Cover Crops Frontlines.docx

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2012-13:ORGANIC/SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTU

RICE UNIVERSITY FRONTLINES/EXTENSIONS FOR COVER CRO

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Frontlines/Extensions for Cover Crops AFF

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

UNIQUENESS EXT: FERTILIZER IS MAIN CAUSE OF RUNOFF

I/L EXT: NITROGEN RUNOFF DAMAGES WATERWAYS THROUGHOUT THE U.S.

IMPACT EXT: GULF K/T U.S. FISHING INDUSTRY

UNIQUENESS EXT: CHANGES IN U.S. SUPPLY AFFECT GLOBAL FOOD PRICES COVER CROPS DO NOT REDUCE YIELD

A/T "CAUSES GLOBAL WARMING" DA

COVER CROPS REDUCE N2O,WHICH IS WORSE THAN CO2 COVER CROPS REDUCE CARBON POLLUTION

COVER CROPS DON'T INCREASE HARMFUL PESTS

COVER CROPS DON'T INCREASE PESTICIDE USE

A/T SINGER SOURCE INDICT

A/T NON-INHERENT BECAUSE COVER CROPS USED IN SQUO

A/T NON-INHERENT BECAUSE COVER CROPS ARE IN CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM

A/T NON-INHERENT BECAUSE COVER CROPS ARE IN EQIP (NRCS PROGRAM)

A/T WKY INHERENCY PRESS

A/T RMA REGULATIONS

A/T DEAD ZONES CAUSED BY WEATHER A/T TOPICALITY: INCREASE ISN'T CREATE

A/T TOPICALITY: SUBSTANTIALLY


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UNIQUENESS EXT: FERTILIZER IS MAIN CAUSE OFRUNOFF

The biggest cause of runoff is fertilizer used for corn.Scientific American 2012.

"Dead Zone Pollutant Grows Despite Decades of Work." Scientific American. 9 July 2012Web. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=dead-zone-pollutant-grows-despite-decades-

work&page=3.

Nevertheless, corn farmers are using as much fertilizer per acre as ever on theirhigh-yielding crops, according to federal data. On average, farmers applied 58 poundsnitrogen per acre to corn crops in 1964. By 1985, that number had grown to 140 pounper acre, where it remained in 2010. In addition, more acreage is being planted as cornprices boom, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. In 2012, farmers plante96 million acres of corn the highest level in nearly 70 years, and up nearly 22 percentfrom a decade earlier. The primary cause [of nitrate pollution] is row cropagriculture, and the primary culprit of that is corn. Thats being exacerbated by th

fact that corn is expensive right now. People are taking areas out of conservationand putting them into corn production, said Matt Rota, science andwater policydirector for the New Orleans-based Gulf Restoration Network.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/topic.cfm?id=waterhttp://www.scientificamerican.com/topic.cfm?id=water


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IMPACT EXT: GULF K/T U.S. FISHING INDUSTRY

The Gulf of Mexico is a major source area for the American seafood industry.Bruckner 2012. Bruckner, Monica [Montana State University]. "The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone." Scienc

Education Resource Center, Carleton College. 9 October 2012. Web.

http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/deadzone/index.html.

The Gulf of Mexico is a major source area for the seafood industry. The Gulfsupplies 72% of U.S. harvested shrimp, 66% of harvested oysters, and 16% ofcommercial fish (Potash and Phosphate Institutes of the U.S. and Canada, 1999).Consequently, if the hypoxic zone continues or worsens, fishermen and coastalstate economies will be greatly impacted.


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UNIQUENESS EXT: CHANGES IN U.S. SUPPLYAFFECT GLOBAL FOOD PRICES

DeCapua 2012. DeCapua, Joe. "U.S. Drought Impacts Global Food Security." Voice of America News. 8

August 2012. Web. http://www.voanews.com/content/us-drought-food-security-8aug12/1475641.html.

The United States is the leading producer of corn and soybeans two commoditiethat developing countries rely on.However, over the past two months, prices haverisen sharply as the U.S. experiences its worst drought since the 1950s.A foodpolicy expert says effectively responding to the drought can help prevent anotherglobal food crisis.More than half the United States is experiencing the dual problems of too little rain and temperatuthat are too high. Shenggen Fan, head of the International Food Policy Research Institute, sa id thats not only driving up prices

but contributing to price volatility as well.The U.S. plays a huge role in global food security. TheU.S. is the largest food exporter soybeans, maize and many other foodcommodities. So anything [that] happens in the U.S. will have global significance ,

said. The decline in maize production has boosted prices by 30 percent in the past two months. Soybean prices are up 19 percFan said, Last weekends rain may have helped a little bit, but we think the droug ht may come back and will continue to affec

both soybean and maize production.The price rises for corn and soybeans have a majornegative effect on another important commodity wheat. Wheat prices havefollowed maize price very closely, and that will have more impact [on] some poorcountries in the Middle East. Many countries do import wheat not only from [the] U.S., but also from othercountries, he said.


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COVER CROPS DO NOT REDUCE YIELD

Cover crops can be planted in between rows of regular crops and can actuallyincrease yield by 10%.

Iowa State University, 2012. "ISU: Cover Crops Increase Corn Yield by 10 Percent." The Crop Site, anIowa State University publication. 5 March 2012. Web. http://www.thecropsite.com/articles/1199/isu-cove

crops-increase-corn-yield-by-10-per-cent.

The most recent annual results from a four-year Iowa State University study onusing cover crops between rows of corn reveals that higher yields - by as much as10 percent - are possible using the soil-saving approach to farming . The results arthe best yet in the ongoing research, according to Ken Moore, Charles F. CurtissDistinguished Professor of Agriculture and Life Sciences and primary investigator on thproject, who plans to carry on the trials for at least one more growing season. Planting

living mulch - or ground cover - between rows of corn is intended to perform severalfunctions - maintain soil moisture, slow soil erosion, and sequester carbon.

