As part of the Edge-of-Field Partnership, the Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Chapter of the Land Improvement Contractors of America, USDA NRCS, and the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences joined together in 2017 to install a woodchip bioreactor to improve water quality and implement Illinois NLRS (www.illica.net/2017-edge-of-field-partnership-bior). The purpose of the partnership is to study the effectiveness of woodchip bioreactors designed to NRCS standards on farms in the tile-drained areas of Illinois. The partners intend to install 5–10 woodchip bioreactors over five years with at least one installed each year.
University researchers will monitor the bioreactors to collect data and study water-quality improvements, and other partners will focus on education, outreach, and demonstrations targeted to government agency personnel, contractors, farmers, landowners, and the public. The intent is for these activities to continue for a minimum of five years after each woodchip bioreactor is installed. The farm sites are also expected to serve as tour settings for elected officials, regulators, and reporters.
In 2017, the first woodchip bioreactor was built on a farm near Geneseo in Henry County. The second was installed in 2018 on a farm near Walnut in Bureau County.
