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Accomplishments

Accomplishments<br /> Group: The committee was formed and held its first annual meeting on November 16-17, 2004, in coordination with the ADMSTF (Ag. Drainage Management Systems Task Force) meeting held at the same location on November 18-19, 2004. The committee members got acquainted and discussed many ideas for goals, activities, and future meetings.<br /> <br /> Individual Station Reports:<br /> IA- Iowa State University, submitted by Matt Helmers.<br /> Recent research and extension efforts at Iowa State University relative to drainage design and management practices to improve water quality have centered on nutrient export from tile drainage systems and nutrient management practices to minimize this export of nutrients, specifically nitrate-nitrogen. Work has shown that both swine manure and poultry manure can be an effective source of fertilizer for crop production and that losses of nutrients in subsurface flow are comparable to commercial fertilizer. Field investigations have also included investigating the impact of nitrogen rate, timing, and placement method on the export of nitrate-nitrogen through subsurface drainage systems. From this, higher application rates have resulted in higher nitrate-nitrogen concentrations. There has been little difference in the nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in subsurface drainage water for varying application methods or the timing of application. Extension efforts relative to this work have centered on educating stakeholders (producers, crop advisors, and policy makers) about the appropriate use of fertilizer relative to drainage water quality. Future work is beginning that will investigate the performance of drainage management practices in the upper Midwest. This includes field and modeling studies of the performance of these practices. These studies will examine drainage volumes and nutrient export. This work will also investigate integrating drainage management practices and nitrate removal wetlands. In addition, field investigations are beginning that will examine the impacts of cropping practices on nutrient export from tile drainage systems through the use of winter cover crops and perennial vegetation. Additionally, these investigations will continue to study the impacts of nitrogen rate and timing specifically examining lower nitrogen application rates and the impact of these management practices on crop yield and nutrient export. The research and extension efforts in the area of drainage water quality have had an impact in educating stakeholders about the environmental benefits of proper fertilizer application and that animal manure can serve as an effective fertilizer source while having comparable environmental impacts.<br /> <br /> IA- ARS National Soil Tilth Lab, Ames, submitted by Dan Jaynes<br /> With cooperation from the Great Plains Systems Research Unit in Ft. Collins, we modified the computer model RZWQM to include groundwater control on the tile outlets. This allows us to use this popular 1-D model to simulate the practice of controlled drainage. Model simulations using RZWQM will be compared to field data and to simulation data from the computer model DRAINMOD to gain better insights into the functioning of each model and better quantify their accuracy and applicability. Installation and initial testing of a controlled drainage infrastructure in a 60-acre farmers field was completed. This installation will be used to compare controlled drainage to shallow and conventional drainage for water quality and crop yield.<br /> <br /> IL- University of Illinois, submitted by Richard Cooke<br /> A new drainage outreach program was initiated in Illinois in 2004. It consisted of a series of six regional workshop covering soil water concepts, drainage law, nitrogen and phosphorus issues, drainage system design and layout, the use of new drainage technologies, drainage water management systems, and other drainage-related topics. Based on the success of this program it was decided to make it an annual activity.<br /> <br /> Work is continuing on the instrumentation of drainage water management structures. Based on the assumption that these structures function as specialized rectangular weirs rating curves were developed for 152 mm (6 inch) to 610 mm (24 inch) structures. The fitted discharge equations were Q=0.020(L-1.20H)H 1.5 and Q=0.021(L-0.0632H)H1.5, for 152 mm structures and 203 - 610 mm structures, respectively, where Q is the flow rate (L/s) L is the width of the structure (cm), and H is the depth of flow above the weir nappe (cm). The corresponding coefficients of determination were 0.993 and 0.967, respectively. These general discharge equations can be used to measure tile flow rates with relatively high accuracy and low expense.<br /> <br /> With funding from the NRCS and the ARS Soil Drainage Unit, five drainage water management research sites were established. Each site consists of a pair of equally-sized fields with one field operated in free drainage mode and the other in drainage water management mode. For the managed field, the riser boards are set to allow the water table to rise to within 6 inches of the soil surface during the period November to March. Flow rates from the outlets of both systems are measured at 15 minute intervals, and water samples are collected weekly and analyzed for nitrogen and phosphorus components. These data will be used to evaluate the performance of drainage water management systems in Illinois. <br /> <br /> IN- Purdue University, submitted by Eileen Kladivko and Jane Frankenberger<br /> The long-term tile drainage research site at the Southeastern Purdue Agricultural Center (SEPAC) has been used to study preferential flow of pesticides and chemical tracers as well as bulk movement of nitrates into tile drainage water. A combination of a winter cover crop, lower fertilizer N rate, and change in rotation and tillage system resulted in significant decreases in nitrate concentration and loads over the 15-year study. Drainflow and nitrate-N loads were greater with narrower drain spacing, especially in the years with high fertilizer N rates and no cover crop, which underscores that drainage design for water quality concerns often leads to different recommendations than drainage design for strictly crop production goals. The Water Quality Field Station in west-central Indiana has 48 drainage lysimeters with clay wall barriers separating plots and a tile drain in the center of each plot. The main focus of the site has been nitrate management for continuous corn or corn-soybean rotation. Liquid hog manure has been applied annually in either the fall or the spring starting in fall 1997. There has also been some work on pesticides, tracers, and pharmaceuticals on the site. A new project was begun in fall 2004 on drainage water management. The goal of this new research and extension project is to determine the yield, soil quality and other private benefits of drainage water management on corn and soybean cropping systems, and the impact of widespread adoption on nitrate loss at the watershed level. This goal will be achieved through a combination of paired field on-farm trials to measure private benefits and watershed modeling to determine nitrate reduction. We have installed drainage control structures and instrumentation at the Davis Purdue Ag Center and a private farm, and identified three other farms that will be instrumented.<br /> <br /> LA- ARS, Baton Rouge, submitted by Brandon Grigg<br /> Results show that without management to increase infiltration through the restrictive surface layer of southern alluvial soils, subsurface drainage does not mitigate surface runoff and associated soil and nutrient loss. As a result, we recommend that farmers of this region not use subsurface drainage systems, but rather modify cultural practices to increase infiltration and reduce surface runoff and associated soil and nutrient losses. Two potential methods of increasing infiltration of rainfall are under observation. The first is the use of routine deep tillage management when post-harvest residue production is minimal, such as with corn production or where burning of this residue is commonly practiced. The second practice, being evaluated in sugarcane production is in-field management of post-harvest sugarcane residue (approx. 8 tonnes/ha/year produced). Results from simulated rainfall studies indicate that in-field post-harvest residue management (as opposed to burning of residue) significantly reduces soil and nutrient loss associated with surface runoff. In support of the Agricultural Drainage Management Systems Task Force, we have also begun comparison of shallow-installed drainlines with controlled drainage at the same 0.6-m depth. Preliminary results indicate that, when coupled with routine deep tillage to increase infiltration, shallow drainlines double the drainage volume and loss of nutrients compared to controlled drainage management. This suggests that refitting existing conventionally installed subsurface drainlines with control structures may be preferable to new, shallow installation of subsurface drainlines.<br /> <br /> MD- University of Maryland, submitted by Ken Staver<br /> The role of drainage in delivering nutrients from cropland to surface waters has come under scrutiny in Maryland as a part of the effort initiated during the 1980s to reduce nutrient inputs to Chesapeake Bay. The majority of regional drainage systems are located in the concentrated grain and poultry producing regions on the Delmarva Peninsula, which lies within the Coastal Plain physiographic region of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The movement of nitrate through subsurface flow paths dominates total nitrogen losses from cropland in this region, and drainage systems are generally believed to enhance the delivery of nitrate into tidal waters. The majority of drainage enhancement in Maryland has been achieved with high density networks of surface drains that mostly were dug in mid 1900s, some quite a bit earlier. In most areas where drainage has been enhanced, grain production would not otherwise be possible. Until recently, research on nutrient transport from drained cropland has focused on rates and timing of nutrient applications for reducing nutrient entry into the drainage system. However, it has become apparent that additional measures will be needed to meet nutrient reduction goals and winter cereal cover crops have been added as a major component of the strategy to reduce subsurface nitrogen losses from cropland. Only recently has research been initiated on buffer systems, and management within the drainage system itself, for intercepting nutrients not captured by in-field strategies. Although water control structures and riparian buffers have been cost-shared in Maryland, very little information is available regarding the performance of these practices, and management approaches that maximize nutrient retention ability. Recently projects have been initiated on nutrient attenuation function of water control structures, the movement of phosphorus within drainage systems, and the ability of various native grasses used in riparian buffers to remove nitrate from shallow drainage. However, all of these projects are in early stages and no findings are available. <br /> <br /> MI- Michigan State University, submitted by Bill Northcutt<br /> An initial study was conducted to determine if liquid manure applied at traditional rates would rapidly move to drain depth via macropores under no-till and tilled soil conditions. The field had been in long-term (20+ years) no-till and had significant earthworm induced macropores. At the 7000 gallon per acre rate of application, no liquid manure discharge was detected in the drains. Additional higher application rates then caused manure discharge to occur. A new study was initiated in summer 2004, consisting of a constructed wetland/subirrigation system designed to treat and dispose of farmstead/silage pad runoff and daily milkhouse water. Runoff water and milkhouse water are put into the structure that is designed to contain a years worth of wastewater. During the growing season, wastewater flows from the structure to the constructed wetland. Water is then used in the subirrigation system or can be recycled back into the wastewater storage structure. Monitoring for the entire system, including groundwater, is being installed.<br /> <br /> MN- University of Minnesota, submitted by Gary Sands and Jeffrey Strock<br /> Drainage research continues to be a high priority in Minnesota. Eight to 10 faculty at the University of Minnesota and several State agencies are engaged in numerous projects addressing hydrology, water quality and production impacts of subsurface drainage practices. These projects encompass a multitude of scales, (plot to large watershed), and approaches (field, laboratory and computer modeling). Current research topics include (but are not limited to): scavenger crops for minimizing nitrate-N losses; shallow and controlled drainage for minimizing nitrate-N losses; pharmaceutical movement through drained soils; ecological approaches to drainage ditch design/management for water quality; use of remote sensing and vegetative indices to measure crop response to drainage; impacts of combinations of alternative drainage and other conservation practices; preferential flow theory and modeling; assessing the water quality and production impacts of alternative surface inlets, and; modeling soil responses to drainage.<br /> <br /> Field research is being conducted at four University of Minnesota Research and Outreach Centers (ROC) and cooperating farms and ditches: Southern, at Waseca (SROC); Southwest, at Lamberton (SWROC); North-Central, at Morris (NCROC), and; the Northwest, at Crookston (NWROC). The SWROC has been the site of numerous field experiments related to water, soil, and nutrient management practices to improve water quality. Two plot-scale research sites have been used to investigate nutrient source (e.g., fertilizer, manure) and rate, tillage method, cover cropping, and crop rotation impacts on the export of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment through surface and subsurface drainage systems. Recent field-scale research at the SWROC has focused on investigating the effect of conventional and organic farming practices on water quantity and quality and the potential implications for emerging Total Maximum Daily Loads. A new project was begun in autumn 2002 on open-ditch systems. The goal of this long-term research is to investigate how hydrologic regimes, biological systems, and land use management influence nitrogen and phosphorus processing, storage, and biological removal within open-ditch ecosystems. Field research at the SROC is investigating the efficacy of shallow drainage and controlled drainage to mitigate nitrate-nitrogen losses from drained lands. Data beginning in 2001 indicate that shallow and controlled drainage can reduce seasonal drainage volumes and nitrate-nitrogen losses from 15 to 25 percent, on an annual basis. Faculty at the WCROC are investigating the effectiveness of wood chip envelopes around drainage lines to mitigate nitrogen losses from dairy feedlot areas and working on relationships between animal agriculture and phosphorus losses on sloping, drained landscapes. Research at the NWROC has focused on soil (temperature and moisture content) and crop (wheat, soybean, and sugarbeet) responses to subsurface drainage in cold climates.<br /> <br /> MO- University of Missouri, submitted by Kelly Nelson<br /> Economic situations have caused several Missouri farmers to re-evaluate production systems that maximize yield and maintain environmental sustainability. Agricultural drainage is not a new concept; however, utilizing drainage as part of an integrated water management system (IWMS) is a relatively new concept that has been shown to improve water quality and sustain agricultural viability. Research was initiated in 2001 to determine the suitability of claypan soils for drainage and a drainage/subirrigation (DSI) water-table management system and evaluate the impact of the systems on corn and soybean grain yield at different drain tile spacings compared to non-drained claypan soil utilizing best management practices to reduce nutrient loss. Additional research was initiated in 2004 to evaluate the fate of polymer-coated and non-coated urea under different water management systems. This research is ongoing. In 2004, crop response to drain tile spacings was similar regardless of the drain tile spacing evaluated; subirrigation reduced water use and increased crop performance compared to overhead irrigation; and drainage systems utilizing an integrated water management system were planted fourteen days earlier than non-drained soils. Plans for evaluating flow rates and water quality were discussed following the meeting.<br /> <br /> NC- North Carolina State University, submitted by Wayne Skaggs<br /> Agricultural drainage is a primary source of excessive nitrogen (N) in surface waters leading to significant water quality problems in streams and estuaries in many locations around the world. Although there have only been a few field studies of the effect of drain depth and spacing on N loss to surface waters, the data that do exist indicate that N loss decreases with subsurface drainage spacing. Some simulation model studies agree with these trends, others do not. Published field data from Indiana and North Carolina were plotted as a function of drainage intensity, DI, which was defined as the steady state drainage rate when the water table at a point midway between the drains is coincident with the surface. Trends for NO3-N loss as a function of DI were similar for soils in the two states in spite of large differences in weather and soil conditions. These data indicated that the magnitude of NO3-N loss in drainage waters is strongly dependent on DI. Simulations were conducted to examine effects of drain depth, spacing and soil properties on processes that affect NO3-N loss from drained soils. The use of DI explained or normalized the effect of these variables on some of the processes but not others. Results showed that, in addition to its affect on DI, drain depth appears to have a direct impact on NO3-N losses. Data were collected from 8 drained plots on a field site planted to wheat and soybean in 2004. Data from this site are being used to test and further develop the DRAINMOD-NII model. The Phosphorus Loss Assessment Tool (PLAT) estimated surface runoff (RO) and total phosphorus (TP) losses that were lower than those measured in four cropped fields near Plymouth, NC. Underestimations by PLAT were due to transmissivities in the model database that were higher than actual values for the site. Field data were collected to determine the effect of drain depth on N and P loss to surface waters. Drains 0.75 m deep lost less N and more P than drains 1.5 m deep on a pastured, swine lagoon wastewater application site. PLAT correctly predicted TP loss for the deep (1.5 m) drains, but underestimated losses for the 0.75 m deep drains. Higher than predicted TP losses were likely due to preferential flow to the shallow drains; a process not considered in PLAT. Testing of the nitrogen simulation model, DRAINMOD-N II, using a 15-yr dataset from an artificially drained agricultural research site in southeastern Indiana is in the final stages; the data set was compiled, the model was calibrated for the site, and final testing is under way. This is the first of a series of planned field tests of the model for Midwest states.<br /> <br /> NY- Cornell University, submitted by Tammo Steenhuis and Larry Geohring<br /> Previous drainage research at the Cornell University Willsboro Farm evaluated the impact of fall application of 5000 gallons per acre of dairy liquid manure slurry on tile drain water quality. Two different experiments were done where the manure was surface applied at two different antecedent moisture conditions (tile flowing and not flowing), and where manure was immediately incorporated by disking and plowing. The breakthrough of fecal coliforms, dissolved phosphorus, and ammonia-nitrogen was rapid, especially where the tile was flowing, and was attributed to the existence of macropores. Although breakthrough concentrations were similar for the different antecedent moisture conditions, losses were greater from the wetter plots as a result of more drain flow. The plow incorporation of manure reduced concentrations in the drain discharge compared to disk incorporation, which reduced the total losses. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations increased quickly following manure application, and remained high throughout the winter and spring. In another farm trial, ammonia-nitrogen losses increased quickly after fall manure application, and transitioned to increasing nitrate-nitrogen losses within 60 days. The ongoing work during 2004 is additional data analysis and summary of the experiments. Extension efforts during 2004 have focused on informing producers, agricultural consultants, and soil and water district personnel regarding the risk of contaminant losses when liquid manure is applied to drained lands.<br /> <br /> OH- Ohio State University<br /> No written report.<br /> <br /> OH- ARS Soil Drainage Research Unit, submitted by Norman Fausey<br /> The ARS Soil Drainage Research Unit at Columbus, Ohio has one replicated field plot study to compare conventional drainage, conservation (controlled) drainage, and subirrigation water management practices. A second plot study will be constructed in 2005 to examine drain spacing effects for conservation drainage. Three field scale drainage water recycling (capture, treat, store, reuse) systems on private farms are being monitored for hydrologic and water quality effects. Infrastructure (weirs and samplers) has been installed for watershed scale monitoring to determine water table management practice effects at the watershed scale. Other projects involve locating drainpipes using geophysical methods, managing surface inlets to subsurface drains, modeling drainage in watershed scale models, and development of flooding tolerant varieties of corn and soybean. Research staff: 2 agricultural engineers, 2 soil scientists (1 is a postdoc), 1 plant physiologist, and 1 ecologist. <br /> <br /> SD- South Dakota State University, submitted by Hal Werner<br /> The overall goal of the Alternative Conservation Practices project was to help develop environmentally friendly and economically feasible water management practices for agricultural waterways in Eastern South Dakota. The quantity and quality water discharges from agricultural waterways was monitored and results will be made available to develop recommendations for alternative practices. Monitoring equipment was installed on three waterways in 2001  one with a grassed waterway together with drain tile, one with drain tile but without grass, and one without tile or grass. Water quality samples were collected from tile discharge for the grass/tile waterway all three years. No runoff events were recorded in 2001. Runoff was measured on two of the watersheds in 2002 and 2003. Results indicate that practices such as grassed waterways and subsurface tile drainage can reduce surface runoff from small agricultural watersheds in Eastern South Dakota. Additional studies were completed using data collected under this project. One evaluated the runoff hydrology of small agricultural watersheds. The second used a water balance model to simulate corn yields for drained and undrained waterways.<br /> <br /> WI- University of Wisconsin, submitted by Sam Kung<br /> Field experiments were conducted in the Walworth County Farm in Elkhorn, Wisconsin where tile drain monitoring facility was used to examine the mass flux breakthrough patterns of conservative tracers under four different stead-state infiltration rates. Results showed that flow pathways in an unsaturated soil profile have a wide range of pore radii. When infiltration rate was low, only those pathways made of small soil matrix pores were active. Under this circumstance, mass flux breakthrough pattern can be accurately predicted by the conventional convection-dispersion equation. As infiltration rate gradually increased, more and more pathways with larger and larger pore radii become hydraulically active. Chemical transport through these pathways was mainly convective flow, similar to those through capillary tubes. Under this circumstance, soil hydraulic conductivity based on water movement cannot adequately describe solute transport and mass flux breakthrough pattern cannot be accurately predicted by the conventional convection-dispersion equation. Impact Statement: The pore size spectrum is one of the most important properties of soils. In order to quantify a soil's capacity to store and release water and nutrients, it is essential to characterize the smaller end of the soil pore spectrum. On the other hand, to predict infiltration, aeration, and deep leaching of chemicals it is essential to characterize the larger end of the soil pore spectrum. Nevertheless, no methodology has been developed to characterize the soil pore size spectrum, especially when macropore-type preferential flow pathways are activated. We developed a methodology to derive soil pore spectra by using mass flux breakthrough patterns of conservative tracers under four different stead-state infiltration rates. The derived pore spectra can be used to predict field-scale transport of contaminants, such as pesticides, pathogens, hormones, and antibiotics. The success of this methodology hinges on the tile drain monitoring facility, because a large field becomes a huge lysimeter where mass flux breakthrough patterns can be accurately measured.<br /> <br /> NRCS- submitted by Sheryl Kunickis, USDA-NRCS National Agricultural Research Coordinator<br /> The USDA- Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has developed a list of high priority research needs. One of the high priority research needs is titled Impacts of Subsurface Tile Drainage on Water Quality. The specific interests include studies, especially in production settings of: <br /> 1) Impacts of tile drainage on water quality, especially in areas of the Midwest where nitrogen and phosphorous are surface applied in liquid form in the fall.<br /> 2) Potential impacts of water table control on delivery of nitrogen and phosphorous to surface waters, especially in Midwest states.<br /> 3) Extent of tile drainage contributions of pathogens, nitrogen, and phosphorous to surface water resulting from land application of manure and wastewater under a variety of soils and soil moisture and climatic conditions.<br /> Potential Products/Deliverables of interest include: <br /> 1. Development and implementation of state of the art technology tools for drainage water management systems. <br /> 2. Tools to help grower cooperators shift from a mindset of removing water to one of managing water and to properly apply practices to manage drainage water.<br /> 3. Enhance technical assistance tools, i.e. DRAINMOD computer program, for application in the colder climates of the Midwest and to assure the capacity to simulate the nitrification process since a majority of the nitrogen fertilizer applied in the Midwest is applied prior to planting and in the ammonia form. <br /> 4. Develop a soils database to support the use of DRAINMOD.<br /> Scientists participating in NCR-207 have the expertise and ability to assist with helping to address this high priority research need. The NRCS looks forward to participating in an effort to address this high priority research need.<br />