Yields with perennial cover crops are equal to those of traditional farming.Iowa State University (2011, July 25). Corn yields with perennial cover crop are equal to traditional

farming. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 18, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com

/releases/2011/07/110725162531.htm

Soil quality, water quality, and possibly even farm profits will all benefit by using aperennial cover crop on corn fieldsthat allows for similar yields to traditional

farming methods, according to Iowa State University research. Using standardagronomic practices and managing a perennial cover crop between rows of corncan keep soil, nutrients and carbon in the fields,a three-year study says. Plus,farmers will still be able to yield 200 bushels per acre, the study showed. For thestudy, researchers looked at 36 potential ground cover species, different corn hybridsand various tillage practices and found that strip till planting using Kentucky bluegrassthe perennial cover crop is the combination the researchers will recommend to offerenvironmental benefits while maintaining yield.


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A/T "CAUSES GLOBAL WARMING" DA

Cover crops reduce N2O, which is worse than CO2

1- Nitrous oxide (N20) is 300 times worse than carbon dioxide as a cause ofglobal warming.EPA 2013.http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/n2o.html

Nitrous oxide is naturally present in the atmosphere as part of the Earth's nitrogen cycland has a variety of natural sources. However, human activities such as agriculture,fossil fuel combustion, wastewater management, and industrial processes areincreasing the amount of N2O in the atmosphere. Nitrous oxide molecules stay in thatmosphere for an average of 120 years before being removed by a sink or destroyedthrough chemical reactions. The impact of 1 pound of N2O on warming the

atmosphere is over 300 times that of 1 pound of carbon dioxide . Globally, about 40of total N2O emissions come from human activities. [1] Nitrous oxide is emitted fromagriculture, transportation, and industry activities, described below. Agriculture. Nitrooxide is emitted when people add nitrogen to the soil through the use of syntheticfertilizers. Agricultural soil management is the largest source of N2O emissions inthe United States, accounting for about 68% of total U.S. N2O emissions in 2010.Nitrous oxide is also emitted during the breakdown of nitrogen in livestock manure andurine, which contributed to 6% of N2O emissions in 2010.

2- Cover crops reduce nitrogen pollution, including nitrous oxide.

Stillerman 2012. Stillerman, Karen [senior analyst in the Union of Concerned Scientists' Food andEnvironment program]. "How It Works: Cover Crops." Catalyst. Spring 2012. Web.

http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/catalyst/sp10-how-it-works-cover-crops.html

Plants are unable to absorb more than half of the nitrogen fertilizer currentlyapplied on U.S. farms, and much of the excess leaves the soil. This excess nitrogenthreatens both the environment and public health in a number of ways. Forexample, nitrogen overuse in agriculture is the largest domestic, human-causedsource of nitrous oxide, a global warming gas nearly 300 times more potent thancarbon dioxide. Additionally, nitrogen runoff or leaching from farms in the Mississippi River watershed is the largestcontributor to the Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone"an area the size of Connecticut and Delaware combined, where algae thatflourish in conditions of excess nitrogen start a cycle that robs the water of oxygen, making it uninhabitable for fish and othermarine life. Nitrogen in the form of nitrate can also become a threat to human health when it seeps into drinking water. Andfinally, airborne ammonia (formed from the nitrogen in fertilizer) contributes to smog, respiratory diseases, and acid soil. Inresponse to mounting nitrogen pollution, the biotechnology industry has suggested that it could genetically engineer crops to nitrogen fertilizer more efficiently. But a recent UCS report, No Sure Fix, found that this technology has yet to produce anynitrogen-efficient crops, and the prospects of it happening in the foreseeable future are uncertain. By contrast, advanced formtraditional breeding have produced crops that are more nitrogen efficient, and we also found significant evidence indicating th

cover crops can greatly reduce nitrogen pollution . For example, in experiments in which cash cropfertilized with synthetic nitrogen were rotated with non-leguminous cover crops, the cover crop reduced nitrogen leaching by
http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/n2o.htmlhttp://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/n2o.htmlhttp://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/n2o.htmlhttp://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/n2o.html


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average of 70 percent, without reducing cash crop yields.When cash crops were rotated withleguminous cover crops and no synthetic nitrogen fertilizer was added, the covercrop reduced leaching by 40 percent.

Cover crops reduce carbon poll uti on

Cover crops sequester carbon very effectively.Stillerman 2012. Stillerman, Karen [senior analyst in the Union of Concerned Scientists' Food and

Environment program]. "How It Works: Cover Crops." Catalyst. Spring 2012. Web.

http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/catalyst/sp10-how-it-works-cover-crops.html

In addition to reducing fertilizer use and nitrogen pollution, cover crops can play animportant role in reducing global warming pollution. As the crops grow, theyremove heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; when plowed under,

the carbon in the plant is transferred into the soil. Non-leguminous cover cropssuch as rye and winter wheat are particularly good at storing carbon because thetypically produce more biomass, or plant matter, than legumes. (More biomass alsmeans more organic matter will be returned to the soil before cash crops are planted.) ideal cover crop system would provide the benefits of both legumes and non-legumes.One multi-year study found that hairy vetch and rye (a legume and non-legume,respectively) grown together yielded greater biomass and greater carbon and nitrogencontent compared with either one grown alone.

