Improving Water Quality in the Corn Belt (and Beyond...)
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2011 Shannon Zezula NRCS Indiana State Resource Conservationist Improving Water Quality in the Corn Belt (and Beyond...)
description
Improving Water Quality in the Corn Belt (and Beyond...). 2011 Shannon Zezula NRCS Indiana State Resource Conservationist . Cropping Systems = Healthy Soil. Soil Biology. HABITAT!. Conservation Cropping SYSTEMS No (Never)-till + cover crops + precision Nutrient Mgmt + Buffers. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Improving Water Quality in the Corn Belt (and Beyond...)
2011Shannon Zezula NRCS Indiana State Resource Conservationist
Improving Water Quality in the Corn Belt (and Beyond...)
Cropping Systems =Healthy Soil
• Soil Biology.
• HABITAT!
Conservation Cropping SYSTEMSNo (Never)-till + cover crops + precision Nutrient Mgmt + Buffers
•Restores soil carbon•Conserves moisture; improves
infiltration• Saves fuel, time, labor,
machinery•Reduces erosion•Resilience• Improved soil fertility and
nutrient cycling - biota•Controls weeds•Perfects Planting/Stand• Improves Air, Water, Wildlife…
Why Now? We are building a better
Cropping System, as well as a Smarter Drainage System!
Corn futures surged 90 percent in the past year, while wheat jumped 80 percent and soybeans advanced 49 percent
Along with...input costs, extreme weather patterns, public awareness...
Crops will be grown...yield matters...tile drainage will increase
Where do we fit?...
AVOID CONTROL TRAP
Nitrogen & Phosphorus Losses
• We can Avoid, Control and Trap Nutrient Losses with a system of Production practices!
Controlled Traffic and
Precision Technology
No-Till/Strip-Till
Crop RotationStripcroppingBuffers
Nutrient Management
Cover Crops
Drainage is Key......to Successful Yields &...
...Conservation Cropping Systems
main main
late
r als
late
r als
Water level control structure
Nitrogen Loss
NO3NO3
Where Water Goes…so too does Nitrate!
At best about 60% of the fertilizer added to the field is accumulated by the corn crop
We can do better…4 Rs...Source, Time,
Place, Rate
Soil P and Subsurface DrainageDrainage from 50-cm undisturbed soil lysimeters
Mehlich-3 soil P, ppm
Dissolved P,mg/L
0.5
0
1.5
1
0 200 400 800600
Iowa- ARSDr. Tom Kasper
Cover Crops
Reduced Nitrateleaching by 60 lbs. /ac.With a cover crop of Cereal Rye
Cover CropsManaging the Fate of Nitrogen!
• Nutrient management, no-till, crop rotation and cover crops were implemented. SYSTEM!
• Nitrate concentrations in tile water dropped from over 30 mg/l to under 10 mg/l
Purdue University Dr. Eileen Kladivko
A winter cover crop takes up (or “traps”) some of the nitrate that otherwise leaches out during fallow season
Corn-soybean system normally fallow from Oct – April.
The outlet is raised after harvest to reduce nitrate delivery during winter.
Drainage Water Management (DWM)
CapacityControlStructure
Woodchips
DiversionStructure BIO-REACTORS
Structural Practices 2-Stage Ditch
Deep wetland
Dam
WetlandBuffer
Structural Practices Constructed Wetland to Treat N from Tile
Tile drained field
Buffers
Target in low-producing areas (zones of NO APPLICATION!)
Filtering
Habitat
Water Quality Benefits will be Limited Unless Soil Health is Maximized
Mastering the Details through Planning is Key to an Optimum System
Now’s the time to Capture the potential!
We can take production and water quality further with Conservation Cropping Systems and Smart Drainage Systems
– Where will we be?