Publications

Impact Statements

1. Group: This brand-new committee had two main impacts during its first two months of existence (Oct - Nov 2004), namely a) Committee members got acquainted and learned details of research and extension education programs in other states. Although some members have collaborated on projects in the past, other members have not had opportunity for interaction. The discussions increased the knowledge of all members and sparked ideas for further research and extension collaboration possibilities and
2. b) The committee had impact on people working to improve drainage management and water quality through its collaboration with the ADMSTF. The back-to-back meetings in the same location facilitated information exchange and communication of research and extension programs and needs.
3. Impacts of individual members: Impacts of individual members of the committee on drainage water management have been large and important over a many-year period. Individual impacts are not summarized in this report, since the committee has only existed for two months.

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Report Information

Participants

Link to Participants page on Web site Participants also listed in Minutes of meeting

Brief Summary of Minutes

Accomplishments

Group: The committee held its second annual meeting on August 15, 16, and 17, 2005 in coordination with the ADMSTF (Ag. Drainage Management Systems Task Force) meeting held at the same location on August 17 and 18, 2005. <br /> Individual Station Reports: <br /> IA- Iowa State University, submitted by Matt Helmers. Recent research and extension efforts at Iowa State University relative to drainage design and management practices to improve water quality have centered on nutrient export from tile drainage systems and nutrient management practices to minimize this export of nutrients, specifically nitrate-nitrogen. In addition, work is beginning on evaluating drainage management practices and cropping practices as to their impacts on drainage volume and drainage water quality. Also, historic data has been and is being summarized to evaluate the temporal variation in subsurface drainage. Unlike some drained landscapes, in Iowa the majority (~70%) of the annual drainage flow occurs in the months of April, May, and June. This occurrence creates challenges when considering management of the drainage outflow since during this time period of the year it is essential that drainage be maximized to ensure crop production. Work is beginning on an EPA Targeted Watershed project evaluating drainage water management in north-central Iowa and how to best manage the system to reduce drainage outflow while minimizing the risk to crop production. Extension work has focused on disseminating information relative to drainage water quality and economic design of drainage systems. This has included statewide, regional, and local programming events. <br /> <br /> Impacts. A drainage field day as part of this programming was attended by over 70 stakeholders in the north-central part of Iowa. The research and extension efforts in the area of drainage water quality have had an impact in educating stakeholders about the environmental benefits of proper fertilizer application. In addition this work has led to a better understanding that animal manure can serve as an effective fertilizer source while having comparable environmental impacts. Another outcome from this programming was that stakeholders received information about emerging drainage design considerations that take into account the environmental and economic aspects of drainage. Evaluations from regional Crop Advantage Series meetings indicated attendees learned about effective tile spacing for economic and environmental considerations.<br /> <br /> IA- ARS National Soil Tilth Lab, Ames, submitted by Dan Jaynes. To better tailor N fertilizer application to crop need, there is growing interest in applying N to corn at mid-season. While the yield benefits of this practice are mixed, little information is available as to the impacts of mid-season N application on water quality. We compared grain yields and nitrate losses in drainage water as a result of applying N either once at emergence or equally split between emergence and mid-season. Nitrogen treatments consisted of 138 and 69 kg ha-1 applied at emergence and 69 kg ha-1 applied at emergence and again at mid-season. Grain yield for corn and soybean, grown in a 2-yr rotation, and drainage water nitrate were measured on replicated tile-drained plots within a producers field from 2000 through 2003. Corn grain yields for the mid-season treatment (10.27 Mg ha-1) was significantly greater than the other treatments (9.27  9.56 Mg ha-1) in 2000. In 2002, the mid-season N application increased yield compared to the single 69 kg ha-1 treatment (11.62 compared to 10.70 Mg ha-1) but was less than the yield when 138 kg ha-1 was applied all at emergence (12.42 Mg ha-1). There was no carry over treatment effect on soybean yields. Nitrate concentrations in tile drainage were consistently greater for the mid-season treatment than the equivalent rate applied all at emergence. Over the four years, the mean flow weighted concentrations were 8.6, 13.4, and 15.2 mg L-1 for the 69, 138 and 69 plus 69 kg ha-1 mid-season N rates, respectively. While mid-season N application may be beneficial for recovering some yield potential in corn, the practice does not appear to benefit water quality when compared to a single application at emergence.<br /> <br /> Impacts. The presentation Tile Drainage and Nitrate Reduction was given at the On-Farm Conservation and Water Quality Field Day, Ames, IA, 24 August 2004. The following articles were written about this drainage research: Tile fix reduces nitrates Wallaces Farmer, Feb., 2005; Momentum Builds for Controlled Drainage Farm Journal, February, 2005; Fields within a field Pioneer Growing Point Mar., 2005.<br /> <br /> IL- University of Illinois, No report available.<br /> <br /> IN- Purdue University, submitted by Eileen Kladivko and Jane Frankenberger. On-farm trials of drainage water management have been implemented on three private farms in west-central Indiana and the Davis Purdue Agriculture Center (Davis PAC), a university research farm in eastern Indiana. On each farm, two treatments are being compared: controlled drainage and conventional drainage. Drain flow is monitored and combined with weekly nitrate sampling to determine the impacts on nitrate load using a paired watershed statistical approach. Soil physical properties, earthworms, plant growth and plant N content data for each paired site have been measured to assess potential impacts on agricultural sustainability. On-farm management practice profitability is also being analyzed, including equipment and labor costs and management practice investment risk assessment. The project will continue for at least three years. <br /> <br /> The long-term drainage study in southeastern Indiana was continued. Ten-yr continuous corn yields showed timeliness benefits of tile drainage in some years, which contributed to increased yields compared to undrained control plots. Although average yield benefits were small, we expect yield improvements would be greater on typical producer fields, due to less-than-perfect surface drainage in larger fields and to greater timeliness benefits with larger acreages to manage. Manual water table and piezometer measurements from the project period are being analyzed in various ways, including drawdown curve shape with distance from the tile for different tile spacings and well vs. piezometer data. Infiltration and saturated conductivity measurements from different soil horizons and methods are being compared and further analyzed. Soil carbon measured after 18 years of drain spacing history show little difference in carbon content except in the 0-5cm depth.<br /> <br /> Impacts: A drainage management field day was held in conjunction with the installation of control structures at Davis-Purdue Agricultural Center, which included talks and demonstrations of drainage management benefits, on-site drainage management research, Global Positioning System elevation mapping for drainage system design and installation, and cost-share options for drainage management through the USDA-NRCS. Hundreds of farmers and contractors have been informed about drainage water management through the field day and additional presentations and workshops around the state. <br /> <br /> LA- ARS, Baton Rouge, no report available.<br /> <br /> MD- University of Maryland, submitted by Ken Staver. Reducing subsurface nitrate losses from cropland has proven to be one of the most vexing problems in the effort to restore Chesapeake Bay. Since subsurface nitrate discharge is the dominant form of N loss from most agriculturally dominated watersheds in the Coastal Plain, the lack of success in reducing subsurface nitrate loads has resulted in failure to meet overall N reduction goals. Since the restoration effort began in the late 1980s, no apparent reduction in nonpoint source N loads from cropland has been observed, despite projected reductions by watershed modeling efforts. <br /> <br /> The majority of drainage enhancement in Maryland has been achieved with high density networks of surface ditches that mostly were dug in mid 1900s, some quite a bit earlier. In some areas drainage enhancement consists primarily of deepening of natural drainage patterns, while in other areas closely spaced parallel ditch networks were dug into areas with high water tables or low permeability soils. In most areas where drainage has been enhanced, grain production would not otherwise be possible.<br /> <br /> Until recently, efforts to reduce N losses from cropland have focused on encouraging more efficient timing of N applications and economically optimum application rates. However, as it has become apparent that improved management of inputs alone will be insufficient to achieve N reduction goals, the focus of the reduction strategy has broadened to include widespread use of winter cover crops and management of riparian areas and drainage systems. A task force convened in 2000 to assess the potential for enhancing nutrient retention in drainage systems identified increasing retention time of drainage water as the key tenant for increasing nutrient attenuation potential. The obvious contradiction is that the primary purpose of drainage systems is to enhance the removal of water to increase agricultural productivity. The challenge is to find approaches to slow the removal of water by drainage systems while minimizing negative effects on crop production. Widespread production of wheat limits options for restricting drainage in late winter and early spring when flows typically are highest. Recently, limited cost-share funding has been made available for water control structures for slowing discharge and manipulating water table elevations in artificially drained watersheds. However, thus far only limited data has been collected in Maryland on how this practice affects nutrient losses. There is a major UMD/ARS collaborative research project underway on the lower Eastern Shore in which the dynamics of nutrient transport in ditched systems is being studied intensively. Although results are preliminary, findings thus far suggest the potential for high rates of dissolved P delivery into ditch networks in areas with elevated soil P concentrations. <br /> <br /> Several ongoing projects are addressing the potential for attenuation of subsurface nitrate loads in riparian areas. Establishment of riparian buffers has been a major goal of the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort but relatively little information exists regarding what vegetation types are most effective for capturing nitrate moving through shallow groundwater. An ongoing lysimeter study at the UMD Wye Research and Education Center is evaluating the ability of various grasses recommended for planting in riparian buffers to utilize nitrate in shallow groundwater. A recently initiated CSREES funded project is evaluating the role of denitrification in attenuation of subsurface nitrate loads in Coastal Plain watersheds. The eventual goal of both of these projects is to optimize the design and placement of riparian buffers so as to maximize attenuation of nitrate moving from up gradient cropland through subsurface flow. <br /> <br /> MI- Michigan State University, submitted by Bill Northcott. <br /> In the summer/fall of 2004 a constructed wetland/subirrigation system designed to treat and dispose of farmstead/silage pad runoff and daily milkhouse water was installed at Bakerlads Farm near Hudson Michigan. This project was designed and funded in a joint effort between the Lenawee County Conservation District, Michigan NRCS, Michigan DEQ, MSU Agricultural Engineering Dept. and Dr. Bud Belcher. <br /> <br /> The treatment system begins with a 2.2 million gallon earthen storage structure designed by MI NRCS to collect surface runoff from the 2.87 acre farmstead and silage pad area and receive milkhouse water. Runoff water is pumped into the structure after passing through a settling basin. Dairy milkhouse water (approximately 1000 gallons per day) is pumped into the structure. Overall the structure is designed to contain a years worth of wastewater.<br /> <br /> During the growing season, wastewater is either gravity drained or pumped from the storage structure to the constructed wetland developed by Bill Northcott, which is designed with three cells, two open ponds separated by a vegetative gravel filter. The first open pond is designed to promote settling of remaining solids, the vegetative filter is designed to remove BOD and act as a physical filter, and the final open pond is designed to act as a reservoir for the subirrigation system. The wetland retention time is approximately 8 days when the subirrigation system is delivering water at the maximum ET rate.<br /> <br /> The subirrigation system was designed by Bud Belcher and consists of seven different zones, allowing for subirrigation between 8 and 20 acres. The system can operate as a closed loop, allowing for normal drainage water to either drain back into the wetland or be pumped back to the wastewater storage structure. Monitoring for the entire system, including groundwater was installed. <br /> <br /> This year marked the first growing season that the system was operational. While the data has not been compiled yet, operationally the system appears to be successful. Available data and information shows that during the first summer the constructed wetland significantly reduced TSS and odor and total phosphorus was reduced from an average of about 100 ppm coming into the wetland to about 18 ppm as it exited the wetland to be subirrigated into the crop.<br /> <br /> Also at Bakerlads farm a field study was initiated to examine the effect of application methods and rates on the movement of liquid dairy manure movement into subsurface drains. In the Spring of 2005, twelve drainage laterals were instruments with circular drainage flumes to monitor flow and to sample drainage water. Drainage water will be sampled for NO3-, NH4+, PO4-3, fecal coliform, e. coli. and COD, Currently, only flow data and occasional samples are being taken from the site to provide background flow characteristics and pollutant concentrations. The first manure applications to the field are planned for late fall of 2005.<br /> <br /> MN- University of Minnesota, submitted by Gary Sands and Jeffrey Strock. Drainage research continues both at University of Minnesota Research and Outreach Centers (ROC) and on cooperating farms. Eight to 10 faculty at the University of Minnesota and several State agencies are engaged in numerous projects addressing hydrology, water quality and production impacts of subsurface drainage practices. These projects encompass a multitude of scales, (plot to large watershed), and approaches (field, laboratory and computer modeling). Current research topics include (but are not limited to): scavenger crops for minimizing nitrate-N losses; shallow and controlled drainage for minimizing nitrate-N losses; pharmaceutical movement through drained soils; ecological approaches to drainage ditch design/management for water quality; use of remote sensing and vegetative indices to measure crop response to drainage; impacts of combinations of alternative drainage and other conservation practices; preferential flow theory and modeling; assessing the water quality and production impacts of alternative surface inlets, and; modeling soil responses to drainage.<br /> <br /> Field research at the Southern ROC is investigating the role of drainage depth and spacing on hydrology and nitrate-nitrogen losses from drained lands. Five years of data beginning in 2001 indicates that shallow drainage can reduce seasonal drainage volumes and nitrate-nitrogen losses up to 30 percent, on an annual basis and by 18 percent over a the 5-year period. This research also shows that drain spacing has a similar effect on nitrate-nitrogen losses. When drain spacings designed for a 1.27 cm/day drainage coefficient were cut in half, annual nitrate-nitrogen losses increased by 3 to 26 percent.<br /> <br /> Installation of several on-farm controlled drainage research/demonstration sites is being conducted in southern Minnesota. Drainage volumes and nitrate-nitrogen losses will be measured at these sites, in addition to crop yield and soil quality parameters.