Cover crops could sequester enough carbon to offset the increase of carbon in

the atmosphere.Ohio State University, 2012. Luther Tweeten, OSU 2012.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:OaEZiw1OLJ4J:nature.berkeley.edu/csrd/publications/pdf/

eeten_co2.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShrAaGheyjemtXgi24awLVYNPHFcNM8uperVd

NNlkDmDJe-XwDmrChXtuOM2ra539n6OyAPmp7c1a89OD_mw-

VINxIqTLOIK2kuOttNtG7bLnFSS01kDwtEouTlLXBbW0bDhUg&sig=AHIEtbSJPTleTM6Y3i-

b8M0gFKxWN8azLQ

These numbers may be compared with the average annual cost of $120 per hectare for the Conservation Reserve Program of

general land retirement. The conclusion is that carbon sequestration is economically mos

feasible within the range where its complementarities with best management croproduction practicesare strongest. SEQUESTRATION BY RESTORING DEGRADED SOILS We now turn toestimates of costs and benefits of sequestering carbon on degraded lands currently or historically used for agriculture. Baseon estimates by Oldeman et al. that nearly billion ha of soil are degraded worldwide, Lal(1997, p. 99) calculated that soil restoration by growing trees andvigorous cover crops could lead to carbon sequestration at the rate of 3 PG peryear, a rate near the annual increase in carbon in the atmosphere(Lal et al., 1995


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COVER CROPS DON'T INCREASE HARMFUL PESTS

Cover crops like rye can actually trap insects and serve as a natural way to

remove themJJ Hoorman, 2009, Cover Crops & Water Quality, Extension Educator

Ohio State University Extension, Lima, Ohio. Xu.

In long-term studies, cover crops reduced the populations of some soil-bornepathogens. Soybean cyst nematodes are significantly reduced by annual ryegrassand cereal rye cover crops.Some green cover crops attract army worm, cutwormand slugs so the cover crop needs to be killed 3 to 4 weeks before corn planting.Cover crops can be used as a trap crop for corn earworm, tarnish bug, and otherinsects if the cover crop is killed early. Letting cover crops grow and mature mayallow populations of beneficial insects to increase.

Cover crops can foster beneficial insect populations that feed on pests, reducinthe need for pesticides.

Penn State, College of Agricultural Sciences, 2013.http://extension.psu.edu/plants/sustainable/seminars

webinars/2013-cover-crop-webinars/barbercheck-mar11.Xu.

Cover crops can have a tremendous number of benefits in both conventional-till and inconservation-till systems, said Barbercheck. Cover crops add diversity to a croppingsystem, which can help disrupt pest cycles. They also can serve as important foodsources to predatory insects,especially in field crop situations where there arentusually many flowering plants. Most beneficial insects that prey upon or parasitizepest insects also need pollen and nectar in their diets to complete their life cyclesand to lay eggs, Barbercheck explained. And cover crops, especially flowering covcrops, can provide those.Cover crop residue can serve as habitat for insect predatortoo.
http://extension.psu.edu/plants/sustainable/seminars-webinars/2013-cover-crop-webinars/barbercheck-mar11http://extension.psu.edu/plants/sustainable/seminars-webinars/2013-cover-crop-webinars/barbercheck-mar11http://extension.psu.edu/plants/sustainable/seminars-webinars/2013-cover-crop-webinars/barbercheck-mar11http://extension.psu.edu/plants/sustainable/seminars-webinars/2013-cover-crop-webinars/barbercheck-mar11http://extension.psu.edu/plants/sustainable/seminars-webinars/2013-cover-crop-webinars/barbercheck-mar11http://extension.psu.edu/plants/sustainable/seminars-webinars/2013-cover-crop-webinars/barbercheck-mar11


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COVER CROPS DON'T INCREASE PESTICIDE USE

1) Cover crops minimize reliance on pesticides 2) use of pesticides with covercrops outweighs using harmful conventional tilling practices

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, last updated 2012. Sharad C. Phatak and Juan Carlos

Diaz-Perez

http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition/Text-

Version/Managing-Pests.Xu

In addition to slowing erosion, improving soil structure and providing fertility, we are learning how cove

crops help farmers to manage pests(390). With limited tillage and careful attention to cultivar choice,

placement and timing, cover crops can reduce infestations by insects, diseases, nematodes and weeds.

Pest-fighting cover crop systems help minimize reliance on pesticides, and as a result cut costs, reduyour chemical exposure, protect the environment, and increase consumer confidence in the food you

produce.

Farmers and researchers are using cover crops to design new strategies that preserve a farms natural

resources while remaining profitable. Key to this approach is to see a farm as an agro-ecosystema

dynamic relationship of the mineral, biological, weather and human resources involved in producing crops

or livestock. Our goal is to learn agricultural practices that are environmentally sound, economically feasib

and socially acceptable.

Environmentally sustainable pest management starts with building healthy soils. Research in south Georgi

(seeGeorgia Cotton, Peanut Farmers)shows that crops grown on biologically active soils resist pest

pressures better than those grown on soils of low fertility, extreme pH, low biological activity and poor so

structure. There are many ways to increase biological activity in soil. Adding more organic material by

growing cover crops or by applying manure or compost helps. Reducing or eliminating pesticides favorsdiverse, healthy populations of beneficial soil flora and fauna. So does reducing or eliminating tillage that

causes losses of soil structure, biological life or organic matter. These losses make crops more vulnerable t

pest damage.

