Take Home Points
- Incorporation of prairie strips into row crop land is one possible solution to the challenges facing Midwest farmers.
- Converting just 10% of row crop land into prairie provides disproportionate benefits.
- Prairie strips slow water runoff and encourage water infiltration, reducing soil erosion and nutrient export, thereby improving water quality.
- Prairie strips increase the habitat available for biodiversity, including pollinators and some grassland birds.
- Prairie strips are a feasible and economical way to address some of the challenges facing Midwest farmers.