Research & Methodologies

The following list of conservation practices are proposed to be compensated because they deliver at least $100 per acre or animal unit in public benefits when accounting for the combined climate, soil health, water quality, water conservation and additional environmental benefits. 

Agricultural associations and other stakeholders are invited to engage RIPE to help identify additional conservation practices. RIPE also supports inclusion of state-level conservation practices that are equivalent to the following and may be more appropriately tailored to the state context. 

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Cropland Practices:

  • Cover crops (340)

  • Residue management, no-till (329)

  • Residue management, reduced-till (345)

  • Nutrient management (590)

    • Incorporation and injection

    • Precision agriculture

  • Conservation crop rotations (328)

  • Filter strips (393)

  • Riparian herbaceous cover (390)

  • Riparian forest buffer (391)

  • Maintain grass cover on expiring CRP contracts and historic native grasslands

  • Windbreak/Shelterbelt establishment and renovation (380)

  • Perennial biofuels and feedstock pasture and hay planting (512)

  • Silvopasture (381)

Rice Practices:  

  • Residue management, no-till (329)

  • Residue management, reduced-till (345)

  • Irrigation water management (449)

    • Alternate wetting and drying for water conservation in rice (449)

    • Dry seeding for rice in California and regions south of I-10

    • Dry seeding with post-harvest flooding for rice

  • Wetland wildlife habitat management (644)

  • Early drainage with post-harvest flooding for rice  (449)

Forestry Practices:

  • Riparian forest buffer (391)

  • Forest stand improvement (666)

  • Silvopasture (381)

  • Maintain forest on expiring CRP contracts

  • Tree/shrub establishment

Livestock Practices:  

  • Comprehensive nutrient management plan and implementation (102) (compensated at $100/animal unit for feed operations)

  • Prescribed grazing (528)

  • Feed management (592) (compensated at $100/animal unit for feed operations)

  • Roofs and covers (367) (compensated at $100/animal unit for feed operations)

  • Nutrient management (590)

  • Forage and biomass planting pasture and hay planting (512)

  • Silvopasture (381)

Read more about RIPE’s Approach