About STRIPS
STRIPS stands for Science-based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips. The STRIPS project is composed of a team of scientists, educators, farmers, and extension specialists working on the prairie strips farmland conservation practice. Our research shows that prairie strips are an affordable option for farmers and farm landowners seeking to garner multiple benefits. By converting 10% of a crop field to diverse, native perennials farmers and farmland owners can reduce the amount of soil leaving their fields by 90% and the amount of nitrogen leaving their fields through surface runoff by up to 85%. Prairie strips also provide potential habitat for wildlife, including pollinators and other beneficial insects.
Need more information on just what prairie strips are? Click here.
Or visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
To watch a short movie about the history, design, and benefits of prairie strips please click here.
To find out about our team, mission, vision, and guiding principles: Read more.
Interested in implementing prairie strips on your land? Contact prairiestrips@iastate.edu today!
Recent News
Information on prairie strips will be presented at several field days and extension events in 2017. Click the header above for the full list.
The STRIPS team was recently awarded grants from the McKnight Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation to train Technical Service Providers (TSPs) and Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs) for certification in prairie strips design, establishment and monitoring. More certified technicians will allow more Iowa farmers to use this conservation tool. Click here for more information.
Got your harvest in the bin? Fall, winter, and early spring are great times for learning about, laying out, and seeding prairie strips. See our Practice Establishment & Management page and FAQ list for more information.
Information on prairie strips will be presented at several field days and extension events in 2016. The next of these will be on September 8th at The Eastern Iowa Airport in Linn County, Iowa. Click the header above for the full list.
Work by a Master's student at Wageningen University in The Netherlands supports prairie strips practice. Read summary here.