Farming on newly cleared land shows the process well. Land that has been in a cover crop of trees or

pastures for at least 10 years remains productive for row crops and vegetables for the first two to

three years. High yields of agronomic and horticultural crops are profitable, with comparatively few

pesticide and fertilizer inputs. After that periodunder conventional systems with customary clean

tillageannual crops require higher inputs. The first several years of excessive tillage destroys the

food sources and micro-niches on which the soil organisms that help suppress pests depend. When

protective natural biological systems are disrupted, pests have new openings and crops are much moat risk.
http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition/Text-Version/Managing-Pestshttp://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition/Text-Version/Managing-Pestshttp://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition/Text-Version/Managing-Pestshttp://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition/Text-Version/Appendix-F#390http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition/Text-Version/Managing-Pests#peanuthttp://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition/Text-Version/Managing-Pests#peanuthttp://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition/Text-Version/Appendix-F#390http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition/Text-Version/Managing-Pestshttp://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition/Text-Version/Managing-Pests


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Cover crops reduce pesticide use by 40 percent and discourage colonization ofpests

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, last updated 2012,http://www.sare.org/Learning-

Center/Books/Manage-Insects-on-Your-Farm/Text-Version/Farm-Feature-Triple-Threat-to-Pests-Cover-

Crops-No-Till-Rotation.Xu.

Groff estimates that he has pared down pesticide use by 40 percent on his Cedar MeadoFarm in Lancaster County, Pa. By transplanting his 25 acres of tomatoes directly introlled-down cover-crop mulch, he has sliced $125-an-acre from that cropspesticide bill alone. His cover-crop mixes of hairy vetch, crimson clover and rye or vetch and rye alone when clover is too expensive harbor beneficials. They alsoseem to obstruct, exhaust, confuse and otherwise inhibit Colorado potato beetlesdiscouraging their colonization, says Aref Abdul-Baki, USDA Agricultural ResearchService vegetable production specialist. Likewise, the killed cover crop may bedissuading cucumber beetles in Groffs 30 acres of pumpkins.Groff says he hasnt sprayed his tomatoes against Colorado potato beetles for the past

seven years, nor has he used post-emergence chemicals against cucumber beetles inpumpkins. He can also delay protective sprays for early blight for three to seven weekshis tomatoes: in conventional systems, heavy raindrops pick up disease spores on plantwash them down to plastic mulch, then splash them back up onto the crop; Groffs natu

mulch lets spore-laden raindrops flow through to the ground, says Abdul-Baki. Similarlthe cover-crop mulch keeps his pumpkins cleaner and less prone to rot.
http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Manage-Insects-on-Your-Farm/Text-Version/Farm-Feature-Triple-Threat-to-Pests-Cover-Crops-No-Till-Rotationhttp://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Manage-Insects-on-Your-Farm/Text-Version/Farm-Feature-Triple-Threat-to-Pests-Cover-Crops-No-Till-Rotationhttp://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Manage-Insects-on-Your-Farm/Text-Version/Farm-Feature-Triple-Threat-to-Pests-Cover-Crops-No-Till-Rotationhttp://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Manage-Insects-on-Your-Farm/Text-Version/Farm-Feature-Triple-Threat-to-Pests-Cover-Crops-No-Till-Rotationhttp://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Manage-Insects-on-Your-Farm/Text-Version/Farm-Feature-Triple-Threat-to-Pests-Cover-Crops-No-Till-Rotationhttp://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Manage-Insects-on-Your-Farm/Text-Version/Farm-Feature-Triple-Threat-to-Pests-Cover-Crops-No-Till-Rotationhttp://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Manage-Insects-on-Your-Farm/Text-Version/Farm-Feature-Triple-Threat-to-Pests-Cover-Crops-No-Till-Rotationhttp://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Manage-Insects-on-Your-Farm/Text-Version/Farm-Feature-Triple-Threat-to-Pests-Cover-Crops-No-Till-Rotation


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A/T SINGER SOURCE INDICT

If they argue that the Union of Concerned scientists says that there are barriers to using cover crops 1) Sin

is part of this Union, which means he takes that information into account and still advocates for cover crop

incentives as the most effective means to encourage cover crops and 2) this article authored by Singer andthe Union shows that federal policy is necessary to promote cover crops.

Union for Concerned Scientists, released 2012

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:c8zHwfmChSMJ:www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_

d_agriculture/cover-crop-fact-sheet-

2012.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiz7VTe9QHqHURw9WeIfR7dvxDxNh4IyXDa2w04v

HVOV9HUajuvuSyGjv69L1jVGnsA09aLxl4KAoZAW57-ZnxNDWKgUYWQ4myGpX1dVMbTrNk1ik

v94XLGVU46JNbAww51GK&sig=AHIEtbTAHqljApH_b0UFHTXT9IO2dmwycg

Some farmers grow plants known as cover crops to protect and build their soilduring the off-season, or for livestock grazing or forage. If adopted widely, thisunderutilized practice could help solve many environmental and health problemsassociated with bare soil. And because cover crops add organic matter to the soil,they can help farmers maintain the long-term productivity of their land.2

Despite these potential benefits, cover crops are currently planted on only a smalfraction of U.S. farmland.3 Why? Substantial economic and technicalbarrierssomembedded in government policiesdiscourage farmers from growing them.4 Ne

