Research as part of our project and other research on buffers and riparian buffers has found that when shallow subsurface flow interacts with the root zone under the prairie strip or other buffers, we can see significant reductions in the concentration of nitrate-nitrogen.
Read more about FAQ: How do the prairie strips treat sub-surface water flow?
Read more about FAQ: How do I take care of my prairie strips?
Most prairie plants will not become weeds in crop fields where annual crops are grown and subjected to conventional weed management practices.
Read more about FAQ: Will the prairie strips make my crops more weedy?
Spray drift definitely can harm the prairie strips in the first several years as the young plants are establishing, but mature prairie plants are more resilient. Mature perennial plants have deep root systems with substantial stored energy reserves, which tend to allow them to bounce back from incidental drift.
Read more about FAQ: Will crop spray drift kill the plants in the prairie strips?
Driving on prairie strips will create disturbance and could disrupt the native plant community. Many invasive weeds are more tolerant to disturbance than prairie plants, and driving on the strips could create an environment where weeds can out-compete the prairie plants. Disturbed areas also may reduce the prairie diversity to only a few native species.
Read more about FAQ: Will driving on the strips kill the prairie plants?
Prairie strips could serve as a source of hay if harvested later in the summer, but the plant species composition may shift. Managers may find it difficult to maintain a diversity of grass and forb species.
This is an open question for the STRIPS team, which we hope to answer soon. At least two of our farmer cooperators are planning to graze their prairie strips: one is developing a method to rotationally graze the prairie strips and another releases cattle onto his whole field after fall corn harvest. Stay tuned for research results; in the meantime, you might try it, being careful not to allow livestock to congregate in any area long enough to create bare ground.
Read more about FAQ: Can I graze cattle on my prairie strips?
Butterflies and bees are attracted to the colors and scents of flowers within the strips. Flying above the crop pollinators will be able to locate the strips using these cues.
Read more about FAQ: How will butterflies and bees find the prairie strips?
Read more about FAQ: How do we choose native species for our grass waterway?
Our cooperating farmers and farmland owners are best at explaining why and how prairie strips fit into the commercial farm environment. They are also passionate about sharing their perspectives with others. Click this link for a series of short interviews. Read more about Why Prairie Strips?
