop sequence
(time basis).
Payment
Schedule:

Activity Description

Standard Rotation, High Value Crop

Irrigation to Dryland Rotation, High

Organic Rotation

Limitations:

high value crop

1. Standard
Rotation
add a
new crop
type or
perennial
to existing
crop
rotation.
Crop
types
include:
1. Warm season
grass-corn,
sorghum,
millet, warm
season
perennial
grass, etc.
2. Cool season
grass-wheat,
barley, oats,
cool
season
perennial

3.

D.Cool season
broadleaf-field
pea, flax, canola,
etc.
2.

3. Organic
rotation
eligible only
through the
Organic
Initiative.
4.

5.

United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service

South Dakota
SD-FS-77

an
ex
ist
in
g
cr
op
ro
ta
ti
on
an
d
wi
ll
be
fol
lo
w
ed
by
a
co
ve
r
cr
op
,
th
en
bo
th
pr
ac
tic
es
ar
e
eli
gi
bl
e
fo
r
pa
y

ment. Payment
for
incorporating a
cover crop will
be made
through Cover
Crop.
6. Payment is
based on
contracted acres
and must adhere to
the conservation
practice
standard for
the
length
of
the
contract.
Contratually
, the annual
payment
will
be
initiated one
the practice
has
been
implemente
d and will
continue for
a period of
three years.

implemented on
the land unit.
7. Ineligible for
paym nt if the
management
practice has been
previously

Payment
Documentation:
For documentation
requirements,
refer to the
practice standard
and all associated
documentation
requirements
outlined in the
Field Office Tech
Guide (FOTG).
USDA is an Equal
Opportunity Provider and
Employer | | January 2014

Common Agronomic
Conservation Practices
of the
Environmental Quality
Incentives Program
(EQIP)

on plan for healthier,

productive cropland can
Developin lead to long -term
ga
economic and
conservati

environmental sustainability.
Conservation practices can be combined
to address specific resource concerns on
each operation. The Environmental

Quality
Incentives
Program
(EQIP) is a
principle
program
of the
United
States
Departme
nt of
Agricultur
e (USDA)
Natural
Resources
Conservat
ion
Service
(NRCS) for
delivering
financial
assistance
to private
landowner
s. Please
contact
your local
NRCS
office for
conservati
on
planning,
technical
and/or
financial
assistance
.

Cover CropMultiple Species

Organic Cover Crop

Li
mi
tat
io
ns:

2.

1. C
o
v
e
r
c
r
o
p
p
l
a
n
t
e
d

Cover
Crop
340
Conditions
Where
Practice
Applies: All
lands
requiring
vegetative
cover for
natural
resource
protection
and or
improvemen
t.
Payment
Schedule:

f
o
r

3.

t
h
e
p
u
r
p
o
s
e
o
f
i
m
p
r
o
v
i
n
g

4.

5.

6.

/increasing
livestock
forage
production
must
be
considered a
secondary
purpose.
If additional
crop type is
added to an
existing crop
rotation and
will
be
followed by
a cover crop,
then
both
practices are
eligible
for
payment.
Payment for
the
additional
crop type in
the
crop
rotation will
be
made
through
Conservation
Crop
Rotation
(328).
Cover crops
cannot
be
hayed
or
terminated
using
fall
full
width
tillage
(strip-till is
allowed).
Cover
crops
must
be
terminated in
less than one
year.
Organic Cover
croponly
eligible through
the
Organic
Initiative.
Ineligible for
payment
if
the
managemen
t
practice
has
been
previously

Pa
ym
en
t
Do
cu
me
nt
ati
on
:
F
o
r
USDA is an Equal Opportunity
Provider and Employer | | January

United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service

South Dakota
SD-FS-77

Developi
ng a
conserv
ation
plan for
healthier
,
producti
ve
cropland
can lead
to long
-term
economi
c and
environ
mental
sustaina
bility.
Conserv
ation
practice
s can be
combine
d to
address
specific
resource
concerns

documentatio
n
requirements
, refer to the
practice
standard and
all associated
documentatio
n
requirements
outlined in
the Field
Office
Technical
Guide
(FOTG).

2014

Common Agronomic
Conservation Practices
of the
Environmental Quality
Incentives Program
(EQIP)

on each operation. The

Environmental Quality
Incentives Program
(EQIP) is a principle
program of the United
States Department of
Agriculture (USDA)
Natural Resources
Conservation Service
(NRCS) for delivering
financial assistance to
private landowners.
Please contact your local
NRCS office for
conservation planning,
technical and/or financial
assistance.

In
te
gr
at
e
d
P
es
t

Management
595
Conditions Where
Practice Applies:
On all lands where
pests will be
managed.
Payment
Schedule:

Activity Desc

Basic Field
Concern

Advanced
Concerns

Risk Preve
Concerns

Small Farm
Resource
concern

Limitations:
1. Basic Field, One

t
e
c
h
n
i
q
u
e
s
t
o
m
a
n
a
g
e

2.

p
e
s
t
s
.
N
o
p
e
s
t
i
c
i
d
e
s
a
l
l
o
w
e
d
.

3.