<br /> <br /> The focal point of soil, water, and nutrient management research and outreach efforts at the Southwest ROC are on developing solutions for soil, water, and nutrient management systems that improve watershed conditions and water quality. Research is specifically targeted toward integrated soil, water, and nutrient management practices that minimize the export of nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, and sediment from fields and watersheds. Research is being conducted at plot, field, and watershed scales. The research addresses three sub-objectives: in-field soil, water, and nutrient management systems; edge-of-field soil, water, and nutrient management systems; and in-stream soil, water, and nutrient management systems. Research project details and results may be viewed at http://swroc.coafes.umn.edu/soilandwater/<br /> <br /> In-field soil, water, and nutrient management systems. At the plot and field scale, we are evaluating soil N testing procedures based on the soils nitrogen supplying capacity by estimating mineralizable organic nitrogen; we are also evaluating the spatial variability of available soil nitrogen at the field scale and then using this information as a guide for variable rate nitrogen applications within a field. In addition, at the plot and field scale, we are quantifying the impact of crop rotations and crop management systems (tillage, nutrient rate/source) on soil properties and water quality. Finally, at the field scale, we are investigating the effect of controlled drainage on water quality and quantity, crop yield, and soil physical properties (saturated hydraulic conductivity, drainable porosity, bulk density, and soil water retention characteristics) as well as soil chemical properties (pH, nitrogen, and carbon). In Objective 1, we use plot and field scale experiments to test the hypothesis that biologically active nitrogen associated with microbial biomass will be more sustainable and economically viable than current nitrogen management strategies for site-specific management. We also use plot and field scale experiments to test the hypothesis that modified drainage systems, tillage systems, nutrient placement, and alternative crop rotations improve soil conditions and water quality.<br /> <br /> NEW Edge of field soil, water, and nutrient management systems. At the field and watershed scale, we will identify key biotic and abiotic processes controlling the loss of nitrogen and phosphorus applied to land as manure, fertilizer, and crop residues; we will then describe biotic and abiotic interactions that control the transfer of nitrogen and phosphorus from soil to water and their subsequent cycling in constructed wetlands. In Objective 2, we will conduct field and watershed scale experiments to test the hypothesis that constructed wetlands can be a viable tool for mitigating loss of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural land in northern climates.<br /> <br /> In-stream soil, water, and nutrient management systems. At the watershed scale, we are determining how biotic and abiotic processes individually and collectively affect nitrogen and phosphorus transport from soil to water and their subsequent fate in open-ditch systems, relative to natural streams, in agricultural landscapes. We are also determining the effectiveness of open-ditch management strategies (including natural and artificial carbon supplements) and ditch buffers to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loading from agricultural runoff. In Objective 3, we are conducting watershed scale experiments to test the hypothesis that a managed ditch, coupled with improved nutrient and land use management, will result in reduced nitrogen and phosphorus loss from headwater streams.<br /> <br /> MO- University of Missouri, submitted by Kelly Nelson. The MUDS (MU Drainage and Subirrigation) research was continued in a dry environment in 2005. Polymer coated and non-coated urea research was repeated in 2005. Polymer coated urea improved nitrogen utilization and grain yields when compared to non-coated depending on drainage and irrigation intensity. Water table management using subirrigation has increased corn and soybean grain yields 41 and 16 bu/acre, respectively. Drainage has increased corn and soybean grain yields 24 and 16 bu/acre, respectively. Subsurface drain tile flow rates will be monitored in collaboration with Dr. Richard Cooke. Sensor applied N application technology was demonstrated as a possible method to reduce N loss through subsurface drain tiles with Dr. Peter Scharf and Dr. Ken Suddeth.<br /> <br /> NC- North Carolina State University, submitted by R. Wayne Skaggs, Mohamed A. Youssef, and Robert O. Evans. Data were collected from two drainage systems near Plymouth, NC to determine the effect of drain depth on losses of NO3--N and OP. Drains in the deep system were 1.5 m deep and 25 m apart while drains in the shallow system were 0.75 m deep and 12.5 m apart. Both plots received swine wastewater applications during the study. Overall, the shallow drain system reduced outflows by 17.8% for the 3 year period. Lower NO3--N concentrations were observed in the shallow groundwater beneath the shallow drain plots compared to the deep drain plots. No significant differences were observed in the NO3--N concentration of the drainage water between the plots. NO3- -N export was reduced by 8.5% at the shallow drain plots during the 3 year study. In contrast, higher OP concentrations were observed in groundwater of the shallow drain plots. OP concentration in the drainage water of the shallow plots was significantly higher than in the deeper plots. OP export from the shallow drain plots was 1.89 kg/ha/yr, 95% increase over the OP export (0.97 kg/ha/yr) from the deep drain plot.<br /> <br /> The nitrogen model, DRAINMOD-N II, was field-tested using a 6-yr data set (1985-1990) from a drainage study site on a naturally poorly-drained silt loam soil in southeastern Indiana. The site consisted of two blocks (east block and west block), drained using plastic drain tubes installed 0.75 m deep and 5, 10, and 20 m apart. In the spring of each year of the test period, the site was chisel plowed, N fertilized using anhydrous ammonia with nitrification inhibitor, and planted to corn (Zea mays L.). Climatological data were recorded and drain flow rates were measured. Drain flow-proportional water quality samples were collected and analyzed for nitrate concentration. Only the west block was considered in the study. Data from the 20-m spacing plot was used for model calibration and data from the 5- and 10-m spacing plots were used for model validation. Simulation results showed very good agreement between observed and predicted nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) leaching losses. Model Efficiency in predicting monthly NO3-N losses over the 6-yr period was 0.5 for the calibration plot and 0.43 and 0.71 for the two validation plots. Errors in predicting annual NO3-N leaching losses were in the range of 0.3-16.1% for the calibration plot and 1.2-28.9% for the validation plots. Errors in predicting cumulative NO3-N losses over the 6-yr period were remarkably small; 0.3% for the calibration plot and -1.1% and -7.9% for the two validation plots. <br /> <br /> NY- Cornell University, submitted by Larry Geohring and Tammo Steenhuis. <br /> A long-term tile drainage research site at the Cornell University Willsboro Farm adjacent to Lake Champlain in Northeastern New York has been used to study the preferential flow of chemical tracers, pesticides, and most recently, dairy liquid manure slurry. Preferential flow paths have been found to have important implications on tile drain water quality since these flow paths can rapidly transport contaminants that were previously believed to be adsorbed or filtered by the soil to tile drains. Experiments were done to characterize both the preferential and bulk movement of nitrogen when liquid manure was surface applied under different soil moisture and tillage conditions. The breakthrough of ammonia-nitrogen was more rapid when the manure was fall applied under wet season and no-till soil conditions, whereas the nitrification conversion of the ammonia and organic nitrogen in the manure to nitrate-nitrogen appeared to be reduced. When the manure was fall applied following a dry season, nitrate-nitrogen concentrations increased quickly following the manure application, and remained high throughout the following winter and spring. Macro-pores appear to not only influence the bulk movement of nitrogen in manure but also the conversion rates of nitrogen in the manure to different nitrogen forms. During 2005, ongoing work entailed additional analysis and summary of the data from these experiments. Extension efforts during 2005 focused on informing producers, agricultural consultants, and soil and water district personnel regarding the risk of contaminant losses when liquid manure is applied to drained lands. Drainage contractors were also informed of these results, and the potential of designing and installing controlled drainage systems to mitigate potential adverse environmental impacts. <br /> <br /> OH- Ohio State University, submitted by Larry Brown. Research and demonstration projects that incorporate agricultural constructed wetlands into the farming system (wetland-reservoir-subirrigation-system) for drainage water harvesting, treatment, and recycling continue. Three field-scale sites are being monitored. Recent results show a 20-30% decrease in nitrate concentrations after passing through the wetland system. Data from a three-year study of a coupled-wetland-agroecosystem, using controlled drainage and subirrigation/controlled drainage, are being re-evaluated; preliminary results show nitrate and ammonium load reductions of 20 to 80% in both runoff and subsurface drainage flows, largely attributed to flow reductions and increased nitrogen crop uptake. An improved modeling structure and analysis of subsurface drainage economics, using long-term relative yield results from Drainmod, is being conducted, with future modeling efforts focused on water quality. A modeling analysis using Drainmod is focused on evaluating water table interactions between curtain drains and on-site wastewater treatment systems. A two-day Water Table Management for Engineers" Workshop was conducted with 23 people from across the region participating. A 5-day Overholt Drainage School was conducted with over 85 people attending; sessions focused on laser surveying and topographic mapping, subsurface drainage design, installation, operation and management, with a special session on drainage water management. A drainage water management supplemental practice was included in the Scioto River Basin Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.<br /> <br /> OH- ARS Soil Drainage Research Unit, submitted by Norman Fausey. <br /> Small pull-behind drainage plows evaluated. Evaluation of the accuracy of draintube placement by three small plows pulled by farm tractors under controlled experimental conditions was completed. Accuracy of draintube placement is critical to the proper functioning of agricultural subsurface drains. A graduate student (Nicholas Miller) in the Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department at The Ohio State University conducted field research under the guidance of Dr. Larry C. Brown and in cooperation with the Soil Drainage Research Unit to document the performance of three small plows. These plows were able to hold grade and accurately install subsurface drainage pipes in good installation conditions with experienced operators. In difficult installation conditions, these pull-behind plows lacked features needed to adequately compensate for ground surface and subsurface irregularities to insure accurate drainpipe installation. This information will benefit the plow manufacturers and the farmers who may purchase such equipment, and should lead to improvements in plow design and operator training.<br /> <br /> Agricultural Drainage Management Systems (ADMS). A new set of field plots were installed and are being instrumented at Defiance, OH to study the effects of drain depth and spacing on the hydrology and water quality effects of controlled drainage. The treatments include 2-in diameter drains at 10 and 20 ft spacings at 2 ft depth and 4-in drains at 20 and 40 ft spacings at 3 ft depth. Instrumentation will be in place by the end of 2005. At the Hoytville site, the water management treatments were changed by eliminating the subirrigated treatment and implementing a controlled drainage treatment with the overflow set at the 2 foot depth. The three treatments will now consist of free drainage, controlled drainage at 1 foot depth, and controlled drainage at 2 foot depth. In Illinois, 6 locations have been instrumented to compare the hydrology and water quality from controlled and free drainage fields operated by farmers. Two more locations will be instrumented before the end of 2005. To date, 420 samples have been analyzed for nitrate, ammonia, and total nitrogen. <br /> <br /> Flooding Tolerance of Plants. A genome-wide comparative analysis of gene expression in wild-type and flood-tolerant transgenic Arabidosis plants that were exposed to complete submergence for 1, 2, 6, 12, 24 hours, 3 and 5 days was completed. This research identified novel transcription factors (TFs) associated with submergence stress and presented the first comprehensive description of the temporal pattern of TFs and their networks activated by submergence stress. Since TFs regulate the expression of the genome, this work contributes to current knowledge of the control mechanisms of gene response to submergence and aid the development of submergence tolerant plants.<br /> <br /> Locating Drains. Two articles were published on ground penetrating radar (GPR) drainage pipe detection, one with respect to agricultural settings and the other for golf courses. The golf course drainage pipe detection paper required additional data to be collected late in the summer of 2004. Partial results of an investigation regarding shallow hydrology effects on electromagnetic induction measured soil electrical conductivity were published in a peer-reviewed book chapter. Preliminary results for the GPR-infrared remote sensing drainage pipe detection comparison, funded by the USDA/ARS-SDRU, were provided by the U.S. Geological Survey in November 2004. Work will continue on refining the interpretations of these results. The Soil Drainage Research Unit participated with The Ohio State University (OSU) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in getting a test plot installed at the OSU Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory to be used for assessing and demonstrating the capability of near-surface geophysical methods to locate buried infrastructure.<br /> <br /> SD- South Dakota State University, submitted by Hal D Werner and Todd P. Trooien. Ultrasonic sensors are being tested for use in measuring water levels in piezometers and monitoring wells. The system tested includes an ultrasonic sensor sitting atop the PVC tube, control hardware and a power supply, a short-range radio to a base station central to the research site (servicing multiple piezometers and wells), and a long-range radio to telemeter the data to an internet access point. The water level data are then retrieved via the web. Accuracy and precision testing is proceeding. The tested system is assembled by a small company in central South Dakota.<br /> <br /> Impacts: Use of automated measurement systems such as the system tested here could greatly reduce the time and labor required for water level measurements. If the site is at a remote location, travel also can be reduced.<br /> <br /> WI- University of Wisconsin, no written report. <br /> <br /> Future Goals for the Committee<br /> 1. Establish a committee website to raise the visibility of the committee and allow for stakeholders to easily find information related to the work of the committee members in agricultural subsurface drainage.<br /> 2. Work to develop plans for Extension publications in the area of drainage water management design and operation.<br /> 3. Continue discussions related to drainage research to provide needed communication to funding agencies and ensure that when possible data collection is similar to allow for broader use of the research results.<br /> 4. Continue to sponsor mini-symposiums and theme discussions at the committee meetings and invite additional stakeholders to these discussions to broaden the impact of the committee. <br /> <br />

Publications

Impact Statements

1. Impacts on a state basis are noted within most station reports
2. This relatively new committee had an impact in that committee members became more familiar with the details of research and extension education programs in other states. Although some members have collaborated on projects in the past this committee is fostering additional collaborative relationships both from a research and extension perspective.
3. The committee had impact on people working to improve drainage management and water quality through its collaboration with the ADMSTF. Through the work of many of the committee members in NCR-207 the NRCS Drainage Water Management Practice Standard No. 554 has been approved in most states that have significant subsurface drainage.
4. The committee coordinated two mini-symposia related to drainage water management and perennialization of the drained landscape at the annual committee meeting. These symposia allowed for significant discussion of new ideas that can be used by the members in their respective programs.

