Precision Conservation Management Releases 2023 Data

June 5, 2023

Precision Conservation Management (PCM), a program of IL Corn and the Illinois Soybean Association, released their annual “Business Case for Conservation” this month in the Prairie Farmer Magazine. The Precision Conservation Management program was created by farmers, for farmers, to assist in the evaluation of on-farm conservation decisions.

 

PCM currently operates in strategic regions of Illinois, Kentucky, and Nebraska. The 2023 report provides data highlights gleaned from farmers in Illinois, but the results are relevant and useful for farmers across much of the Midwest to consider regarding nitrogen application, cover crop utilization, and tillage management.

 

The most important take-home messages:

  1. Farmers applying nitrogen over University of Illinois MRTN rates are less profitable. Those who apply less fertilizer are increasing profitability and minimizing impacts to the environment.
  2. The most profitable acres in the PCM dataset are utilizing preplant and sidedressed nitrogen applications at MRTN rates.
  3. Half of the most profitable acres are implementing no-till practices ahead of soybeans or a light single tillage pass ahead of corn.
  4. PCM farmers who begin using cover crops plant them again – 70 percent of PCM farmers used cover crops again on cornfields and 75 percent used them again on soybean fields. The incentives to plant cover crops have never been more appealing than they are right now.

 

Farmers within a PCM region should strongly consider joining the program this year. Interest in climate smart farming continues to grow, and with that interest comes cost-sharing opportunities that farmers will want to take advantage of. Your PCM specialist can help direct you and guide you through all available programs, building the best opportunities for you to become more environmentally sustainable with less risk.

 

Those outside of a PCM region will undoubtedly find easy-to-implement changes to their farm management processes within this data summary and will become more profitable as a result.

The sun is setting behind the capitol building in washington d.c.
By Lyndi Allen July 3, 2025
Illinois corn farmers will be impacted by many provisions in the Budget Reconciliation Bill that passed in both chambers this week.
By Tara Desmond July 3, 2025
Mid-Year Highlights: IL Corn Top 10 Read Stories
A map of the world with arrows pointing to trade countries
By Lyndi Allen July 3, 2025
Trade plays a critical role in driving demand for U.S. corn—not only as grain or feed, but also as fuel.
Top Videos of 2025
By Tara Desmond July 2, 2025
Harvesting the Best: A Look at IL Corn’s Top 10 Videos of 2025
By Lindsay Croke June 30, 2025
When we think of Independence Day traditions, sweet corn on the cob is as iconic as fireworks and often even more central to the celebration. According to Instacart, purchases of sweet corn surge by 380% over the annual average heading into July 4th, outranking other grilling staples like baby back ribs and burgers. But corn's role in your Fourth of July celebration goes far beyond your plate. In Illinois alone, 8,300 acres of sweet corn are harvested annually, averaging 155 cwt per acre. That’s more than 128 million pounds of locally grown sweetness fueling summer cookouts across the state. And while sweet corn makes a big impression on the grill, most of Illinois’ corn crop isn’t sweet corn - it’s field corn. Less than 1% of the state’s crop is sweet corn, while the rest is used in products that are often invisible to consumers but vital to everyday life: fuel, packaging, fireworks, and even spirits.
The sun is setting behind the capitol building in washington d.c.
By Lyndi Allen June 27, 2025
From Springfield to D.C., lawmakers are listening, and Illinois corn farmers are leading the conversations.
Show More