water quality monitoring of surface runoff and tile
TRANSCRIPT
The William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute
Chazy, NY
WATER QUALITY MONITORING OF
SURFACE RUNOFF AND TILE DRAINAGE
ON DAIRY FARMS IN THE LAKE CHAMPLAIN BASIN
Bob Brower Scientific Symposium
March 6, 2021
Laura Klaiber
Research Scientist
Miner Institute Dairy Farm
• 480 milking Holstein cows
• 1450 acres of cropland
➢ alfalfa-grass/corn rotation
Miner Institute, Chazy, NY
Sample Concentrations (composite samples)
2016-2020
Max 3.374
75th 0.068
50th 0.015
25th 0.005
Min 0.000
Max 0.950
75th 0.006
50th 0.002
25th 0.001
Min 0.000
Max 4.965
75th 0.426
50th 0.198
25th 0.081
Min 0.006
Max 2.281
75th 0.032
50th 0.012
25th 0.006
Min 0.000
6 corn fields, annual manure applications, tillage240 surface runoff samples & 1102 tile drainage samples
25th percentile50th percentile75th percentile
Outliers
0.070.03 0.04
0.34
0.11
0.29
0.82
0.01 0.02 0.01 0.01
0.37
0.01
1.09
0.59
0.41
0.060.01
0.12
0.050.08
0.19
0.27
0.03
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
Field A(2014)
Field A(2016)
Field B(2016)
Field C(2016)
Field D(2016)
Field A(2017)
Field B(2017)
Field C(2017)
Field D(2017)
Field C(2018)
Field D(2018)
Field E(2018)
Field F(2018)
Field H(2019)
Field I(2019)
Field C(2019)
Field E(2019)
Field F(2019)
Field H(2020)
Field I(2020)
Field C(2020)
Field D(2020)
Field E(2020)
Field F(2020)
Solu
ble
Rea
ctiv
e P
(lb
/ac/
yr)
Annual Soluble Reactive P Load
Surface+Tile Tile
Annual P Losses by Runoff Pathway (2014-2020)
Tile = 0.07; Surface = 0.14; Total = 0.21 lb/acre/yrAverages (mean):
Field
Average total
Tile flow typically accounts for
50 – 99% of total field drainage
Tile contribution
Surface contribution
0.21
0.12 0.09
0.36
0.97
0.69
0.49
0.20
0.33
0.05 0.04
0.51
0.21
1.54
0.93
0.56
0.16 0.15
0.35
0.18 0.20
0.340.45
0.18
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
Field A(2014)
Field A(2016)
Field B(2016)
Field C(2016)
Field D(2016)
Field A(2017)
Field B(2017)
Field C(2017)
Field D(2017)
Field C(2018)
Field D(2018)
Field E(2018)
Field F(2018)
Field H(2019)
Field I(2019)
Field C(2019)
Field E(2019)
Field F(2019)
Field H(2020)
Field I(2020)
Field C(2020)
Field D(2020)
Field E(2020)
Field F(2020)
Tota
l P (
lb/a
c/yr
)Annual Total P Load
Surface+Tile Tile
Annual P Losses by Runoff Pathway (2014-2020)
Tile = 0.13; Surface = 0.26; Total = 0.39 lb/acre/yrAverages (mean):
Field
Average total
Typical corn crop removes 30 – 40 lb P/acre
Only adding enough P to sustain crop (35 lb):
(0.39 lb/acre ÷ 35 lb/acre)*100 = 1.1% loss
• 0.25-acre research corn plots
• 2 tile-drained, 2 un-tiled
• Surface runoff sampled from
all, tile flows sampled in
drained plots
• Hourly samples
• Manure applied 1 month prior
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
To
tal
P (
g/h
a)
Surface runoff P loss in un-tiled plots
Tile flow P loss
Surface runoff P loss in tile-drained plots
Tiled vs. Un-tiled Plots: Snowmelt Runoff Event
• 67% more total flow from tiled
plots (tile was 91% of flow)
• 86% decrease in surface runoff
in tiled plots
• Tiled plot loss = 0.06 lb/acre
• Un-tiled plot loss = 0.12 lb/acre
Take-home Messages
• Majority of P loss occurring in surface runoff
• No evidence (so far) of tile drainage increasing P losses, may decrease in certain
conditions (erosion reduction; snowmelt events).
• Losses represent very small fraction of applied P
• Majority of P loss occurs during a very short window of time (often during snowmelt)
• Risk factors (surface runoff & tile drainage):
• Surface-applied manure w/ no incorporation
• Manure application timing relative to weather events
• High concentration of P in the soil (legacy P)
• Tiles only: Macropores (heavier clay soils, no-till)
Acknowledgments:
Eric Young, Steve Kramer,
Casey Corrigan, Keegan
Griffith, Mark Haney, Leanna
Thalmann, Ashton Nelson,
Miner Institute Crops Crew,
and Adirondack Farms
www.whminer.org
Thank you to our funding sources:
Surface Runoff Sampling and Analysis
❖ Flow-proportional composite sampling: 5 acre field = sample/3,200 gal of flow (640 gal for every acre)
❖ Miner Institute laboratory analysis: Soluble reactive P (SRP), total P, nitrate, ammonium, total N, total
suspended solids (TSS; aka sediment)
Surface Runoff
Pre-calibrated fiberglass H-flumeWater height = flow rate
• Earthen berms around perimeter of field
• Surrounded by ditches to exclude outside water
• All surface runoff routed to single outlet at field edge
Surface Runoff Sampling and Analysis
❖ Flow-proportional composite sampling: 5 acre field = sample/3,200 gal of flow
❖ Miner Institute laboratory analysis: Soluble reactive P (SRP), total P, nitrate, ammonium, total N, total
suspended solids (TSS; aka sediment)
Autosampler
16-L sample container
Ultrasonic water level sensor
Flow module (data interface, storage)
Sample intake line
Tile Drainage Sampling and Analysis
❖ Flow-proportional composite sampling: 5 acre field = sample/3,200 gal of flow
❖ Miner Institute laboratory analysis: Soluble reactive P (SRP), total P, nitrate, ammonium, total N, total
suspended solids (TSS; aka sediment)
Flow meter
Autosampler
Tile outlet
Stilling well
Sample intake line
Flow meter (data interface, storage)
Thel-Mar Weir
Bubbler tube: Resistance = flow
Autosampler
3-4ft
• Drains excess water from poorly drained fields
• Can improve soil health ( compaction, aeration)
• Reduces risk of surface runoff
• Lengthens growing season
❖Higher crop yield and quality
❖Reduces need for imported feed (nutrients)
❖Cover crops, timing of manure applications
Why Install Tile Drainage?