How to Increase Iowa Farmers’ and Landowners’ Understanding of Edge-of-Field Practices: Evidence from a 2024 Survey

Abstract

Edge-of-field (EOF) practices such as saturated buffers, bioreactors, and water quality enhancement wetlands are critical components in managing excessive nutrient transport from agricultural fields. These practices play a vital role in achieving the goal of 45 percent nutrient reduction outlined in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, and in helping the U.S. agricultural system to attain long-term sustainability. Key EOF practices, which are important and necessary additions to in-field practices such as cover crops and no-till, can significantly improve water quality, store more carbon in the soil, and enhance wildlife habitat in working landscapes. Despite their important and effective nutrient reduction ability, however, EOF practices have been remarkably underutilized. Building on a previous Iowa Nutrient Research Center-funded project, this study’s purpose is to further decode and unpack the messenger effect in encouraging farmers to adopt critical EOF conservation practices. Using online survey responses of 774 farmers and landowners residing in five watersheds in Iowa, this study provides informative updates on EOF practices, including current adoption rates, willingness to pay for them, perceived environmental benefits, and perceived barriers to adoption. It leverages split-sample information treatments to explore messenger effects and identify effective education strategies to encourage farmers to adopt critical EOF conservation practices. Our study indicates that incorporating wildlife benefits into educational materials can effectively inform and motivate farmers and landowners to adopt EOF practices by connecting conservation efforts with tangible emotional ecological benefits. Moreover, a female farmer messenger can empower the delivery of wildlife information, leading to increased engagement. These findings are important for scaling up adoption and making progress toward Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy goals, helping stakeholders attune and refine strategies for outreach and engagement activities promoting EOF practices.