Project Number: 3622-12130-003-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Oct 23, 2003
End Date: Apr 30, 2007

Objective:
Prevailing and traditional agronomic practices for row crop production have degraded soil and water resources in the Midwestern claypan soils region. This project will address these issues with the following objectives: (1) Determine parameters and practices that impact soil and water quality to help develop tools or implement BMPs that reduce the environmental impact of agriculture on soil and water quality at the watershed scale; (2) Develop criteria, evaluate performance, and determine economic impacts for implementation of alternative BMPs associated with herbicide, nutrient, and sediment contamination; and (3) Validate and improve watershed models to better assess the impact of field- and watershed-scale management practices on surface water quality.

Approach:
The proposed research encompasses three main approaches: (1) studies addressing the parameters and practices that control soil and water quality; (2) studies designed to test the effectiveness and economic impact of various BMPs and alternative weed management strategies; and (3) application of computer models to simulate the impact of BMPs on surface water quality at field- and watershed-scales.