Making CRP Productive Cropland
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres are fields that private landowners put into conservation for 10-15 years to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and/or to improve the environment. Landowners are paid an annual government rental payment in exchange for keeping acres in permanent vegetation. In 2020, Ohio had about 49,300 acres of expiring CRP acreage with about 34.7% or 17,123 acres that went back into crop production. Indiana had about 98,700 acres expire and 34.6% or 34,200 acres converted to crop production. High grain prices tend to cause more CRP acres to leave while low grain prices increase CRP sign up. Landowners usually put their worst performing or “worn out” cropland into CRP. Some land is Highly Erodible Land (HEL) with severe soil erosion, poorly drained, or just hard to farm. These fields tend to have low soil fertility, poor soil structure, poor soil health, and overall low crop productivity. On hilly land; gully erosion, lost topsoil, and exposed subsoil