or modified policies that promote cover crop adoption, on the other hand, wouldenable farmers, taxpayers, and communities across the country to reap thebenefits.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:c8zHwfmChSMJ:www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/cover-crop-fact-sheet-2012.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiz7VTe9QHqHURw9WeIfR7dvxDxNh4IyXDa2w04vvHVOV9HUajuvuSyGjv69L1jVGnsA09aLxl4KAoZAW57-Zhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:c8zHwfmChSMJ:www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/cover-crop-fact-sheet-2012.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiz7VTe9QHqHURw9WeIfR7dvxDxNh4IyXDa2w04vvHVOV9HUajuvuSyGjv69L1jVGnsA09aLxl4KAoZAW57-Zhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:c8zHwfmChSMJ:www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/cover-crop-fact-sheet-2012.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiz7VTe9QHqHURw9WeIfR7dvxDxNh4IyXDa2w04vvHVOV9HUajuvuSyGjv69L1jVGnsA09aLxl4KAoZAW57-Zhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:c8zHwfmChSMJ:www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/cover-crop-fact-sheet-2012.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiz7VTe9QHqHURw9WeIfR7dvxDxNh4IyXDa2w04vvHVOV9HUajuvuSyGjv69L1jVGnsA09aLxl4KAoZAW57-Zhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:c8zHwfmChSMJ:www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/cover-crop-fact-sheet-2012.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiz7VTe9QHqHURw9WeIfR7dvxDxNh4IyXDa2w04vvHVOV9HUajuvuSyGjv69L1jVGnsA09aLxl4KAoZAW57-Zhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:c8zHwfmChSMJ:www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/cover-crop-fact-sheet-2012.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiz7VTe9QHqHURw9WeIfR7dvxDxNh4IyXDa2w04vvHVOV9HUajuvuSyGjv69L1jVGnsA09aLxl4KAoZAW57-Zhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:c8zHwfmChSMJ:www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/cover-crop-fact-sheet-2012.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiz7VTe9QHqHURw9WeIfR7dvxDxNh4IyXDa2w04vvHVOV9HUajuvuSyGjv69L1jVGnsA09aLxl4KAoZAW57-Zhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:c8zHwfmChSMJ:www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/cover-crop-fact-sheet-2012.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiz7VTe9QHqHURw9WeIfR7dvxDxNh4IyXDa2w04vvHVOV9HUajuvuSyGjv69L1jVGnsA09aLxl4KAoZAW57-Zhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:c8zHwfmChSMJ:www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/cover-crop-fact-sheet-2012.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiz7VTe9QHqHURw9WeIfR7dvxDxNh4IyXDa2w04vvHVOV9HUajuvuSyGjv69L1jVGnsA09aLxl4KAoZAW57-Zhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:c8zHwfmChSMJ:www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/cover-crop-fact-sheet-2012.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiz7VTe9QHqHURw9WeIfR7dvxDxNh4IyXDa2w04vvHVOV9HUajuvuSyGjv69L1jVGnsA09aLxl4KAoZAW57-Zhttps://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:c8zHwfmChSMJ:www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/cover-crop-fact-sheet-2012.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiz7VTe9QHqHURw9WeIfR7dvxDxNh4IyXDa2w04vvHVOV9HUajuvuSyGjv69L1jVGnsA09aLxl4KAoZAW57-Z


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A/T EXISTENTIAL/GAP INHERENCY BAD

Existential inherency is permitted

- NFA-LD rules don't limit inherency to structural and attitudinal

- AFF is only obligated to advocate a change of policy that deviates the status quoo W/M because in the status quo, there is no permanent federal subsidy for cover croo We give the negative enough ground because they can defend the squo or run non-

topical CPs

Existential inherency is good - it's a legitimate and necessary type of inherency for education

- Goal of inherency is that to provide a substantive rationale for changeo Test this by seeing if squo solves - it doesn't because there is no permanent federal

subsidy for cover crops

- Allowing existential inherency necessary to ever debate previously unknown problems, whicis key to education.

o A very extreme example: Aliens appear and give us new farming technology. A plan tuse that technology wouldn't be structurally or attitundinally inherent, but denying

education on an important topic such as that undermines the entire purpose of debate.


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A/T NON-INHERENT BECAUSE COVER CROPS USEDIN SQUO

Recent data still shows an incredibly low percentage of cover crop usage, but the plans financialincentive will dramatically increase usage.

UCSUSA 12(Cover Crops: Public Investments Could Produce Big Payoffsm,http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/solutions/advance-sustainable-agriculture/cover-crops.html)Despite the clear benefits of cover crops, including potential improvements in cash crop productivity, adoption rates in many places are low. A survey of farme

in the Corn Belt found that 18 percent had used cover crops but only 8 percent had used them in the

previous year.The reason? At least initially, cover crops may not boost farmers bottom line; they also carry certain costs and risks, someof which are not yet weunderstood. Constraints on cover crop adoption include both direct costs (such as cover crop seed and labor to plant and "terminate" the cropsee table below) and indirect

(such as impact on cash crop growing seasons and crop insurance eligibility), as well as issues such as delayed return on investment and limited availability of the informatio

needed to use cover crops effectively. The Help Farmers Need to Adopt Cover Crops. The right mix of incentives and technical assistanc

can boost adoption of cover crops. In Maryland, for example, an aggressive incentive program has le

60 percent of farmers to use cover crops.In the Corn Belt, many farmers indicated they would be

more willing to adopt cover crops if modest cost-share assistance of $23 per acre were available.Federaprograms already exist to help farmers contend with yield losses due to bad weather or pests and ensure the long-term viability of their operations. Similar public investmen

needed to advance strategiesincluding cover cropsthat can solve the environmental and public health problems posed by agricultural pollution. Financial incentives can

farmers shoulder the direct costs of establishing cover crops, and can help compensate farmers for cash crop income losses stemming from cover crops, which can be hard to

predict. Such investments would encourage higher adoption rates in the short term while also giving farmers, university extension agents, and researchers needed experience

with cover crops in different climates, soil types, and crop rotationsadding to our understanding of how they can be used consistently, successfully, and profitably.
http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/solutions/advance-sustainable-agriculture/cover-crops.htmlhttp://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/solutions/advance-sustainable-agriculture/cover-crops.htmlhttp://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/solutions/advance-sustainable-agriculture/cover-crops.htmlhttp://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/solutions/advance-sustainable-agriculture/cover-crops.htmlhttp://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/solutions/advance-sustainable-agriculture/cover-crops.htmlhttp://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/solutions/advance-sustainable-agriculture/cover-crops.html