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Report Information

Participants

MEMBERS PRESENT;

Matt Helmers-Chair (IA); Gary Sands-Secretary (MN); Ann Rozum (USDA-CSREES Rep); Jane Frankenberger (IN); Jeff Strock (MN); Dan Jaynes (IA); Ramesh Kanwar-Admin.Advisor (IA); Eileen Kladivko (IN); Ken Staver (MD); Kelly Nelson (MO); R. Wayne Skaggs (NC); Richard Cooke (IL); Pat Willey (NRCS); Jim Fouss (ARS-LA);;
GUESTS PRESENT;
Norm Fausey (ARS-OH); Barry Allred (ARS-OH); Sheryl Kunickis (NRCS); Mary Todd Trooien (SD); Tyson Ochsner (USDA-ARS; Mohamed Youssef (NC); Ajay K. Singh; Lowell Blankers; Steward Melvin (IA); Russell Persyn (SD); Ranvir Singh (SD); Tom Kaspar (IA); Dana Dinnes; Mark Tomer; Jerry Hatfield; Greg Brenneman; Dan Meye; Kapil Arorn; Shawn Shouse; Ken Kohl;;

MEMBERS ABSENT;

Larry Brown (OH); Larry Geohring (NY); Bill Northcott (MI); Brandon Grigg (LA); Sam Kung (WI); Tammo Steenhuis (NY); Tom Spofford (NRCS)

Brief Summary of Minutes

see attached minutes

Accomplishments

The committee held its third annual meeting on March 27, 28, and 29, 2006 in Ames, IA (USDA-ARS National Soil Tilth Lab) in coordination with the ADMSTF (Ag. Drainage Management Systems Task Force) meeting ,held at the same location on March 29 and 30, 2006. <br /> <br /> Individual State Reports <br /> <br /> IA (Iowa State University) Submitted by Matt Helmers<br /> <br /> Recent research and extension efforts at Iowa State University relative to drainage design and management practices to improve water quality have centered on nutrient export from tile drainage systems and nutrient management practices to minimize this export of nutrients, specifically nitrate-nitrogen. In addition, work is beginning on evaluating drainage management practices and cropping practices as to their impacts on drainage volume and drainage water quality. Two drainage water management sites are planned to be installed in 2006. One is a field scale (>20 acres) site in central Iowa and the second site is in southeast Iowa. Water quality and subsurface drainage volumes will be monitored from these sites. <br /> <br /> Work continued on summarizing drainage water quality data. For the four-year study (2001-2004) at the Gilmore City research site in Pocahontas County, applying liquid swine manure at the rate of 150 lb N/acre before both corn and soybeans did not increase either corn or soybean yields compared to 200 lb N/ac of manure applied every other year before corn. In addition, the total of 300 versus the 200 lb N/ac two-year-rate resulted in nitrate-N concentrations in tile drainage increasing on average from 17 to 23 mg/L, a 35% increase that was statistically significant. For a four-year N application timing study at the Gilmore City water quality research site (2001-2004; a study that is being continued in a new research phase), applying liquid swine manure in the fall before corn (in a corn-soybean rotation) at the rate of 200 lb N/acre compared to a spring application at the same rate did not decrease corn yields or increase nitrate-N concentrations in tile drainage. Likewise, applying ammonia (in aqua form) in the fall before corn (in a corn-soybean rotation) at the rate of 150 lb N/acre compared to a spring application at the same rate did not decrease corn yields or increase nitrate-N concentrations in tile drainage. Applying ammonia in the fall before corn (in a corn-soybean rotation) at the rate of 225 lb N/acre compared to a spring application at the same rate showed a decrease corn yields but not an increase in nitrate-N concentrations in tile drainage. However, the increase in N application rate of 75 lb/ac rate (225 versus 150 for both spring and fall treatments) resulted in nitrate-N concentrations in tile drainage increasing on average from 14 to 21 mg/L, a 50% increase that was statistically significant. Although precipitation patterns were such that there was tile flow in each of the four springs of the study, only for two years was spring precipitation above normal. However, even for those years, fall applications did not increase nitrate-N leaching or decrease corn yields over spring applications.<br /> <br /> Extension work has focused on disseminating information relative to drainage water quality and economic design of drainage systems. This has included statewide, regional, and local programming events. In collaboration with colleagues at the University of Minnesota, the IA-<br /> <br /> MN Drainage Research Forum was held in November 2005 and was attended by approximately 80 stakeholders. A series of one-day drainage design workshops were held at five locations throughout Iowa in March 2006. The overall attendance was greater than 225 stakeholders. <br /> <br /> Impacts<br /> <br /> From the 225 stakeholders that attended the series of one-day drainage workshops in March 2006, a total of 125 workshop evaluations were received. Those reporting influenced drainage decisions on approximately 1.32 million acres. Participants indicated an average savings of $0.28 per acre managed and/or operated. This equates to an overall savings of approximately $369,600 and an approximate savings of $2,900 per participant for the 125 attendees that submitted evaluations.<br /> <br /> Provided summary information to the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission in February 2006 related to drainage water quality issues and specifically the impacts of various nutrient management strategies on nitrate export from tile drained lands. This information will be used in developing nutrient management strategies by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.<br /> <br /> IL (University of Illinois) Submitted by Richard Cooke<br /> <br /> Work in continuing on the development of a showcase watershed for conducting research and demonstrations on conservation drainage practices. These practices include drainage water management systems, subsurface bioreactors, and combined bioreactor/drainage water management systems. Data are also being collected to determine the optimum sampling interval for four drainage-related best management practices. <br /> <br /> A web-based version of the Illinois Drainage Guide is up and operational. This site is designed to be a one-stop shop for drainage related information in Illinois. Innovations include interactive routines for drainage design, and a county-specific drainage simulation program that is driven by a DRAINMOD engine.<br /> <br /> Impacts <br /> <br /> A significant impact of this research is that these systems have been shown to reduce nitrates flowing from drainage tile into streams by 20 to 40 percent. This is a significant reduction in terms of environmental restoration cost and environmental benefit. <br /> <br /> IN (Purdue University) Submitted by Jane Frankenberger and Eileen Kladivko<br /> <br /> Drainage research continues at two Purdue Agricultural Centers and three private farms. Data continues to be collected for the drainage water management paired-field study, which is characterizing the effectiveness of drainage water management in reducing edge-of-field nitrate loss in subsurface tile drains on three private farms and the Davis Purdue Agriculture Center. This study is also determining co-benefits and costs of the practice with respect to soil quality attributes, crop growth, yield and fertilizer N use efficiency. Drain flow is monitored with a combination of circular flumes and insertion flow meters, and is combined with weekly nitrate sampling to determine the impacts on nitrate load using a paired watershed statistical approach. During the first year (non-growing season), the structures were open at both pairs to develop statistical relationships under equivalent management conditions. During the growing season, the outlet was raised in one field or partial field at each site, while the other field had free drainage. As in other studies, little difference in nitrate concentration has been seen between the two fields in each pair. An intensive water table study was carried out for three weeks at each site, to determine spatial patterns of water table fluctuations. Soil physical properties, earthworms, plant growth and plant N content data for each paired site have been measured to assess potential impacts on agricultural sustainability. Yields were measured with a GPS-enabled combine yield monitors, and slight yield benefits were found with drainage water management at each site in the first year. The project will continue for at least three years. <br /> <br /> Impacts<br /> <br /> The results will be used to provide recommendations to producers, drainage designers, and policy makers. Data collected will be used to enhance farmer awareness and understanding of the utility of drainage water management for providing water quality benefits.<br /> <br /> MD (University of Maryland) Submitted by Ken Staver<br /> <br /> The focus of the nearly two decade long effort to reduce N inputs from Maryland cropland into Chesapeake Bay has focused almost exclusively on reducing edge of field surface runoff losses and nitrate leaching losses from the root zone. However, repeated failures to meet nutrient reduction targets has led to a more comprehensive approach that now includes management of drainage systems to reduce the delivery efficiency of nitrate moving through subsurface flow paths. Interest in management of drainage systems has resulted from promising results from work primarily conducted in North Carolina, since only minimal data has been collected in Maryland on the impact of drainage system management on nitrate losses. However, several new projects are underway in Maryland that are dealing with the processes that control nutrient transport mechanisms in drainage systems. The longest running study is a UMD/ARS collaborative research project underway on the lower Eastern Shore in which the dynamics of nutrient transport in ditched systems in regions of intense poultry production is being studied (http://www.sawgal.umd.edu/drainageditches/). Results from this study so far suggest the potential for high levels of P transport in shallow subsurface storm flow captured in shallow surface ditches. A recently CSREES funded study is evaluating N and O isotope ratios and excess N2 gas levels in groundwater to locate zones of nitrate attenuation due to denitrification both in naturally drained systems and also where water control structures are installed. Expanded cost-share funding for water control structures is planned in Maryland and results from this study provide information on how best to manage these systems so as to maximize denitrification potential. An ongoing lysimeter study at the UMD Wye Research and Education Center is evaluating the ability of various grasses recommended for planting in riparian buffers to pull water and nitrate from shallow groundwater. Grasses became fully established in 2005 and data from 2006 should indicate the potential of various grasses once fully established down-gradient of cropland to intercept nitrate moving in subsurface flow.<br /> <br /> Impacts<br /> <br /> Success in reaching overall nutrient reduction goals set for Maryland cropland hinges on finding successful strategies for reducing subsurface N losses and dealing with concentrated nutrient sources associated with animal production. The current ongoing projects will provide information that will be useful for improving management of drainage systems so as to minimize the conveyance of nutrients lost from up-gradient cropland. The USDA/MDA collaborative effort will clarify the factors driving nutrient transport in ditched cropland associated with poultry production which will aid in the development of drainage management strategies for reducing P losses from cropland highly enriched with P. The CSREES project will provide information on the dynamics of subsurface denitrification and how water control structures can be used most effectively to attenuate nitrate leached from cropland. Findings from the UMD lysimeter study will provide information useful for selecting vegetation for riparian buffers to maximize capture of nitrate from shallow groundwater. Collectively results from these studies will be applicable in the management of nutrient losses from a major fraction of cropland in Maryland and will assist in the effort to achieve nutrient reduction goals in the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort.<br /> <br /> MI (Michigan State University) Submitted by William Northcott<br /> <br /> Pollutant Movement into Surface Drains Resulting from Liquid Manure Applications: At a Lenawee County Michigan dairy farm a field study was initiated to examine the effect of application methods and rates on the movement of liquid dairy manure movement into subsurface drains. In the Spring of 2005, twelve drainage laterals were instruments with circular drainage flumes to monitor flow and to sample drainage water. Drainage water will be sampled for NO3-, NH4+, PO4-3, fecal coliform, e. coli. and COD, Currently, only flow data and occasional samples are being taken from the site to provide background flow characteristics and pollutant concentrations. The first manure applications to the field are planned for spring 2006. The project is working jointly with Michigan USGS and NRCS.<br /> <br /> Assessing the SWAT model for application on agricultural watershed with extensive subsurface drainage: A modeling study has been in progress to assess the Soil and Water Assessment Tool for its suitability to simulate the hydrology and water quality on tile-drained watersheds. Observed data from the Vermilion River at Pontiac and the Embarras River at Camargo are being used to evaluate the performance of the model. Previous work with DRAINMOD has shown that using the Green-Ampt infiltration and Hooghoudt equations provided suitable results for tile-drained watershed. In this study we are comparing SWAT results using a daily rainfall / curve number approach and a Green-Ampt / hourly rainfall approach. Initial model results indicate that the curve number approach typically overestimates peak flow rates while the Green-Ampt method better represents peak flow rates. Initial modeling to predict nitrate loading indicates that the SWAT model is doing a poor job of predicting nitrate concentrations. This is mostly likely due to the nitrate algorithm in SWAT assumes nitrate loading via surface runoff rather than through subsurface drains.<br /> <br /> Impacts<br /> <br /> Over 2000 dairy farms in the state of Michigan applied manure to fields, a large percentage of them being subsurface drained. It is important to develop manure application practices and strategies that minimize the movement of pollutants associated with manure into subsurface drains and eventually into surface waters.<br /> <br /> MN (University of Minnesota) Submitted by Jeff Strock and Gary Sands<br /> <br /> Drainage research continues both at University of Minnesota Research and Outreach Centers (ROC) and on cooperating farms. Eight to 10 faculty at the University of Minnesota and several State agencies are engaged in numerous projects addressing hydrology, water quality and production impacts of subsurface drainage practices. These projects encompass a multitude of scales, (plot to large watershed), and approaches (field, laboratory and computer modeling). Current research topics include (but are not limited to): scavenger crops for minimizing nitrate-N losses; shallow and controlled drainage for minimizing nitrate-N losses; pharmaceutical movement and antibiotic resistance in drained soils; ecological approaches to drainage ditch design/management for water quality; impacts of combinations of alternative drainage and other conservation practices; preferential flow theory and modeling, and; modeling soil responses to drainage.<br /> <br /> Field research at the Southern ROC is investigating the role of drainage depth and spacing on hydrology and nitrate-nitrogen losses from drained lands. Five years of data beginning in 2001 indicates that shallow drainage can reduce seasonal drainage volumes and nitrate-nitrogen by 18 percent over a 5-year period. This research also shows that drain spacing has a similar effect on nitrate-nitrogen losses. When drain spacings designed for a 13 mm/day design drainage rate (intensity) were cut in half (resulting in a 51 mm/d drainage intensity), 5-year nitrate-nitrogen loads 17 percent.<br /> <br /> Installation of several on-farm controlled drainage research/demonstration sites is being conducted in southern Minnesota. Drainage volumes and nitrate-nitrogen losses will be measured at these sites, in addition to crop yield and soil quality parameters.<br /> <br /> Two literature reviews are underway with scheduled completion in 2006: (1) water quality impacts of water table management systems, and (2) impacts of subsurface drainage on aquatic ecosystems.<br /> <br /> Drainage and water resource management research at the Southwest Research and Outreach Center (SWROC) is being conducted at plot, field, and small watershed scales. Research may be grouped into three theme areas: those related to in-field, edge-of field, and in-stream practices and management systems to reduce contaminant losses from agricultural lands to surface and ground water. Research continued in the area of evaluating soil N testing procedures, based on the soils nitrogen supplying capacity, to reduce or redistribute N inputs within a field and minimize N losses. Research on doublecrop small grain-snap bean in rotation with soybean to achieve agronomic, economic, and environmental goals was also continued. A field site was established to investigate the effect of controlled drainage on water quality and quantity, crop yield, soil physical and chemical properties, and greenhouse gas emissions. A project was initiated to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of agricultural contaminant removal from by constructed treatment wetlands designed to improve water quality. Research continued at two scales on evaluating controls of nitrogen and phosphorus transfers from agricultural soils to open-channel ditches and from open-channel ditches to receiving waters. Research also continued on evaluation of ditch management strategies to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loading from agricultural runoff in small watersheds. <br /> <br /> MN (USDA-ARS) Submitted by Tyson Ochsner<br /> <br /> In 2005 we established a new paired subsurface drainage system experiment. This field scale, on-farm experiment is part of a larger effort to document the environmental impact of large dairy operations, the number of which is increasing in the Midwest. The paired drainage system experiment will be used to determine the water quality impacts of changes in crop rotation and nutrient management which are necessitated by these dairies. The treatment field will be placed into a corn-corn-soybean rotation and will receive injected dairy manure after the soybean. The control field will remain in corn-soybean rotation with synthetic N fertilizer applied following the soybean. Water flow and nutrient concentrations in the subsurface drainage systems were measured in 2005. This calibration period data will permit statistical tests for changes caused by the treatment. Additional calibration data will be collected through soybean harvest in 2006, after which the treatment will be applied.<br /> <br /> Impacts<br /> <br /> As a result of this on-farm experiment, several area farmers have extended invitations for research work on their land. The operators of several new large dairies in the area have also expressed interest in collaborating with the overall research project.<br /> <br /> MO (University of Missouri) Submitted by Kelly Nelson <br /> <br /> Drainage and subirrigation research in Northeast Missouri was continued. Polymer coated and non-coated urea research was completed in 2005. A drainage design workshop was held at Macon, MO in February, 2006 with over 50 attendees. Polymer coated urea improved nitrogen utilization and grain yields when compared to non-coated depending on drainage and irrigation intensity. Movement of nitrogen into the subsoil and nitrous oxide gas release was evaluated on different drainage and irrigation intensities. Water table management using subirrigation has increased corn and soybean grain yields 38 and 25%, respectively. Drainage has increased corn and soybean grain yields 17 and 20%, respectively. Overhead irrigation increased grain yield 20% compared to subirrigated corn with 20 ft laterals when averaged over all N treatments in 2004 and 2005. However, applied water was 10 times greater for overhead irrigated corn compared with subirrigated corn during this period.<br /> <br /> NC (North Carolina State University) Submitted by R. Wayne Skaggs, Mohamed A. Youssef and Robert O. Evans<br /> <br /> A collaborative study has been started to test DRAINMOD-N II using a data set from Germany. The data set consists of twelve years of drainage and water quality data, collected from a drained grassland site receiving both mineral N fertilizers and animal waste. The testing has not been completed yet, but preliminary results indicated that DRAINMOD-N II can be used in simulating N dynamics in grasslands. Results also highlighted the need of the model, which was developed for agricultural systems, to a plant/vegetation component that simulates grass growth as affected by weather conditions, availability of water and nutrients, and grazing. <br /> <br /> Another Field testing of DRAINMOD-N II for the conditions of the US Midwest has been started using an 8-yr data set from a Minnesota field experiment that was conducted on a subsurface drained Canisteo clay loam planted to a corn soybean rotation to study the effect of the time of application of N fertilizer and the use of the nitrification inhibitor, Nitrapyrin, on N drainage losses. The data set was compiled and rearranged to be in a form suitable for model testing. Hydrologic and nitrogen model input files were prepared. <br /> <br /> A two-step global sensitivity analysis was conducted for DRAINMOD-N II using the LH-OAT and the extended FAST techniques to assess the sensitivity of model predictions of N losses from drained croplands to various model inputs. Results of this study indicated that the model is most sensitive to denitrification parameters and is mildly sensitive to parameters controlling decomposition of organic matter. Results of this study should help potential users of the model make informed decisions about model parameterization.<br /> <br /> A software company was contracted to upgrade the Windows interface of DRAINMOD and to incorporate DRAINMOD-N II in the Windows-based DRAINMOD suite of models. The new shell is currently being tested and shortly will be released to users. <br /> <br /> SD (South Dakota State University) Submitted by Todd Trooien and Hal Werner<br /> <br /> Two models are being tested with runoff, drain flow, and hydraulic gradient data from a drained waterway site. The models are a water balance model developed at SDSU for drained waterways and DRAINMOD adapted to single-drain (as opposed to pattern-drained) waterways. Two graduate students are in the final stages of testing and preparing their theses. Preliminary results indicate (1) the addition of artificial drainage to a waterway can decrease runoff and the related contaminant issues such as phosphorus, (2) the addition of artificial drainage increases the long-term average corn yield in a cropped waterway, and (3) DRAINMOD can adequately simulate a drained waterway by using an effective drain spacing.<br /> <br /> Impacts<br /> <br /> Our results indicate a slight yield advantage to adding artificial drainage to cropped waterways. A producer can evaluate the economics of adding such drainage in addition to the benefits that are harder to quantify: timeliness of field operations, reduced runoff, etc.<br />

