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Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) Projects | NRCS Virginia

Virginia NRCS has addressed a wide variety of topics and resource concerns over the years. Between 2010 and 2022, Virginia NRCS has provided $3,142,143 in funding to support 43 CIG projects to evaluate and accelerate adoption of new approaches to natural resource protection.

Reports, fact sheets and other documentation on completed projects are provided below. Additional materials will be added as they become available.

Project Year 2010

Slug Management in Corn and Soybeans (Virginia Tech)
Final Report (pdf, 7.1,MB)

Alternative Winter Cover Crop Species
and Seeding Techniques for Virginia 
(Virginia Tech)
Final Report (pdf, 508 KB)

Project Year 2011

GreenSeeker Sensor –Based Variable
Rate Nitrogen Fertilizer CIG 
(Colonial SWCD)
Final Report (pdf, 1.4 MB)

Beneficial Reuse of Large Animal Mortality (Virginia Tech)
Final Report (pdf, 979 KB)

Comprehensive Conservation Outreach Training for Limited Resource and
Beginning Farmers in Central Virginia 
(Local Food Hub)
Final Report (pdf, 233 KB)

Strategically Reducing Phosphorous
Excretions in Grazing Beef Cattle 
(Virginia Tech)
Final Report (pdf, 700 KB)
Farm P Calculator (pdf, 263 KB)
Final Phosphorus Management Tech Document (pdf, 356 KB)
Fact Sheet (pdf, 1 MB)

GPS Zone-Based Variable Rate
Nitrogen Fertilizer CIG 
(Colonial SWCD)
Final Report (pdf, 1.1 MB)

Enhanced Nutrient Management in Virginia: Precision Soil Phosphorus,
Potassium, and pH Management
(Virginia Tech)
Final Report (pdf, 2 MB)

Project Year 2012

Managed Grazing for Improved Soil
Health and Environmental Protection 
(Virginia Tech)
Final Report (pdf, 843 KB)
Fact Sheet (pdf, 876 KB)

Feasibility of Multi-Species Cover Crops In Central Virginia Cropping
Systems to Affect Soil Quality 
(Hanover-Caroline SWCD)
Final Report (pdf, 3.4 MB)

Innovative Cropping Systems using
Diverse Cover Crops & Manure Injection 
(VANTAGE)
Part I: Alternative Winter Cover Crop On-Farm Strip Trials
Part II: On-Farm Dairy Manure Injection Trials
Final Report (pdf, 10.3 MB)
Fact Sheet: Part I (pdf, 1.8 MB)
Fact Sheet: Part II (pdf, 1 MB)

Project Year 2013

Strip Tilling Vegetables to Boost Soil Organic Matter,
Farmland Conservation and Grower Productivity 
(Appalachian Sustainable Development)
Final Report (pdf, 331 KB)
Project Presentation (ppt, 10.6 MB)
Fact Sheet (pdf, 380 KB)

Soil Health and Grazing Management:  
Putting Science into Practice
(Virginia Forage and Grassland Council) 
Final Report (pdf, 1.2 MB) 

Improved Soil Health through Livestock and Pasture Diversity: A Farm Demonstration (Piedmont Environmental Council) 
Final Report (pdf, 2 MB) 
Case Study (pdf, 1 MB) 
Fact Sheet (pdf, 2 MB)

Project Year 2014

Advancing Agroforestry Riparian Buffer Implementation for Soil Health in 
Virginia
(Appalachian Sustainable Development) 
Final Report (pdf, 801 KB) 
Fact Sheet (pdf, 397 KB) 

Cover Crops as a Conservation Approach:
What Dairy Farmers Need for its Adoption 
(Virginia Tech)
Final Report (pdf, 4 MB)
Project Overview - VCE Publication DASC-93P (pdf, 1 MB)

Improving Soil Health and Crop Productivity by Utilizing Diverse and
High-Residue Cover Crops in Virginia
(Virginia Tech)
Final Report (pdf, 991 KB)

Project Year 2016

Demonstrating Conversion of Wildtype to Novel Endophyte Fescue Pastures for
Greater Livestock Performance and Better Environmental Outcomes

Final Report (pdf, 1.82 MB)
Fact Sheets
Novel Tall Fescue Conversion (pdf, 1.15 MB) 
Summer Stockpiling (pdf, 892.72 KB)
Toxicosis (pdf, 1.01 MB)
Managing for Persistence (pdf, 1007.3 KB)
Sampling (pdf, 1.12 MB)
Mitigation Strategies (pdf, 686.34 KB)

Dana Bayless

Conservation Stewardship Program Manager