Project Number: 6413-13220-008-02
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Sep 01, 2003
End Date: Sep 30, 2005

Objective:
(1) Integrate water, agrochemical, and crop management to reduce off farm transport of agrochemicals from corn cropland to protect water quality; (2) Integrate sugarcane residue, water, and agrochemical management to reduce off farm transport of agrochemcials, and to determine the effects of management strategies on soil compaction, trafficability, and erosion, and (3) Validate existing or modified models for advanced soil, water and agrochemical management methods.

Approach:
[1] Water management with both surface and subsurface drainage will be evaluated for impact on agrochemical transport and fate, crop yield, and the effects on soil trafficability. Field studies on 16 plots (0.2 ha ea.) at the Ben Hur site (Commerce silt loam), planted to a corn-soybean rotation; 4 treatments and 4 replications. All plots precision graded for surface drainage, some plots include shallow surface drainage ditches and others controlled subsurface drains to control water table. [2] Two replicated field study areas at the St. Gabriel site, one surface drained only (6 plots) and the second with subsurface control of water table depth (6 plots), are focused on the impacts of sugarcane residue and water management methods on water quality and on soil trafficability. The second area includes an experiment to reduce erosion from the "Quarter Drains" common in sugarcane fields. [3] Acquired field data will be used to validate or modify models, such as, Drainmod-N, AGNPS, and RZWQM.

Project Team

Fouss, James - Research Leader/lc

Related National Programs

Water Quality & Management (201)