Publications

Allred, B.J., Fausey, N.R., Daniels, J.J., Chen, C., Peters, L., Youn, H. 2005. Important considerations for locating buried agricultural drainage pipe using ground penetrating radar. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 21(1):71-87.<br /> <br /> Allred, B.J., Redman, D., Mccoy, E.L. 2005. Golf course applications of nearsurface geophysical methods. Journal of Environmental & Engineering Geophysics. 10(1):1-19.<br /> <br /> Bakhsh, A. and R.S. Kanwar. 2005. Mapping Clusters of NO3-N Leaching Losses with Subsurface Drainage Water. Journal of American Water Resources Association 41(2):333-341.<br /> <br /> Bakhsh, A., R.S. Kanwar, and D. Karlen. 2005. Effects of liquid swine manure applications on NO3-N -N leaching losses to subsurface drainage water. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 109(1-2):118-128. <br /> <br /> Bakhsh, A., R.S. Kanwar, and D. Karlen. 2005. Effects of liquid swine manure applications on NO3-N leaching losses to subsurface drainage water. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 109(1-2):118-128.<br /> <br /> Bakhsh, A., R.S. Kanwar, D. B. Jaynes, T. S. Colvin and L. R. Ahuja. 2005. Modeling precision agriculture for better crop productivity and environmental quality. International Agricultural Engineering Journal 14(4):1-10.<br /> <br /> Burchell, M.R. II, R.W. Skaggs, G.M. Chescheir, J.W. Gilliam and L.A. Arnold. 2005. Shallow subsurface drains to reduce nitrate losses from drained agricultural lands. Trans. ASAE 48(3):1079-1089.<br /> <br /> Daniels, J.J., Allred, B.J., Binley, A., Labrecque, D., Alumbaugh, D. 2005. Hydrogeophysical case studies in the vadose zone. In: Rubin, Y., Hubbard, S., editors. Hydrogeophysics. New York, NY: Springer. p. 413-440.<br /> <br /> Du, B., J.G. Arnold, A. Saleh, and D.B. Jaynes. 2005. Development and application of SWAT to landscapes with tiles and potholes. Trans ASAE 48:1121-1133.<br /> <br /> Fernandez, G.P., G.M. Chescheir, R.W. Skaggs and D.M. Amatya. 2005. Development and testing of watershed scale models for poorly drained soils. Trans. ASAE 48(2):639-652.<br /> <br /> Huynh, L., Vantoai, T.T., Streeter, J., Banowetz, G.M. 2005. Regulation of flooding tolerance of sag12:ipt arabidopsis plants by cytokinin. Journal of Experimental Botany. Vol. 56, No. 415, pp. 1297-1407.<br /> <br /> Kanwar, R.S., R. Cruse, M. Ghaffarzadeh, A. Bakhsh, D. Karlen, and T. Bailey. 2005. Corn-soybean and alternate farming systems effects on water quality. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 21(2):181-188.<br /> <br /> Kladivko, E.J., G.L Willoughby, and J.B. Santini. 2005. Corn growth and yield response to subsurface drain spacing on Clermont silt loam soil. Agron. J. 97:1419-1428.<br /> <br /> Kung, K.-J.S., M. Hanke, C.S. Helling, E.J. Kladivko, T.J. Gish, T.S. Steenhuis, and D.B. Jaynes. 2005. Quantifying pore-size spectrum of macropore-type preferential pathways. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 69:1196-1208.<br /> <br /> Lander, K, P.K. Kalita, and R.A. Cooke. 2005. Base flow characteristics of a subsurface drained watershed. Intl. Agric. Eng. Journal, Vol. 14(4), 171-179.<br /> <br /> Sammons, R.J., R.H. Mohtar, W.J. Northcott. 2005. Modeling Subsurface Drainage Flow of a Small, Tile-Drained Watershed Using DRAINMOD. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. American Society of Agricultural Engineers. Vol. 21(5): 815-834.<br /> <br /> Shelby, J.D., G.M. Chescheir, R.W. Skaggs and D.M. Amatya. 2005. Hydrologic and water-quality response of forested and agricultural lands during the 1999 extreme weather conditions in eastern North Carolina. Trans. ASABE 48(6): 2179-2188.<br /> <br /> Skaggs, R.W., G.M. Chescheir and B.D. Phillips. 2005. Methods to determine lateral effect of a drainage ditch on wetland hydrology. Trans. ASAE, 48(2):577-584.<br /> <br /> Skaggs, R.W., M.A. Youssef, G.M. Chescheir and J.W. Gilliam. 2005. Effect of drainage intensity on nitrogen losses from drained lands. Transactions of the ASABE 48(6):2169-2177.<br /> <br /> Strock, J.S., D. Bruening, J.D. Apland, D.J. Mulla. 2005. Farm management practices in two geographically diverse watersheds in the Cottonwood River Watershed of Minnesota. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution. 165:211-231<br /> <br /> Strock, J.S., G.R. Sands, D. Deutsch, and C. C. Surprenant. 2005. Design and testing of a paired drainage channel research facility. Appl. Eng. Agric. 21:63-69.<br /> <br /> Strock, J.S., M.A. Schmitt. 2005. Manure nitrogen management for corn on loess soil in a sensitive groundwater area. [Online]. Crop Management. http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/sub/cm/research/2005/water/<br /> <br /> Thoma, D.P., S.C. Gupta, J.S. Strock, and J.F. Moncrief. 2005. Tillage and nutrient source impacts on water quality from a flat landscape. J. Environ. Qual. 34:1102-1111.<br /> <br /> Torbert III, H.A., King, K.W., Harmel, R.D. 2005. Impact of soil amendments on reducing p losses from runoff in sod. Journal of Environmental Quality. 34:1415-1421.<br /> <br /> Wang, X., M.A. Youssef, R.W. Skaggs, J.D. Atwood, and J.R. Frankenberger. 2005. Sensitivity analysis of the nitrogen simulation model, DRAINMOD-NII. Trans. ASABE 48(6):2205-2212.<br /> <br /> Youssef, M.A., R.W. Skaggs, G.M. Chescheir, and J.W. Gilliam. 2005. The nitrogen simulation mode, DRAINMOD-NII. Trans ASAE, 48(2): 611-626.<br /> <br /> Zhu, H., Krause, C.R., Zondag, R.H., Brazee, R.D., Derksen, R.C., Reding, M.E., Fausey, N.R. 2005. A new system to monitor water and nutrient use efficiency in pot-in-pot nursery production system. Journal of Environmental Horticulture. 23(1):47-53.<br /> <br /> Extension or Non-refereed Publications for 2005<br /> <br /> Algoazany, A,. P. K. Kalita, J. K. Mitchell, R. A. Cooke. 2005. A long-Term Monitoring of Agricultural Chemical Transport From A Flat Tile-Drained Watershed. ASAE International Meeting, ASAE Paper # 05-2255. St Joseph, MI.<br /> <br /> Bakhsh, A. and R.S. Kanwar. 2005. Landscape attributes effects on NO3-N leaching losses to subsurface drainage water. In: Proceedings of the International Agricultural Engineering Conference, December 6-9, 2005, Bangkok, Thailand.<br /> <br /> Brouder, S., B. Hofmann, E. Kladivko, R. Turco, A. Bongen, and J. Frankenberger. 2005. Interpreting nitrate concentration in tile drainage water. Purdue Extension Publ. AY-308-W. http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/AY/AY-318-W.pdf.<br /> <br /> Cooke, R.A., G.R. Sands and L.C. Brown. 2005. Drainage water management: A Practice for reducing nitrate loads from subsurface drainage systems. Upper Mississippi River Hypoxia Conference. Ames, Iowa, September 2005. <br /> <br /> Du, .B., Saleh, A., Jaynes, D.B., Arnold, J.G. 2005. Evaluation of SWAT in simulating atrazine losses in stream discharge for Walnut Creek watershed (Iowa) [CD-ROM]. Watershed Management Conference Proceedings. Atlanta, Georgia.<br /> <br /> Feyereisen, G.W. 2005. A Probabilistic Assessment of the Potential for Winter Cereal Rye to Reduce Field Nitrate-Nitrogen Loss in Southwestern Minnesota. Ph.D. dissertation. University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn.<br /> <br /> Frankenberger, J., E. Kladivko, B. Gutwein, R. Adeuya, L. Bowling, B. Carter, S. Brouder, J. Lowenberg-DeBoer, and J. Brown, 2005. On-farm monitoring to assess the impacts of drainage water management. ASAE Paper No. 052027. St. Joseph, Mich.: ASAE.<br /> <br /> Goswami, D., P. K. Kalita, R. A. Cooke. 2005. Estimation of Base Flow in Drainage Channels in Two Tile Drained Watersheds in Illinois. ASAE International Meeting, ASAE Paper # 05-2066. St Joseph, MI.<br /> <br /> Helmers, M. J. and P. A. Lawlor. 2005. Conservation systems: Effects of manure application on drainage water quality. In Proceedings of the 17th Annual Integrated Crop Management Conference (November 30 and December 1, 2005, Iowa State University, Ames, IA), pp. 177-188. <br /> <br /> Helmers, M. J., P. A. Lawlor, J. L. Baker, S. W. Melvin, and D. W. Lemke. 2005. Temporal subsurface flow patterns from fifteen years in north-central Iowa. ASAE Meeting Paper No. 05-2234. St. Joseph, MI: ASAE.<br /> <br /> Lawlor, P. A., M. J. Helmers, J. L. Baker, S. W. Melvin, and D. W. Lemke. 2005. Nitrogen application rate effects on corn yield and nitrate-nitrogen concentration and loss in subsurface drainage. ASAE Meeting Paper No. 05-2025. St. Joseph, MI: ASAE.<br /> <br /> Miller, N.C. 2005. Grade control capability of cantilever drainage plows under experimental conditions. Ohio State University Thesis.<br /> <br /> Nelson, K., R. Smoot, and M. Jones. 2005. MU Drainage and Subirrigation (MUDS) Research Update. http://aes.missouri.edu/greenley/research/muds.stm.<br /> <br /> Rengsang, P., R.S. Kanwar, M. Jha, P.W. Gassman, K. Ahmad, and A. Saleh. 2005. Assessment of agricultural management practices in the Upper Maquoketa River Watershed. In: Proceedings of the 3rd International SWAT Conference (Editors: R. Srinivasan, J. Jacob, D. Day, and K. Abbaspur), July 13-15, 2005, EAWAG, Zurich, E.T.H. Switzerland.<br /> <br /> Singh, A K, L Blankers, J K Oswald, T P Trooien, and H D Werner. 2005. Accuracy, precision, and sensitivity of ultrasonic sensors to measure the water level in piezometers. ASAE Paper SD05-400. ASAE: St Joseph, MI.<br /> <br /> Strock, J.S., M.A. Schmitt. 2005. Manure nitrogen management for corn on loess soil in a sensitive groundwater area. [Online]. Crop Management. http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/sub/cm/research/2005/water/<br /> <br /> Wortman, C. S., M. J. Helmers, A. Mallarino, C. Barden, D. Devlin, G. Pierzynski, J. Lory, R. Massey, J. Holz, C. Shapiro, and J. Kovar. 2005. Agricultural phosphorus management and water quality protection in the Midwest. RP187 Heartland Regional Water Coordination Initiative. Iowa State University Extension.

Impact Statements

1. Committee members became more familiar with the details of research and extension education programs in other states. Although some members have collaborated on projects in the past this committee is fostering additional collaborative relationships both from a research and extension perspective.
2. Interaction among diverse members from across the U.S. fosters broader thinking and reflection about drainage and water quality issues.
3. The committee coordinated two mini-symposia on (1) ET changes due to landscape modification and (2) Use of DRAINMOD NII computer simulation model. These mini-symposia generate significant interaction and discussion among members
4. Many state-level impacts are noted within most state reports that make up the Accomplishments section.