4. S
m
all
Fa
r
m
,
M
or
e
Th

an One
Resource
Concernpest
monitoring
techniques
and pest
thresholds
applied on
small
farm/diversifie
d systems to
address
multiple
resource
concerns,
limited to
farms less than
40 acres.
5. Payment
is
based
on
contracted
acres and must
adhere to the
conservation
practice
standard for the
length of the
contract.
Contractually,
the
annual
payment will be
initiateduptonc
e the practice
has
been
implemented
and
will
continue for a
period
three
years.
6. Ineligible for
payment if
the
managemen
t
practice
has
been
previously
implemente
d on the
land unit.
Payment
Documentation:
For
documentati
on
requirement
s, refer to
the practice
standard
and all
associated
documentati
on
requirement
s outlined in

FOTG.

USDA is an Equal

United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service

South Dakota
SD-FS-77

Developin
ga
conservati
on plan for
healthier,
productive
cropland
can lead
to long
-term

Opportunity Provider and Employer | | January 2014

Common Agronomic
Conservation Practices
of the
Environmental Quality
Incentives Program
(EQIP)

economic and
(USDA) Natural Resources Conservation
environmental
Service (NRCS) for delivering financial
sustainability. Conservationassistance to private landowners. Please
practices can be combined contact your local NRCS office for
to address specific
conservation planning, technical and/or
resource concerns on each financial assistance.
operation. The
Environmental Quality
Incentives Program (EQIP)
Nutrient
is a principle program of
Management
the United States
Department of Agriculture
590

Conditions
Where Practice
Applies: All
lands where
plant nutrients
and soil
amendments
are applied.
Payment
Schedule:

nutrient budget, and

eli
ent if the
record keeping. Records
manage
gib
demonstrate the
ment
le
implementation of the
practice
thr
four Rs of the Nutrient
has been
ou
Management (590).
previousl
gh
y
2. Basic with Manurebasic
the
impleme
system that utilizes
Or
nted on
manure or compost
ga
the land
application with
nic
unit.
commercial fertilizer
Init 7. Nutrient
applications. Includes
iati
management plan
composite soil testing,
Activity Description
ve.
required
with
manure or compost
nutrients applied
I
analysis, completed
n
in
accordance
nutrient budget, and
Basic
e
with
record keeping.
Payment
is
Variabl
based
ono
acre
8. sntracted
andmu
yearsonce
st
adhere
to
l
the
practice
the
hasbeen
conservation
e Rate
implemented
Payment
.
can
be
made
3.
Enhancedincludes
soil
upto
3 of
pr
ctice
i
Basic
with
Manure
standard
for
the
length
the
Applic
contract.
testing,
completed g
ation
nutrient budget, use of i
Map
Enhanced
slow release material or b
Payment
nitrification
inhibitors, l
(Comme
and
record
keeping.
e
Documentation:
Advanced Precision
rcial
4. Advanced Precision
For documentation
Fertilizer
f
Nutrient
Management
requirements,
or
Basic Organic
nutrient mngt. techniques o
refer to the
Manure)
r
above
the
basic
level
that
practice standard
Limitations:
utilize specialized
and all associated
1. Basicincludes
documentation
precision techniques/tools p
a
composite soil
requirements
(variable rate
y
testing,
outlined in the
application).
m
completed
FOTG.
5. Basic
Organiconly
is an Equal
Opportunity Provider and Empl
oyer | | January
2014
USDA
NRCS standards.

United States Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Conservation Service

South Dakota
SD-FS-77

Common Agronomic
Conservation Practices
of the
Environmental Quality
Incentives Program
(EQIP)

(NRCS) for delivering

financial assistance to
Developin private landowners.
ga
Please contact your local
conservati NRCS office for
on plan
conservation planning,
for
technical and/or financial
healthier, assistance.
productiv
e
Re
cropland
can lead
si
to long
du
-term
e
economic
and
an
environm
d
ental
sustainabi
Til
lity.
la
Conservat
ion
ge
practices
M
can be
combined
an
to
ag
address
e
specific
resource
m
concerns
en
on each
operation.
t,
The
Environm
N
ental
Quality
o
Incentives
Til
Program
(EQIP) is a
l/S
principle
tri
program
of the
p/
United
Di
States
Departme
re
nt of
ct
Agricultur
e (USDA)
Se
Natural
ed
Resources
Conservat

ion
32
Service

Conditions
Where Practice
Applies:
This practice
applies to all
cropland and
other land where
crops are planted.
This practice
includes planting
methods
commonly
referred to as notill, strip till, direct
seed, zero till, slot
till or zone till.
Approved
implements are:
no-till and striptill planters;
certain low soil
disturbance
drills and air
seeders; striptype fertilizer
and manure
injectors and
applicators; inrow chisels; and
similar
implements
that only
disturb strips
and slots.
Payment
Schedule:
Activity Description

Limitations
:
1.

t
e

n
g

p
r

2.

c
t
i
c
e

s
t

Payment
Documentation:
1For
documentati
on
requirements
, refer to the
practice
standard and
all associated
documentati
on
requirements
outlined in
the Field
Office
Technical
Guide
(FOTG).

a
n
d
a

3.
Till/Strip Tillonly
eligible through
the Organic
Initiative. 4.
the
dmust
re
onservation
years

r
d

f
o

ayment

r
don

USDA is an Equal

Opportunity Provider and Employer | | January 2014