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A/T NON-INHERENT BECAUSE COVER CROPS AREIN CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM

NRCS funding has been cut and CSP is defunct without a new Farm Bill

National Resources Conservation Services, March 2013.http://www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/about/mtstcm/minutes_March2013.html

Jerry Schaefer (NRCS) opened the meeting at 10:04 a.m. and turned it over to Joyce Swartzendrub

(NRCS) for introductory comments. Joyce reviewed the government sequester situation, the fact that

there is not a 2013 federal budget, and that the continuing resolution expires on March 27, 2013. Joy

stated that NRCS in Montana is planning for a possible 5.5% budget cut. She also discussed that the

are no plans for a 2013 Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) sign-up.Question: Joyce was asked if there was a chance for a CSP sign-up if the budget issues are resolved

Joyce replied that CSP is awaiting the new farm bill. She also mentioned that the NRCS all-employe

safety meeting in Montana has been cancelled.

The subsidy for cover crops under CSP is less than the $23 amount that farmerwant, and there is a time limit for the program.

Minnesota State, 1/14/

10, http://www2.mda.state.mn.us/webapp/cpdt/dynelig2.jsp?dyn1=19

As of the date below, USDA estimates that CSP payments for enrolled cropland will average $12 to $22 per

acre, plus supplemental payments for resource-conserving crop rotations. Payments are annual for 5 yeaand limited to $40,000/year. Contracts may potentially be renewed for a second 5-year term. SeeCSPPayment Details for more information.

CSP applications are accepted anytime but there are deadlines for each ranking and scoring period,typically at least one a year. To inquire, contact your localUSDA Natural Resources ConservationServiceorSoil & Water Conservation Districtoffice.
http://www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/about/mtstcm/minutes_March2013.htmlhttp://www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/about/mtstcm/minutes_March2013.htmlhttp://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/conservation/contacts.aspx#USDA_NRCShttp://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/conservation/contacts.aspx#USDA_NRCShttp://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/conservation/contacts.aspx#USDA_NRCShttp://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/conservation/contacts.aspx#SWCDhttp://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/conservation/contacts.aspx#SWCDhttp://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/conservation/contacts.aspx#SWCDhttp://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/conservation/contacts.aspx#SWCDhttp://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/conservation/contacts.aspx#USDA_NRCShttp://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/conservation/contacts.aspx#USDA_NRCShttp://www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/about/mtstcm/minutes_March2013.html


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A/T NON-INHERENT BECAUSE COVER CROPS AREIN EQIP (NRCS PROGRAM)

EQIP has a time limit and maximum payout, is limited to certain states, andthere is limited funds for cover crops

National Resources Conservation Services from the USDA, updated 2013.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/mo/programs/financial/eqip/

EQIP offers contracts witha minimum term that ends one year after theimplementation of the last scheduled practices and a maximum term of ten years.These contracts provide financial assistance to implement conservation practices thatmeet the applicable conservation practice standard and as described in specific policy f

that fund pool. Contract payment reimbursement can only be made when NRCSdetermines the practice has been installed in accordance with the applicableconservation practice standard.Missouris EQIP is developed using locally led conservation through Local/County

Work Groups, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and the MissouriStateTechnical Committee.National priorities and national measures are also an importanconsideration in the EQIP development and ranking of applications.Owners of land in agricultural production or persons who are engaged in livestock oragricultural production on eligible land may participate in the Environmental QualityIncentives Program (EQIP). EQIP practices and activities are carried out according to an

EQIP plan of operations developed in conjunction with the producer that identifies theappropriate conservation practice or measures needed to address the resource concernAll conservation practices must meet NRCStechnical standardsto receive EQIP financialassistance. NRCS is not required to provide financial assistance for all activities requireto meet the applicable NRCS technical standard. Producers may elect to use an approveindependent third-party provider for technical assistance, if available. Information abothird-party technical assistance is available atUSDA TechReg.Note: a practice startedbefore the EQIP contract is approved by NRCS is not eligible for financial assistance.As required by the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill), 6percent of EQIP funds will be targeted to livestock related conservation practices

In Missouri, livestock related conservation practices are generally available usingMissouri Pasture/Hay Land Use funds and Missouri Animal Feeding/Waste Operationsfunds.

Also, EQIP funding has just been cut furtherWildlife management Institute, April 16, 2013.http://www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=653:fundi

-for-ag-conservation-programs-a-mixed-bag&catid=34:ONB%20Articles&Itemid=54
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/mo/programs/financial/eqip/http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/mo/programs/financial/eqip/http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/mo/programs/financial/eqip/?cid=nrcs144p2_012653http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/mo/programs/financial/eqip/?cid=nrcs144p2_012653http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/mo/programs/financial/eqip/?cid=nrcs144p2_012653http://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/efotg_locator.aspx?map=UShttp://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/efotg_locator.aspx?map=UShttp://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/efotg_locator.aspx?map=UShttp://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/mo/programs/financial/eqip/?cid=stelprdb1042981http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/mo/programs/financial/eqip/?cid=stelprdb1042981http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/mo/programs/financial/eqip/?cid=stelprdb1042981http://www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=653:funding-for-ag-conservation-programs-a-mixed-bag&catid=34:ONB%20Articles&Itemid=54http://www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=653:funding-for-ag-conservation-programs-a-mixed-bag&catid=34:ONB%20Articles&Itemid=54http://www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=653:funding-for-ag-conservation-programs-a-mixed-bag&catid=34:ONB%20Articles&Itemid=54http://www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=653:funding-for-ag-conservation-programs-a-mixed-bag&catid=34:ONB%20Articles&Itemid=54http://www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=653:funding-for-ag-conservation-programs-a-mixed-bag&catid=34:ONB%20Articles&Itemid=54http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/mo/programs/financial/eqip/?cid=stelprdb1042981http://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/efotg_locator.aspx?map=UShttp://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/mo/programs/financial/eqip/?cid=nrcs144p2_012653http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/mo/programs/financial/eqip/?cid=nrcs144p2_012653http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/mo/programs/financial/eqip/