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Report Information

Participants

Ali Madani (Nova Scotia Agricultural College),
Barry Allred (USDA-ARS),
Bill Kuestler (USDA-NRCS),
Craig Schrader (University of Minnesota),
Dan Jaynes (ARS-NSTL),
David Lapen (Agriculture Agri-Food Canada),
Diana Starr (AgriDrain Corp.),
Doug Toews (USDA-NRCS),
Eileen Kladivko (Purdue University),
Gary Sands (University of Minnesota),
James Fouss (USDA-ARS),
Jane Frankenberger (Purdue University),
Jeff Strock (University of Minnesota),
Jerry Walker (USDA-NRCS),
Katie Flahive (USEPA),
Larry Geohring (Cornell University),
Mark Dittrich (Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture),
Mark Sunohara (Agriculture Canada),
Matt Helmers (Iowa State University),
Mike Sullivan (USDA-NRCS),
Mohamed Youssef (NCSU),
Norman Fausey (USDA-ARS),
Osvaldo Salazar (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences),
Pat Willey (USDA-NRCS),
Peter Robinson (USDA-NRCS),
Ramesh Kanwar (Iowa State University),
Ranvir Singh (Iowa State University),
Richard Cooke (University of Illinois),
Robert Evans (NCSU),
Sam Kung (University of Wisconsin-Madison),
Sheryl Kunickis (USDA-NRCS),
Tony Stevenson (USDA-NRCS),
Tyson Ochsner (USDA-ARS St. Paul),
Wayne Skaggs (NCSU),

Brief Summary of Minutes

Individual State Reports

IA (Iowa State University) Submitted by Matt Helmers
Recent research and extension efforts at Iowa State University relative to drainage design and management practices to improve water quality have centered on nutrient export from tile drainage systems and nutrient management practices to minimize this export of nutrients, specifically nitrate-nitrogen. In addition, work is beginning on evaluating drainage management practices and cropping practices as to their impacts on drainage volume and drainage water quality. One new drainage water management site was installed in 2006. A field day was held as part of this installation on July 12, 2006 near Crawfordsville Iowa (southeast Iowa). Additionally, a field scale (>20 acres) site in central Iowa was identified and monitoring will begin in 2007 at this site. Water quality and subsurface drainage volumes will be monitored from these sites.

Work continued on the EPA Targeted Watershed project evaluating drainage water management in north-central Iowa. From detailed topographic analysis of these three drainage districts in north-central Iowa using LIDAR information only about 10% of the area presumed to be tile drained has a slope less than 1% and only about 3% has a slope less than 0.5%. In addition, these relatively flat areas are not in large contiguous areas. Approximately 50-75% of the cropland in these drainage districts is presumed to be tile drained (soils considered somewhat poorly drained and wetter).

Extension work has focused on disseminating information relative to drainage water quality and economic design of drainage systems. This has included statewide, regional, and local programming events. In collaboration with colleagues at the University of Minnesota, the IA-MN Drainage Research Forum was held in November 2006 and was attended by approximately 80 stakeholders.

Impacts:
A drainage management field day was held in conjunction with the installation of a new drainage system at the Southeast Iowa Research and Demonstration Farm in July 2006. This field day was attended by approximately 200 local producers, drainage contractors, and agency personnel. Approximately 1000 farmers and contractors were informed about drainage water management and drainage water quality in 2006 through field days and additional extension presentations and workshops around the state.

Based on previous drainage presentations and regional coverage of subsurface drainage bioreactors two local watershed groups in northeast Iowa installed subsurface drainage bioreactors, one in Butler county and one in Buchanan county, with a goal of reducing nitrate concentrations to the downstream receiving water body.

IA (National Soil Tilth Lab, Ames) Submitted by Dan Jaynes.
To reduce NO3 losses from tile-drained fields, we are comparing the efficacy of several tile and cropping modifications for reducing NO3 in tile drainage versus the nitrate concentration in drainage from a control treatment (CK) consisting of a free-flowing tile installed at 1.2 m below the surface. The modifications being tested include a) denitrification walls (DW) - trenches excavated parallel to the tile and filled with wood chips as an additional carbon source to increase denitrification; b) rye cover crop (CC) - planting rye (Secale cereale L.) after soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and corn (Zea mays L.) harvest and chemically killing before planting the following spring; c) rotating rye and oat cover crops (CC) - planting oat (Avena sativa L.) after soybean and rye after corn harvest and chemically killing before planting the following spring; and d) using white clover (Trifolium repens L.) as a living mulch under corn and soybean. Each treatment is replicated four times on 30.5 x 42.7 m field plots.
We have shown that the RZWQM-DSSAT model can accurately simulate crop yield, water drainage, and nitrate concentrations in drainage for a corn/soybean production field. The calibrated model will be used to look at possible nitrate reductions for drainage water management on this field and for other fields across the Midwest using the model. Drainmod NII will also be evaluated for use with results from this field.
A new demonstration/research site has been established on a producers field to examine the efficacy of drainage water management for nitrate removal.

Impact:
Made invited presentation in December, 2006 to EPA Science Advisory Board Hypoxia Advisory Panel on methods for reducing nitrate contamination of surface waters from corn/soybean fields of the Midwest. Topics covered included drainage water management, in-field tile bioreactors, cover crops, and N management techniques. (Iowa State University)
IL (University of Illinois) Submitted by Richard Cooke
Flow Measurement in DWM Systems
Weir equations to determine flow rates through drainage water management control structures were developed. These discharge equations were based on measured flow rates and water depths in AgriDrain structures ranging in size from 152 mm (6 inches) to 610 mm (24 inches). For each structure, a two-parameter equation for weirs with end contractions was used for low flow rates, and a one-parameter equation at higher flow rates, with the transition occurring at the point of inflection of the two-parameter equation The fitted equations were Q=0.021(L-0.632H)H1.5 for 152 mm structures, Q=0.020(L-1.202H)H1.5 for 203 to 610 mm structures, and Q=0.0172H1.5 above the point of inflection for all structures, where Q is the flow rate (L/s), L(cm) is the width of the gate, and H(cm) is the flow depth above the gate. Equations were fitted to the observed flow data with rewighted least square fitting procedures, to reduce the effect of outliers.

Impact:
These equations can be used for the determination of tile flow rates where AgriDrain drainage control structures are installed.

Flow and Transport Parameters for Bioreactors
A laboratory-scale bioreactor was installed to estimate flow and transport parameters to be used in field-scale systems. The laboratory-scale bioreactor consisted of a 0.25 m (10 inch)PVC pipe (6.1m long) filled with woodchips, with a drainage control structure attached to each end to regulate water flow rates. Center-screened sampling ports for collecting water samples were located at 0.87 m intervals along the PVC pipe. Creek water with nitrate-N concentrations ranging from 3 to 31 mg/L was passed through the bioreactor at several flow rates, and water samples were collected and analyzed for nitrate-N concentration. To determine points of inflexion that reflect the retention time for the resulting breakthrough curves, the observed data were fitted to Logistic functions. A one-dimensional advection-dispersion-reaction model was applied to this study. A Finite Difference procedure and an analytical solution were used to simulate the nitrate-N transport through the bioreactor, and a nonlinear regression approach was used to estimate hydrodynamic dispersion coefficients and first-order decay coefficients of the bioreactor. The estimated hydrodynamic dispersion coefficients were 0.68, 0.58, and 0.34 cm2/sec and the estimated first-order decay coefficients were 0.079, 0.14, and 0.038 hr-1for the three flow rates, respectively.

Impact:
These results were used in the design and operation of field-scale bioreactors. Three bioreactors were installed at the Illinois Farm Progress Show site with the assistance of members of the Illinois Land Improvement Contractors Association. These systems will be part of the field tour in subsequent shows.


IN (Purdue University) Submitted by Jane Frankenberger and Eileen Kladivko
Drainage research is continuing at two Purdue Agricultural Centers and three private farms. The long-term study on drain spacing at the Southeast Purdue Agricultural Center (SEPAC) will now transition into a system with more years of corn in the rotation, and the resulting impacts on nitrate losses and crop yields will be determined. Synthesis of data from a companion drainage/agronomic management practices study underscored that practices to improve soil tilth and crop yields (manure, cover crops) are not very effective unless an adequate drainage system exists first. The research study on drainage water management continued at three private farm sites and the Davis Purdue Agricultural Center (DPAC). Site-specific crop yield data have been collected at four sites for two years, and spatial analysis is being used to determine the effect of the practice on crop yields. Data on soil and crop N status during the season are being analyzed. The paired-watershed approach is being used to compare drain flow, nitrate load, and water table measurements from the managed drainage and free drainage field. New flow instrumentation was installed at two of the private farms, due to continuing challenges with flow measurement at those sites. Preliminary data show the electromagnetic velocity-depth sensors to be functioning well. The same three private farm sites are now being continued as part of the demonstration Conservation Innovation Grant regional effort. The Purdue group also led the regional effort to write and produce an extension publication on drainage water management. Nearly 8000 copies have been distributed throughout the region.

Impacts:
More farmers have become knowledgeable about drainage water management from extension presentations as well as the regional extension publication. Data collected on our project will be used to further educate farmers, drainage contractors, and the public about the water quality benefits of drainage water management and the potential impacts on crop yield.

MN (University of Minnesota) Submitted by Gary Sands and Jeff Strock
Drainage research continues both at University of Minnesota Research and Outreach Centers (ROC) and on cooperating farms. Numerous faculty at the University of Minnesota and several State agencies are engaged in many projects addressing hydrology, water quality and production impacts of subsurface drainage practices. These projects encompass a multitude of scales, (plot to large watershed), and approaches (field, laboratory and computer modeling). Current research topics include (but are not limited to): shallow and controlled drainage for minimizing nitrate-N losses; pharmaceutical movement and antibiotic resistance in drained soils; ecological approaches to drainage ditch design/management for water quality; impacts of combinations of alternative drainage and other conservation practices; preferential flow theory and modeling, and; modeling soil responses to drainage.

Soil and water resource management and drainage research at the University of Minnesota, Southwest Research and Outreach Center (SWROC) is being conducted at multiple scales. This field-based research program focuses on developing integrated soil and water management solutions for crop and livestock producers that combine agronomic, ecological, and engineering approaches in order to guide soil and water resource management decisions that consider all three factors. Collaborative research between the University of Minnesota, USDA-ARS, and Minnesota Department of Agriculture at the Hicks family farm near Tracy, MN was a major focus during 2006. The objective of this project is to evaluate the ecological functions, goods, and services of multifunctional agricultural production systems associated with poorly drained soils. This research includes land in both drained (controlled drainage) and undrained row-crop production as well as undrained natural prairie. Water quality and quantity, crop yield, soil physical and chemical properties, and greenhouse gas emission data are being collected in order to develop hydrologic, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus budgets for each of the management systems. A total of 620 producers, agriculture professionals, and local, state and federal employees participated in field days and workshops on topics related to Soil and water resource management and drainage research during 2006.

Field research at the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center (SROC) in Waseca, MN, is investigating the role of drainage depth and spacing on hydrology and nitrate-nitrogen losses from drained lands. Six years of data beginning in 2001 indicates that shallow drainage can reduce seasonal drainage volumes and nitrate-nitrogen by 18-20 percent over a 6-year period. This research also shows that drain spacing has a similar effect on nitrate-nitrogen losses. When drain spacings designed for a 13 mm/day design drainage rate (intensity) were cut in half (resulting in a 51 mm/d theoretical steady-state drainage intensity), 6-year nitrate-nitrogen loads were reduced by 18 percent.

New statistical methods (Meta Analysis) are being examined for their applicability to drainage water quality literature. A traditional statistical tool in the health/medical sciences, the use of Meta analysis in the environmental area is a new field of investigation.

Installation of several on-farm controlled drainage research/demonstration sites is being conducted in southern Minnesota. Drainage volumes and nitrate-nitrogen losses will be measured at these sites, in addition to crop yield and soil quality parameters.
One literature review was completed in 2006: the impacts of subsurface drainage on aquatic ecosystems. A second literature review, the water quality impacts of water table management systems, is in the final stages of completion.

Drainage design workshops continue to be held at two locations in Minnesota annually. The workshops are a collaboration of scientists and extension specialists from Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and North Dakota.

University of Minnesota Extension and University of Iowa Extension Service held the seventh annual Drainage Research Forum in Owatonna, Minnesota. The event is typically attended by over 100 university faculty, agency staffs, producers and contractors.

Impacts:
University of Minnesota research and extension activities continue to serve stakeholders interested in drainage, water quality, and soil/water conservation. The programs serve thousands of stakeholders annually through all facets of delivery.

MN (USDA-ARS) Submitted by Tyson Ochsner
Participating scientists: John Baker, Tyson Ochsner, Pam Rice, and Rod Venterea
In 2006 we collected the second year of data for our first on-farm drainage research site (Stevens Co. #1), and we started work at two additional on-farm sites (Stevens Co. #2 and Redwood Co.)

At Stevens Co. #1 we measured nutrient concentrations and loads (N, P, C) in the subsurface drainage systems of two adjacent fields (25 and 60 ha). We also recorded carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions, soil nutrient status, electrical conductivity, plant development, and yield. In October 2006, liquid dairy manure was injected in one field at a rate of ~15,000 gallons per acre. The other received commercial fertilizer. Data collection will continue in 2007 with the aim of documenting the field scale environmental costs and benefits of using manure versus commercial fertilizer.

At Stevens Co. #2 we began a double cropping experiment. Two adjacent fields (65 ha each) will be used to test the environmental and economic performance of a corn silage, rye forage annual double crop. Both fields receive liquid dairy manure at equal rates. The drainage system in these fields combines flow from surface inlets and subsurface drains. We installed access points and monitoring equipment for measuring flow and for automated water sampling (N, P, C, sediment). We completed grid sampling for soil nutrients and preliminary electrical conductivity mapping. Background data collection will continue through the 2007 growing season, after which one field will be changed to double cropping.

Jeff Strock is the project leader at the Redwood Co. site. We began work at the site in 2006. Two eddy covariance systems were installed for monitoring carbon fluxes and evapotranspiration in adjacent drained and un-drained fields. Chamber based measurements of nitrous oxide fluxes were initiated. Sample collection for pesticide leaching analysis also began. Data collection will continue in 2007 with the ultimate goal to compare greenhouse gas impacts and pesticide transport impacts of free and controlled drainage versus an un-drained field.

Impacts:
The research at Stevens Co. #1 generated significant interest among area producers leading to the opportunity to begin another project at Stevens Co. #2. Our conversations with our collaborators at Stevens Co. #2 led them to experiment with including rye in their operation. Over 300 acres were planted in the fall of 2006. These two projects have also created new collaborations with scientists at the Univ. of Minnesota Dep. of Agronomy and the USDA-ARS North Central Soil Conservation Laboratory in Morris, MN.

OH (The Ohio State University) Submitted by Barry Allred
1) Activity: Near-surface geophysical methods and an extensive soil sampling program were employed to characterize soil property similarities and differences between test plots at a new controlled drainage research facility in northwest Ohio. Impact: Knowing the soil property similarities and difference between test plots will help with comparing water flow and water quality results between tests plots at this controlled drainage research facility.

2) Activity: A flow rate versus water height relationship for a v-notch weir contained within a hydraulic control structure was developed through extensive field tests. Impact: These field tests prove the feasibility of using v-notch weirs within control structures to accurately measure discharge from agricultural fields with controlled drainage.

3) Activity: Laboratory transient unsaturated horizontal column tests were conducted to evaluate electrostatic processes affecting nitrate mobility in unsaturated soil. Impact: The influences on anion adsorption/exclusion processes affecting nitrate mobility due to factors such as clay mineralogy, moisture conditions, and soil solution ionic were quantified and are useful for predicting nitrate movement through the soil profile.

4) Activity: A field investigation was conducted to determine if ground penetrating radar can be used to evaluate functionality of buried drain lines. Impact: Results of this study indicate that under certain shallow hydrologic conditions, ground penetrating radar can locate isolated obstructions along a drain line that require repair.

NC (North Carolina State University) Submitted by Mohamed A. Youssef, R. Wayne Skaggs, and Robert O. Evans
A collaborative study has been conducted to test DRAINMOD-N II using a data set from Germany. The data set consists of twelve years of drainage and water quality data, collected from a drained grassland site receiving both mineral N fertilizers and animal waste. The model accurately predicted drain flow but N drainage losses were relatively poorly predicted. Errors in predicting N drainage losses were attributed to the lack of a plant component that considers the effects of climatological conditions and nutrient availability on the growth of perennial grasses. The study has been completed and a manuscript reporting the study results has been submitted for publication.

A study, partially supported through a cooperative agreement with the USDA Forest Service, has been started to develop a tree physiology and phenology component for DRAINMOD-N II that can reliably predict tree growth, N uptake, and litter fall. This extension of the model will broaden its scope to include forested lands.
Collaborative research, partially supported by a US EPA grant, has been started to test DRAINMOD-N II using several data sets from the Corn Belt States in the US Midwest.
The new shell for DRAINMOD 6.0, a major upgrade of the Windows-based DRAINMOD suite of models that incorporates the new nitrogen model DRAINMOD-N II, has been developed by a private software company. A "beta" version of DRAINMOD 6.0 has been released and is being tested before the official release of the model. The development of this version of the model will help increase model popularity among drainage researchers and engineers. The nitrogen component, DRAINMOD-N II, reflects the current understanding of N fate and transport in drained lands. The enhanced interface of DRAINMOD 6.0 makes it easier to use, especially, by non-researchers.

