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?

Questions

Shannon Zezula – NRCS IndianaShannon.zezula@in.usda.gov317-290-3200 ext 388