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In terms of bad news, funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Programwas cut by $350 millionand another $12 million was dropped from the Wildlife HabitIncentives Program. These decreases are on top of the 5.8 percent reduction applieearlier this fiscal year through cuts included in sequestration legislation. All told

the cuts to U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs amount to over$560 million for FY 13. (pmr)


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A/T WKY INHERENCY PRESS

1) Singer takes this into account-prefer the most recent evidence

2) Solvency: farmers are confused about the programs3) Permanence

4) Funding permanent

5) State specific

6) Existential inherency


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A/T RMA/ CROP INSURANCE

1) The RMA has recently changed their restrictions on crop insurance being givento cover crops that have formed heads or buds. They are now more lenient which

allows cover crops to develop further before being terminated.

RMA 12 (2013 Crop Year: Insuring Crops Planted Following a Cover Crop,http://www.rma.usda.gov/help/faq/insuring.html)

The two Special Provision statements that increase flexibilities with regards to crop insurance and cover crops are: 1.) Modification of the "double crop" statement. Although

these statements may vary, depending on local climatic and agronomic conditions, all versions will allow for harvesting of cover crops. Moreover, in areas of relatively high

historic rainfall totals, cover crops are allowed to grow until 50 percent of the field has headed or budded. Below are the two primary statement used in the Topeka region: a

Missouri, Eastern Kansas, and Eastern Nebraska:Insurance shall not attach or be considered to have attached to a plantenon-irrigated crop on acreage from which, in the same calendar year: 1. A perennial hay crop was harvested; or 2. A cr

(other than a cover crop) reached the headed or budded stage prior to termination, regardless of the percentage of plants that reach the headed or budded stage,3.A cove

crop is terminated after 50% of the cover crop has headed or budded.

2) The RMA has recently changed the deadline for crop insurance in regards to cover crops, making

easier for farmers to obtain crop insurance.

Reichenberger 12(Larry, Cover Crop Complications,http://www.agriculture.com/crops/cover-crop-complications_135-ar22779?print)RMA has the ability to recognize differences in climate and growing conditions from one area to another. In the states of Illinois, Indiana,

Michigan, and Ohio, rules were recently revised to give farmers more time in the spring to terminat

cover crops without impairing insurance coverageon the following grain crop. The previous May 15

deadline is now set at June 5, and last-season farmers struggling to get cover crops terminated during an extremely wet spring got significant help pushfor that change from a surprising source, the National Wildlife Federation.

3) We get solvency even from short-term effects

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, August 5, 2011.

http://cropwatch.unl.edu/web/cropwatch/archive?articleID=4621408

We need to think about cover crops as crops. Crops are planted for a specific purpose and at a specifie

uniform planting rate to ensure uniform ground cover and performance. The specific purpose may be t

recycle nutrients, pulling them from the soil profile and storing them in the biomass for release

during the next crop year. All cover crops do this, but the brassica family seems to be the most

efficient.Your purpose also might be to fix nitrogen, which means to convert atmospheric nitrogen to the

elemental form. Legumes do this. You also may want to create biomass. Grasses with a high carbon to

nitrogen ratio would be best for this purpose. Other purposes might include reducing weed competition ointerrupting a disease cycle in the field.

The point is that with the correct strategy, destroying the weeds and replacing them with the righ

cover crop will add value to your system. Leaving the weeds in place will contribute to the intensity of

your weedy areas. If you kill the weeds before they set seed, they will serve no purpose other than holdin

the soil. If you are conscious of the need to hold soil, you might consider continuous no-till. No-till and

cover crops work well together.
http://www.rma.usda.gov/help/faq/insuring.htmlhttp://www.rma.usda.gov/help/faq/insuring.htmlhttp://www.rma.usda.gov/help/faq/insuring.htmlhttp://www.agriculture.com/crops/cover-crop-complications_135-ar22779?printhttp://www.agriculture.com/crops/cover-crop-complications_135-ar22779?printhttp://www.agriculture.com/crops/cover-crop-complications_135-ar22779?printhttp://www.agriculture.com/crops/cover-crop-complications_135-ar22779?printhttp://www.rma.usda.gov/help/faq/insuring.html


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Q: I am concerned about weed seed production and control of the existing weeds. How will cover crodo that?Control the existing stand and then plant a cover crop or cover crop mix to shade the ground and compet

against subsequent weed flushes. Some cover crops actually have allelopathic effects. In other words,

they exude a chemical which inhibits weed germination. A good example of this is how cereal rye

competes against other grass species.

Q. Everyone keeps talking about long-term benefit, but what are the short-term benefits? Short-term benefits come in several forms. One is weed competition, as was discussed in the

previous question. Another may be in the breakup of hard pan layers with deep tap-rooted crops

such as tillage radishes.These are measured with observation and a little labor with a tile spade.