NY (Cornell University) Submitted by Larry D. Geohring and Tammo S. Steenhuis
Activities - Research activity included cooperating on a project to investigate the nutrient responses in tile drains following liquid dairy manure applications to orchardgrass. Plot treatments include an inorganic fertilizer control, surface applied liquid manure, and surface applied liquid manure followed by an Aerway tillage tool. The liquid manure applications were done during summer after grass harvests. Cooperative work continued on using LEACHM to model the nitrogen responses in tile drains following liquid manure applications. Extension activity included responding to tile drainage discharge water quality violations, whereby the drainage discharge was discolored from preceding manure applications. This resulted in making a presentation and discussions with the Agricultural Environmental Management Certification Subcommittee, a joint committee of the New York State Departments of Agriculture and Markets and Environmental Conservation, which provides training and certification of CNMPs (Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planners); and plans to update and revise the New York State Drainage Guide to include water quality aspects. A training session on Water Quality Concerns from Tile Drain Discharges was subsequently organized and presented at the Northeast Certified Crop Advisors Conference.

Impacts:
These activities resulted in a greater awareness of the water quality impacts of tile drain discharges, especially with regards to liquid manure applications on soils that may exhibit preferential flow. About 40 people attended the training session. As a result, producers and nutrient management planners are paying more attention to identifying vulnerable tile outlets, and adjusting their manure application methods, rates and timing to reduce risk of manure contaminated tile discharges.

Ottawa, (Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) Submitted by David R. Lapen and Mark Sunohara.
The Watershed Evaluation of Beneficial Management Practices (WEBs) project, led by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, currently completed its second field season of data acquisition. The South Nation project focuses on a watershed-scale evaluation of relative environmental and economic effects of drainage water management on water quality. Based on a paired-watershed approach, a total acreage of 730 ha are under evaluation. One watershed is in drainage water management mode with a catchment area of 420 ha. The other watershed is unmanaged in a conventional drainage mode with a catchment area of 310 ha. Field-scale evaluation of drainage water management was based on a paired-field approach. Four paired fields under similar crop management, with one field in free drainage mode and the other in drainage water management mode, were monitored for hydrologic and water quality effects.

In 2006, approximately 50 water level control structures were installed, increasing BMP contributing area to 250.6 ha. Infrastructure (auto samplers, flow meters) has been installed in streams and tile outlets for watershed-scale monitoring of water table management practice effects. Tile and stream flow water samples were collected routinely twice weekly and for several storm-driven hydrograph events. Routine monitoring and sample collection were conducted throughout the summer and fall of field and stream hydrological conditions, soil water, groundwater, plant, soil, air samples.

WI (University of Wisconsin) Submitted by Sam Kung
Hydraulic conductivity is the most critical deterministic parameter that dictates contaminant transport in porous media. Because of preferential pathways, it is difficult to accurately measure hydraulic conductivities of porous media. To compensate for the drawback of using a single averaged hydraulic conductivity to represent the impact of a wide range of flow velocities on contaminant transport through preferential pathways, two types of stochastic conceptualizations have been introduced. Some conceptualized that hydraulic conductivity was stochastic in nature, i.e., this parameter was made of a range of values with certain statistical distribution. Others proposed that porous media were made of multiple domains or stream tubes, each with its own hydraulic conductivity. Nevertheless, after collecting numerous field-scale experimental results, instead of becoming refined and perfected, the applicability of the conventional deterministic approach has been hindered by the lack of methodology to accurately measure hydraulic conductivity and its tremendous spatial variability.

Although it is tremendously difficult to handle hydraulic conductivities of porous media, one can very accurately measure chemical mass flux breakthrough patterns. Specifically, mass flux breakthrough patterns measured by the modified tile-drain sampling method and dipole-well sampling method are not only repeatable, but also have very high mass recovery. We found that the tails of mass flux breakthrough patterns measured by these two methods followed certain slopes, depending on how chemicals were introduced into the porous media. These slopes were identical to those under convective transport through cylindrical tubes or planar fractures. Based on this observation, we modified the Transfer Function Model and developed a hybrid approach by using the chemical mass flux breakthrough patterns to derive equivalent pore spectrum of a porous medium. Because the averaged hydraulic conductivity of a porous medium is actually embedded in the equivalent pore spectrum of the porous media, the hybrid approach bypassed the bottlenecks that bogged down the conventional deterministic approached.

Impacts:
Since Darcy, an averaged hydraulic conductivity has been used to represent the impact of a range of pores on water movement and contaminant transport in porous media. To use an averaged hydraulic conductivity to represent a wide spectrum of preferential pathways is similar to use an averaged intensity to represent a spectrum of electromagnetic waves. We developed a method by using accurately measure chemical mass flux breakthrough patterns to derive the pore spectrum information of preferential pathways.

Accomplishments

The committee held its Fourth annual meeting on April 17-19, 2007 in Raleigh, North Carolina in coordination with a DRAINMOD-NII workshop and the ADMSTF (Agricultural Drainage Management Systems Task Force) meeting. The meeting had an international flavor with the attendance of researchers from two Canadian provinces. <br /> " Members were educated about drainage management systems through an extensive field tour in North Carolina. This tour of some of the pioneering work in the field, along with visits with folks using the practices, has educated members of the committee and will enable them to do further innovations as they adapt and test the systems in the Midwest.<br /> " Many members attended the Drainmod-NII training, which now enables them to use the model for their research sites, and to evaluate the potential impacts of drainage water management on the soils and climatic regions within their states.<br />

Publications

1. Allred, B. J., M. R. Ehsani, and D. Saraswat. 2006. Comparison of electromagnetic induction, capacitively-coupled resistivity, and galvanic contact resistivity methods for soil electrical conductivity measurement. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 22(2):215-230.<br /> <br /> 2. Bakhsh, A. and R.S. Kanwar. 2006. N-source effects on temporal distribution of NO3-N leaching losses to subsurface drainage water. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Journal 11270 (6): 1-16.<br /> <br /> 3. Feyereisen, G.W., G.R. Sands, B.N. Wilson, J.S. Strock, P.M. Porter. 2006. Plant growth component of a simple rye growth model. Trans. ASABE 49: 1569-1578.<br /> <br /> 4. Feyereisen, G.W., B.N. Wilson, G.R. Sands, J.S. Strock, P.M. Porter. 2006. A probabilistic assessment of the potential for a winter cereal rye cover crop to reduce field nitrate-N loss in southwestern Minnesota. Agron. J. 98: 1416-1426. <br /> <br /> 5. Gish, T.J. and K.-J. S. Kung. 2007. Procedure for quantifying a solute flux to a shallow perched water table. Geoderma. 138(1-2):57-64.<br /> <br /> 6. Kalita, P.K.., A Algoazany, J.K. Mitchell, R.A.C. Cooke and M.C. Hirschi. 2006. Agricultuarl chemical transport from a subsurface drained watershed in east-central Illinois, USA. Agriculture, Ecosystem and Environment 115:183-193.<br /> <br /> 7. Kanwar, R.S. 2006. Effects of cropping systems on NO3-N losses to tile drain systems. Journal of American Water Resources Association 42(6):1493-1502.<br /> <br /> 8. Kung, K.-J.S., E.J. Kladivko, C.S. Helling, T.J. Gish, T.S. Steenhuis, and D.B. Jaynes. 2006. Quantifying the pore size spectrum of macropore-type preferential pathways under transient flow. Vadose Zone J. 5:978-989. <br /> <br /> 9. Oquist, KA., J.S. Strock, and D.J. Mulla. 2006. Influence of alternative and conventional management practices on soil physical properties. Invited. Vadose Zone J. 5: 356-364.<br /> <br /> 10. Reungsang, A., T.B. Moorman, and R.S. Kanwar. 2006. Prediction of atrazine fate in riparian buffer strips soils using the Root Zone Water Quality Model. Journal of Water and Environment Technology 3:209-222.<br /> <br /> 11. Singh, R., M. J. Helmers, and Z. Qi. 2006. Calibration and validation of DRAINMOD to design subsurface drainage systems for Iowas tile landscapes. Agricultural Water Management. 85: 221-232. <br /> <br /> 12. Skaggs, R.W., M.A. Youssef, and G.M. Chescheir. 2006. Drainage design coefficients for Eastern United States. Agricultural Water Management 86:40-49. <br /> <br /> 13. Wang, X., C.T. Mosley, J.R. Frankenberger, and E.J. Kladivko. 2006. Subsurface drain flow and crop yield predictions for different drain spacings using DRAINMOD. Agric. Water Mgmt. 79:113-136.<br /> <br /> 14. Wang, X., J.R. Frankenberger, and E.J. Kladivko. 2006. Uncertainties in DRAINMOD predictions of subsurface drain flow for an Indiana silt loam using GLUE methodology. Hydrol. Process. 20:3069-3084. <br /> <br /> 15. Youssef, M.Y., R.W. Skaggs, G.M. Chescheir, and J.W. Gilliam. 2006. Field evaluation of a model for predicting nitrogen losses from drained lands. J. Environ. Qual. 35:2026-2042. <br /> <br /> Book Chapters:<br /> 16. Baker, J. L., M. J. Helmers, and J. M. Laflen. 2006. Water management practices: rain-fed cropland. Chapter 2 in Evaluating the Environmental Benefits of Agricultural Conservation Practices- The Status of our Knowledge. Soil and Water Conservation Society, Ankeny, IA.<br /> <br /> Extension Publications:<br /> 17. Frankenberger, J., Kladivko, E., Sands, G., Jaynes, D.B., Fausey, N.R., Helmers, M., Cooke, R., Strock, J., Nelson, K., Brown, L. 2006. Drainage water management for the Midwest. Purdue Extension, Knowledge to Go. WQ-44.<br /> <br /> 18. Wortman, C. S., M. Al-Kaisi, M. J. Helmers, J. Sawyer, D. Devlin, C. Barden, P. Scharf, R. Ferguson, W. Kranz, C. Shapiro, R. Spalding, D. Tarkalson, J. Holz, D. Francis, and J. Schepers. 2006. Agricultural nitrogen management and water quality protection in the Midwest. RP189 Heartland Regional Water Coordination Initiative. Iowa State University Extension. <br /> <br /> Conference Proceeding and Presented Publications:<br /> 19. Bakhsh, A. and R.S. Kanwar. 2006. Watershed hydrologic attributes effects on crop yields. In: Proceedings of the International Seminar on Agricultural Engineering: Issues and strategies; held on February 16-18, 2006 at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, pp. 101-107.<br /> <br /> 20. Chun, J. and R. A. Cooke. 2006. Numerical Modeling of Field-scale Subsurface Bioreactors. Innovations in Reducing Nonpoint Source Pollution. Nov. 28-30, Indianapolis, IN. Hanover College.<br /> 21. Cooke, R.A. 2006. The Illinois Conservation Drainage Research/Demonstration Program. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting. Nov. 12-16, 2006, Indianapolis, IN.<br /> 22. Frankenberger, J., E. Kladivko, G. Sands, D. Jaynes, N. Fausey, M. Helmers, R. Cooke, J. Strock, K. Nelson, and L. Brown. 2006. Drainage Water Management for the Midwest: Questions and Answers About Drainage Water Management for the Midwest. Purdue Extension Publ. WQ-44. http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/WQ/WQ-44.pdf<br /> <br /> 23. Frankenberger, J.R., E. Kladivko, R. Adeuya, L. Bowling, B. Carter, S. Brouder, J. Lowenberg-DeBoer, and J. Brown. 2006. Drainage water management impacts on nitrate load, soil quality, and crop yield. Proc. Innovations in Reducing Nonpoint Source Pollution Conf., Nov. 28-30, Indianapolis, Indiana.<br /> <br /> 24. Helmers, M. J. and R. Singh. 2006. Economic and environmental considerations for drainage design. In Proceedings of the 18th Annual Integrated Crop Management Conference (November 29 and 30, 2006, Iowa State University, Ames, IA), pp. 239-244.<br /> <br /> 25. Jaynes, Dan, Tom Kaspar, Tom Moorman, and Tim Parkin. 2006. In-Field Bioreactor for Removing Nitrate from Tile Drainage. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN Nov 12-16, 2006.<br /> <br /> 26. Kladivko, E.J., and J.R. Frankenberger. 2006. Subsurface drain spacing, cover crop, and fertilizer management effects on nitrate loads to surface waters. Proc. Innovations in Reducing Nonpoint Source Pollution Conf., Nov. 28-30, Indianapolis, Indiana.<br /> <br /> 27. Kladivko, E.J., F.J. Larney, J.B. Santini, and G.L. Willoughby. 2006. Drainage, tillage, and cover crop effects on soil properties and maize yields. Proc. 17th International Soil Tillage Research Organization (ISTRO) Conf., Aug.28-Sept.1, Kiel, Germany. (published on CD)<br /> <br /> 28. Qi, Z., M. Helmers, and R. Singh. 2006. Evaluating a drainage model using soil hydraulic parameters derived from various methods. ASAE Meeting Paper No. 062318. St. Joseph, Mich.: ASAE.<br /> <br /> 29. Rodrique, A., R. A. Cooke and J. Chun. 2006. Effects of Sampling Frequencies in the Evaluation of Nitrate-N Transport from Drainage Related BMPs. Innovations in Reducing Nonpoint Source Pollution. Nov. 28-30, Indianapolis, IN. Hanover College.<br /> <br /> 30. Singh, R. and M. J. Helmers. 2006. Subsurface drainage and its management in the upper Midwest tile landscape. In Proceedings of the EWRI Congress, ASCE.<br /> <br /> 31. Thorp, Kelly, Dan Jaynes, and Rob Malone. 2006. Using RZWQM and Drainmod NII to Simulate Drainage Water Management in Iowa. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN Nov 12-16, 2006.<br /> <br /> 32. Youssef, M.A. and R.W. Skaggs. 2006. The nitrogen simulation model, DRAINMOD-N II: Field testing and model application for contrasting soil types and climatological conditions. In Proc. 2006 World Environmental and Water Resources Congress. Omaha, NB: EWRI of ASCE.<br />

Impact Statements

1. Ï The regional group produced an extension publication that had been requested by the ADMSTF to answer common questions asked by farmers, drainage contractors, and the public about drainage water management. This publication has already been used by extension, researchers, NRCS, and others as they give talks about drainage water management. It has increased awareness and knowledge as well as sparked interest in the practice among people who previously were not even aware of the option.
2. Ï Committee members became more familiar with the details of research and extension education programs in other states. Although some members have collaborated on projects in the past this committee is fostering additional collaborative relationships both from a research and extension perspective.
3. Ï Members from five Midwestern states (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota) collaborated on a Conservation Innovation Grant that is being administered by the Agricultural Drainage Water Management Coalition. This project will fund the establishment and monitoring of paired fields in the targeted states.
4. Ï Interaction among diverse members from across the U.S. fosters broader thinking and reflection about drainage and water quality issues.

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Report Information

Participants

Brief Summary of Minutes

Accomplishments

Publications

Impact Statements

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Report Information

Participants

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Larry Brown (OH)
Richard Cooke (IL)
Jane Frankenberger (IN)
Larry Geohring (NY)
Tim Harrigan (MI)
Matt Helmers (IA)
Dan Jaynes (IA)
Ramesh Kanwar (Admin. Advisor, IA)
Eileen Kladivko (IN)
Kelly Nelson (MO)
Jeff Strock (MN)
Gary Sands (MN)
Wayne Skaggs (NC)

GUESTS PRESENT:

Alok Bhandari (IA)
Norm Fausey (OH)
Jim Fouss (LA)
Amir Hass (WV)
Bill Kuenstler (NRCS)
Craig Schrader (MN)
Peter Rocky Smiley (OH)
Tony Stevenson (USDA)
Mark Sunohara (Canada)
Andy Ward (OH)
Pat Willey (NRCS)
Mohamed Youssef (NC).

