Farmers and ranchers in the Great Plains have long been keenly aware of the value of windbreaks and shelterbelts, to make life on the windswept prairie more livable. After the drought of the 1930s, new windbreaks eventually became the savior of Plains farming, protecting farmsteads and livestock from wind and blizzards, and protecting the soil from erosion. Thanks to federal programs like the Prairie States Forestry Project, running from the 1930s through the beginning of World War II, over 220 million trees had been planted on 30,000 farms.

Today, because of the poor condition of many old windbreaks, the size of farm equipment producers employ and an increase in irrigation, windbreaks are viewed by many farmers as more of a nuisance than a savior. Thanks to a new, ongoing study through the Kansas Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Great Plains region state forestry agencies, land grant universities and Extension, the value of field windbreaks is gaining stock. The Great Plains Windbreak/Crop Yield Study is compiling yield data from GPS-equipped combine yield monitors to quantify increased yields in crops planted in fields with windbreaks.

At the first International Windbreak Conference held in Lincoln, Neb. back in 1986, summarized global yield studies showed yield increases of 23% for winter wheat, 15% for soybeans and 12% for corn planted in fields protected by windbreaks. According to Kansas Forest Service rural forestry coordinator, Robert Atchison, this data is not widely recognized, and obvious yield reductions immediately adjacent to windbreaks causes many producers to overlook the overall subtle yield increases in the larger crop area protected by the same windbreaks.

This new study, set to run at least through 2017, aims to gain an understanding of this phenomenon across the Great Plains and north into the Canadian provinces. The study will gather data on the location and condition of windbreaks, and secondly, yield data on fields where a windbreak is located. With more accurate yield data available through combine yield monitors, researchers hope to document the validity of earlier studies, to pinpoint data to specific locations adjacent to field windbreaks and to demonstrate the value of windbreaks on the landscape in the form of increased profits. Some economists estimate that field windbreaks could pay for themselves in 10-15 years from the additional income, and they continue to protect the soil throughout their lifespan.

RELATED: Nebraska Panhandle family plants one million trees - Nebraska Farmer

Designing and maintaining windbreaks, even in drier climates, is much easier than it was just 30 years ago. Weed barriers and new planting equipment have improved tree survival. So, it will be interesting to watch the data coming in through this new study to quantify what rural forestry researchers and many farmers have been suspecting all along. Windbreaks are not a nuisance. They protect soil resources and can boost profits for producers. If you are interested in participating in the study with your own crop yield data, contact your local district forester for more information, or call Atchison at 785-532-3310.

Here is more Nebraska Farmer news from the past week:

Rangeland recovering from historic wildfires three years later - Part One

Pine Ridge landowners working to protect what's left of forests - Part Two

Husker Harvest Days sees major show site updates

NDA finds third case of highly pathogenic avian influenza

Late planting provisions for crop insurance

Is there a topic you'd like me to tackle in my monthly Out on a Limb blog? Just drop me an email and I can research a tree or rural forestry related question or concern for you. Contact me at curtis.arens@penton.com.

Get the latest local farm news at Nebraska Farmer online. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @HuskerHomePlace, and Editor Tyler Harris @tyharris08. Check out #NebFarmNow or #huskerharvestdays.

BONUS: Addressing liability and insurance concerns for agritourism