Nutrient recycling and nitrogen fixationare other short-term benefits. To test for nitrogen take soil

samples at 0-12 inches and 12-24 inches at planting and again just prior to planting next years commod

crop. Around the time of the killing frost, cut the above ground biomass (greens) from a given area and

submit it to a laboratory for nutrient analysis. A 3-by-3-foot area seems to be manageable and should fit i

a large paper lawn and leaf bag. If you are a livestock producer, you might consider running an NIRanalysis to determine feed values and minerals

4) Singer card takes this into account

Also UCSUSA


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a/t dead zones caused by weather

Dead zones can be affected by extreme weather events like hurricanes or floodbut ultimately would not exist or persist without anthropogenic nitrogen runofBruckner 2012. Bruckner, Monica [Montana State University]. "The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone." Scienc

Education Resource Center, Carleton College. 9 October 2012. Web.

http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/deadzone/index.html.

The Gulf of Mexico dead zone is an area ofhypoxic(link to USGS definition) (less tha2 ppm dissolved oxygen) waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Its area variin size, but can cover up to 6,000-7,000 square miles. The zone occurs between the inner and mid-continental shelf in thenorthern Gulf of Mexico, beginning at the Mississippi River delta and extending westward to the upper Texas coast. Dead zonecan be foundworldwide(link to NASA dead zone page). The Gulf of Mexico dead zone is one of the largest in the world. Marinedead zones can be found in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, off the coast of Oregon, and in the Chesapeake Bay. Dead zones may also b

found in lakes, such as Lake Erie. The dead zone is caused by nutrient enrichment from theMississippi River, particularly nitrogen and phosphorous. Watersheds within the Mississippi River Basidrain much of the United States, from Montana to Pennsylvania and extending southward along the Mississippi River . Mostof the nitrogen input comes from major farming states in the Mississippi RiverValley, including Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Nitrogenand phosphorous enter the riverthrough upstream runoffof fertilizers, soil erosion, animal wastes, and sewageIn a natural system, these nutrients aren't significant factors in algae growthbecause they are depleted in the soil by plants. However, with anthropogenicallyincreased nitrogenand phosphorus input, algae growth is no longer limited. Consequently, algal blooms develop, the food chain is altered, and dissolved oxygen in the area is depleted. The size ofthe dead zone fluctuates seasonally, as it is exacerbated by farming practices. It is alsoaffected by weather events such asflooding and hurricanes.Nutrient overloading and algalblooms lead toeutrophication (link to USGS definition), which has been shown to reducebenthic (link to definition) biomass a

biodiversity. Hypoxic water supports fewer organisms and has been linked to massive fish kills in the Black Sea and Gulf ofMexico. The Gulf of Mexico is a major source area for the seafood industry. The Gulf supplies 72% of U.S. harvested shrimp, 66of harvested oysters, and 16% of commercial fish (Potash and Phosphate Institutes of the U.S. and Canada, 1999). Consequentl

if the hypoxic zone continues or worsens, fishermen and coastal state economies will be greatly impacted. The key tominimizing the Gulf dead zone is to address it at the source. Solutions include:Using fewer fertilizersand adjusting the timing of fertilizer applications to limit runoff of excess nutrients fromfarmland, Control of animal wastes so that they are not allowed to enter into waterways, Monitoring of septic systems andsewage treatment facilities to reduce discharge of nutrients to surface water and groundwater, Careful industrial practices sucas limiting the discharge of nutrients, organic matter, and chemicals from manufacturing facilities. These solutions are relative

simple to implement and would significantly reduce the input of nitrogen and phosphorus to the Gulf of Mexico.A similarapproach has been used successfully in the Great Lakes' recovery fromeutrophication.

Even if weather plays a role in dead zone formation, the pollutants are still theroot cause.

CBS Baltimore, August 14, 2012.http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/08/14/chesapeake-dead-zone-down

dry-weather-credited/.Xu.
http://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/hypoxia.htmlhttp://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/hypoxia.htmlhttp://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceancolor/scifocus/oceanColor/dead_zones.shtmlhttp://www.agu.org/sci_soc/walker1.gifhttp://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/eutrophication.htmlhttp://www.wordreference.com/definition/benthichttp://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/08/14/chesapeake-dead-zone-down-dry-weather-credited/http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/08/14/chesapeake-dead-zone-down-dry-weather-credited/http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/08/14/chesapeake-dead-zone-down-dry-weather-credited/http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/08/14/chesapeake-dead-zone-down-dry-weather-credited/http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/08/14/chesapeake-dead-zone-down-dry-weather-credited/http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/08/14/chesapeake-dead-zone-down-dry-weather-credited/http://www.wordreference.com/definition/benthichttp://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/eutrophication.htmlhttp://www.agu.org/sci_soc/walker1.gifhttp://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceancolor/scifocus/oceanColor/dead_zones.shtmlhttp://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/hypoxia.html


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The decrease is good news for those tracking bay restoration efforts because itshows the estuary responds quickly to pollution reductions. And once pollutionhas been cut, heavy rains wont have as much of an impact. Thats because levels w

be lower in the bay and restoration strategies will keep pollution from reaching the bay

in the first place. The goal iseven when you have high flow conditions that wevereduced nutrients enough that we wont see these conditions , Michael said.


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A/T TOPICALITY: INCREASE ISN'T CREATE

Counter-interpretationMerriam Webster 2013

Increaseused intransitively implies progressive growth in size, amount, or intensity ; used transitively it may imply simple not necessarilyprogressive addition.

In the resolution increase is used transitively: "increase assistance"


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2

A/T TOPICALITY: SUBSTANTIALLY

Counter-interpretation: Substantial means "including the material or essential

part"Words and Phrases, 05 (v.40B, p. 329)

Substantially means in substance; in the main; essentially; by including the

material or essential part.

Documents

Cover Crops Frontlines.docx