The University of Notre Dame is conducting research looking at using cover crops to prevent nutrient loss.

Jennifer Tank, Professor of Biology at Notre Dame says the research project being conducted in a 3,000 acre watershed in Kosciusko County Indiana is showing significant reductions.

“30 percent decline in nitrate, 50 percent decline in dissolved reactive phosphorus,” Tank said. “I mean those are numbers you can really hold on to.”

The number of acres using cover crops has grown from 300 acres to 1,610, or 67 percent of the watershed after the first year.

To show that cover crops can work in more places, Professor Tank says they’ll be expanding their research into Jasper County Indiana.

For full audio of Tank's interview, click here.