Brief Summary of Minutes

March 31, 2009:

Jeff Strock welcomed everyone and called the annual meeting of the NCERA207 committee to order at 8:05 a.m. on March 31, 2009 at the University Plaza Hotel in Columbus, OH. Everyone present introduced themselves. Kelly Nelson was secretary and responsible for minutes of the current meeting and submission of the annual report.

Administrative Advisor report: Ramesh Kanwar reported that the reviews for the NCERA207 renewal were collected and there was limited discussion on the education and outreach portion of the committee. He suggested sharing in the state reports new information such as funding, information sharing, education projects and programs. Ramesh distributed a handout on Impact Writing for assistance in writing station reports. The reports needed to be no longer than two pages. There was discussion regarding the change from NCR to NCERA and an emphasis on extension and education was necessary. Technical programs with an education emphasis needed to share what was done and be more explicit on the education/extension aspects as well as the classroom teaching of stakeholders such as contractors and farmers. Response to the reviews for renewal of the committee, state reports, and minutes needed to be submitted by June 1, 2009.

CSREES Representative report: Mary Ann Rozum was unable to attend, but was able to provide a written report that was shared by Jeff Strock. CSREES was reorganized as NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture). Emphasis will be placed on the fate and transport of pharmaceuticals and hormones, pathogen fate, and water availability in water short areas. The new office of Ecosystem Services will be under the Department of Agriculture. Jeff was going to forward specific information and communications to committee members.

Business meeting #1:

The minutes from the previous meeting were approved. Revisions on the education and extension part of the NCERA renewal were discussed. Larry Brown volunteered to provide support to renewal committee (Jeff Strock, Larry Geohring, Jane Frankenberger, and Kelly Nelson) regarding the extension and education portion of the NCERA renewal. Jeff volunteered to lead the edits on the renewal in response to the reviewers comments.
Discussion on mini-symposia included topics such as: 1) ecological effects of drainage and drainage water management, 2) hydrologic changes of drainage and the impacts on flooding, 3) bioreactor status/recommendations, 4) management implications of drainage water management, 5) drainage water management effects on carbon sequestration and nutrient trading, 6) seasonality and nutrient loading effects on algae blooms, 7) climate change issues and drainage water management, 8) CEAP project nutrient loss implications, 9) drainage guide update/integration, 10) integrated drainage school curriculum development, and 11) phosphorus delivery mechanisms and the role of drainage. Ramesh suggested that the topics for the mini-symposia should target additional individuals in the host region that could benefit.

Station Reports: Station reports were given by Matt Helmers (IA), Dan Jaynes (IA), Richard Cooke (IL), Jane Frankenberger (IN), Eileen Kladivko (IN), Alok Bhandari (IA), Tim Harrigan (MI), Gary Sands (MN), Jeff Strock (MN), Kelly Nelson (MO), Larry Geohring (NY), Mohamed Youssef (NC), Wayne Skaggs (NC), Amir Hass (WV), Norm Fausey (OH), Larry Brown (OH), and Mark Sunohara (Canada).

The meeting was adjourned at 5:10 p.m.

April 1, 2009:

Jeff Strock called the meeting to order at 8:15 a.m.

Business meeting #2:

" Larry Geohring was nominated as the incoming secretary by Eileen Kladivko, seconded by Gary Sands, and elected unanimously.
" The location for next years meeting in New York was discussed. It was decided that holding the meeting in conjunction with the ASABE 9th International Drainage Symposium at Quebec, Montreal, Canada (June 13-16) at Plattsburg, NY on June 17 and 18 would be a favorable arrangement since the location would have field tour opportunities and proximity to the meeting in Quebec was only a 3-4 hour drive.
" Future mini-symposium topics identified in the 1st business meeting were discussed.
o Wayne Skaggs noted that the hydrologic changes due to drainage and the impacts on flooding topic were captured in the Drainage Monograph. The application of this information to specific regions with regards to response to media and public access implications as well as regional extension publication utilization was discussed by Gary Sands and Jane Frankenberger. It was suggested that we try to get the author to attend the next NCERA meeting. Jane Frankenberger requested that we circulate questions regarding drainage and flooding in order to provide an integrated Q&A publication.
o Norm Fausey noted that environmental and ecosystem services should be a focus of topics 1, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
o Committee discussion on management implications of drainage water management included: web-site based guidelines, time and compromise required to develop guidelines, time and spatial operation of water level control structures, direct assistance and education needed for management, dry year vs. wet year anxiety, and conservative recommendations during the growing season to avoid crop damage.
o Jane Frankenberger lead discussion on regional programming regarding drainage guide update/integration and integrated drainage school curriculum development. There was a need to emphasize design in new drainage system development and share curriculum. Jane organized a group of participants (Larry Brown, Gary Sands, Matt Helmers, Richard Cooke, Jeff Strock, and Kelly Nelson) to discuss an integrated drainage school curriculum.
o Norm Fausey suggested that phosphorus delivery mechanisms and the role of drainage should be added as a symposium item.
" The renewal of NCERA207 was revisited and objective 4 was clear regarding extension activities. Jeff volunteered to provide additional text to address this objective and highlight, bold, or bullet such text.

Virtual Tour of CIG:

Norm Fausey opted to provide a virtual tour of the CIG program due to the time required to visit field sites. Source water protection from 1985 to 2000 focused on atrazine levels in drinking water supply using paired watershed (usually less than 2 square miles) comparisons. Database layers included digital elevation, LIDAR, EQIP/CREP program participation, roads, subsurface drainage, and records of cost-share practices. Farmers in the watersheds were paid not to use atrazine. The levels of atrazine from 1997 decreased to 2002. Since the contracts have expired, atrazine levels have increased over time. In addition, drainage water management has focused primarily in Northwestern Ohio. These sites have been established to demonstrate an economical benefit to the producer. There was extensive discussion on flow rates, weir calibration, automation, and weir height. A special thanks was extended to Norm for sharing.

Mini-symposium: Drainage ditch design and ecological impacts

The symposium highlighted the effects of drainage ditches and channel design on ecological processes. Peter Rocky Smiley initiated the mini-symposium with current research evaluating the impact of drainage ditches on fish habitat and ecology. Ditches in Midwestern states have ranged from 27,000 to 56,000 km. There have been conflicts between ditch and water quality laws. Peter provided an overview of literature noting that 33 papers had focused on agricultural drainage mostly in the Midwest (IA, MN, IL, IN, and OH) with a total of 71 fish species identified in agricultural drainage ditches. Rocky provided an overview of their CEAP ecology project comparing channelized and unchannelized headwater streams. Toxicity indexes were established to evaluate toxicity of mixtures. He noted that there were some periodic peaks of maximum contaminant levels within the headwater streams. Andy Ward followed with a presentation on two-stage drainage ditch systems. Andy highlighted dynamic equilibrium, channel forming discharges, the need for evaluation of channels and developing appropriate designs for sizing of the channel, the benefits of benches in a ditch, and the need for monitoring performance. A comparison of benches and grass buffer strips showed that an increase in bench area resulted in more nitrogen removal, denitrification, and reduced downstream flooding.

The members of NCERA 207 thanked Norm Fausey and Larry Brown for the local arrangements for our meeting and the ADMSTF meeting that follows. NCERA207 committee meeting was adjourned at 12:05 p.m.

Submitted:
Kelly Nelson
NCERA207 Secretary 2009

Accomplishments

Accomplishments:<br /> Group Accomplishments: The committee held its sixth annual meeting on March 31-April 1, 2009 in coordination with the ADMSTF (Ag. Drainage Management Systems Task Force) meeting held at the same location on April 1-2, 2009. A mini-symposium featured drainage ditch design and the ecological impacts of drainage water management.<br /> <br /> IA (Iowa State University), submitted by Matt Helmers:<br /> <br /> Accomplishments. Research and extension efforts at Iowa State University relative to drainage design and management practices to improve water quality continue to center on nutrient export from tile drainage systems and nutrient management practices to minimize this export of nutrients, specifically nitrate-nitrogen. Work is also continuing that is evaluating drainage water management and cropping practice impacts on drainage volume and drainage water quality. In addition, work is beginning on examining the impacts of optimal drainage design and integration with nutrient removal wetlands to reduce downstream nutrient transport and improve crop production. We also conducted some hydrologic modeling to simulate potential impacts of climate change on subsurface drainage. Water quality and water quantity are being monitoring from seven drainage water quality research sites. <br /> <br /> From field plot studies based on three years of data we found little impact of timing of nitrogen application on nitrate concentrations in drainage water in north-central Iowa. Based on this same study it was found that various land covers including continuous living mulch, winter cover crop, and perennial grass have some potential to reduce nitrate loss. Extension work has focused on disseminating information relative to drainage water quality and economic design of drainage systems. This has included statewide, regional, and local programming events. In collaboration with colleagues at the University of Minnesota, the IA-MN Drainage Research Forum was held in December 2008 and was attended by approximately 80 stakeholders. In September 2008, an Iowa Drainage School was held in Ames, IA that focused on hands-on design of drainage systems. Approximately 25 individuals participated in this event. <br /> <br /> Impacts. Through a publication on the impacts of nitrogen application on nitrate concentration there is an improved understanding of the impacts of nitrogen application rate on drainage water quality. The information is being used by a Cedar River TMDL working group convened by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of various nitrogen application rate scenarios. <br /> <br /> An outcome from the IA-MN Drainage Research Forum is that we are providing research-based information on drainage water quality to stakeholders including state agency personnel in Iowa and the Midwest with a goal of improving the knowledge of drainage water quality issues and practices that can be used to minimize drainage water quality impacts. Feedback from the IA-MN Drainage Research Forum indicated attendees valued the research based presentations, the cooperation of Iowa State University and the University of Minnesota on drainage issues, and the mix of basic and applied studies that were presented at the meeting. One attendee congratulated Iowa and Minnesota for organizing this valuable meeting.<br /> <br /> IA (ARS National Soil Tilth Lab, Ames), submitted by Dan Jaynes:<br /> <br /> Accomplishments. Bioreactors and Cover Crops. Nitrate in water removed from fields by subsurface drain (tile) systems is often at concentrations exceeding the 10 mg N L1 maximum contaminant level (MCL) set by the USEPA for drinking water and has been implicated in contributing to the hypoxia problem within the northern Gulf of Mexico. Because previous research shows that N fertilizer management alone is not sufficient for reducing NO3 concentrations in subsurface drainage below the MCL, additional approaches are need. In a continuing field study, we are comparing the NO3 losses in tile drainage from a conventional drainage system (CN) consisting of a free-flowing pipe installed 1.2 m below the soil surface to losses in tile drainage from two alternative drainage designs. The alternative treatments are a denitrification wall bioreactor (BR), where trenches excavated parallel to the tile and filled with woodchips serve as additional carbon sources to increase denitrification and a rye (Secale cereale L.) winter cover crop seeded each year near harvest and then chemically killed before planting the main crop the next following spring. Four replicate 30.5 x 42.7-m field plots were installed for each treatment in 1999 and a corn/soybean rotation initiated in 2000. Over the past 9 yr the bioreactor and fall cover crop have reduced NO3 losses by 15 to 47 kg N yr-1. There has been no trend in the bioreactor efficacy indicating that the woodchips are still supporting denitrification at rates similar to when were first installed. The only year that the fall cover crop did not reduce nitrate losses was in 2001 when little cover crop was established in the fall of 2000 due to very dry weather after planting.<br /> <br /> Applying Drainage Water Management (DWM) across the Midwest<br /> Background. Thorp et al. 2008 calculated changes in NO3 losses across the Midwest with DWM using a calibrated/validated version of the RZWQM model for a corn-soybean rotation with 180#/ac N applied to corn in spring. We estimated cropland suitable for DWM by using the 1992 NLCD data to determine row cropped areas within the Midwest combined with using STATSGO soils information to estimate how many of these cropped areas are probably tile drained by assuming that all soils with land capability class of IIw, IIIw, IVw are drained (Jaynes and James). A subclass of the drained cropland was selected that would be suitable for DWM by estimating the extent of drained cropland with d 0.5% slope. These areas were computed by assuming that ½ of the drained soils with slope class of 0-1% and ¼ of the drained soils with slope class of 0-2% are suitable for DWM. The percentage of row crops from the NLCD that are actually in corn or soybean was estimated from the percentage of corn and soybean of all row crops for these counties taken from the 2002 NASS crop database. The acres that are suitable for DWM were estimated by multiplying the estimate for drained cropland with slopes d 0.5% by the percent of cropland in corn or soybean. Estimates of DWM effectiveness from Thorp et al. 2008 were multiplied by the total number of acres that are suitable for DWM.<br /> <br /> Costs. Impacts: The presentation Potential Water Quality Impact of Drainage Water Management in the Midwest Cornbelt, was made at the ASABE annual meeting June 30 - Jul 3, Providence, RI. Mid-Iowa NRCS staff was given a tour of the drainage facility at the Kelly field showing the impact of cover crops and bioreactors on tile drainage nitrate, Sep 3. A presentation was made on drainage water management at the Iowa Drainage School, Sep 10. Co-hosted Sally Collins, USDA, Dean Lemke, IDALS, Bill Northey, IA Sec of Ag., Mark Gibson, Hach Co., Roger Wolf, ISA, Tim Recker, ICGA and Alex Echols, Sand County Foundation among others on a tour April 9 highlighting CREP wetlands and drainage water management projects. <br /> <br /> IN (Purdue University), submitted by Jane Frankenberger and Eileen Kladivko:<br /> Accomplishments. We are currently analyzing the 2000-2007 data from the long-term SEPAC drainage site and comparing it to the 1985-99 data. Our previous findings of no significant differences among spacings (5, 10, 20 m) in drainflow nitrate concentrations still holds true, except for one year in which two of the six plots had corn yield reductions of about one third. In this case, nitrate concentrations were significantly higher for those plots during fall and winter while residual nitrate was being flushed out of the system, and then became similar to the other plots again by late spring. Thus the generalization that spacing does not affect concentration applies only when yield differences among spacings are relatively modest. The site has also been switched from using preplant anhydrous ammonia to sidedress liquid urea-ammonium-nitrate (UAN) as the main fertilizer N source. With anhydrous, there was no increase in nitrate concentrations in drainflow shortly after application, due to the time lag for nitrification to occur. However with UAN, there have been measurable increases in nitrate concentration shortly after application, due to the fact that a portion of the fertilizer is already in the nitrate form and available to be leached. This underscores the necessity for carefully considering the form and timing of fertilizer application when making generalizations about drainage concentration response to N fertilizer.<br /> <br /> Drainage water management research continues at four private farms and the Davis Purdue Agriculture Center (DPAC), where drain flow, water table depth, and crop yield have now been collected for three years. The effects of drainage water management during the growing season and the winter season are being determined using the paired statistical approach. <br /> <br /> In addition to the research, numerous extension efforts educated farmers, agencies, and the public about improved drainage management practices. A field day was held at one of the Conservation Innovation Grant sites in White County, with participation by the collaborating farmers, Purdue, the county extension educator, ADMC, NRCS, and local farmers. Extension talks were given at numerous other extension meetings and field days throughout the year, discussing drain spacing, drainage water management, and cover crops and their effects on reducing nitrate losses to surface waters.<br /> <br /> Impacts. Research has resulted in a better understanding of nitrogen and yield impacts of drainage water management. The new SEPAC project web site (www.agry.purdue.edu/drainage) will provide information to researchers, the agricultural community, and the public on the long-term drainage research at SEPAC. Hundreds of farmers and contractors have increased their knowledge of drainage water quality issues and the potential of drainage water management to reduce nitrate losses.<br /> <br /> MI (Michigan State University), submitted by Tim Harrigan:<br /> Accomplishments: The research and extension efforts in drainage management and design to protect water quality are focused on microbiological water quality with specific interest the effects of land application of livestock manure and bio-solids from wastewater treatment plants. In Michigan, pollution from agricultural sources was listed as the third most common cause (2,663 river-km) for failure to attain water quality standards (WQS; MDEQ, 2004), and pathogens were listed as the third most common cause for the failure of rivers to support designated uses.<br /> <br /> The bacteriological water quality of subsurface drain effluent following the land application of dairy manure has been under evaluation at a seven-acre site in southeastern Michigan since 2006. The research site is on a gently rolling (1-2% slope) predominantly Blount loam soil (fine, illitic, mesic Aeric Epiaqualfs) that is representative of much of the drained cropland throughout the region. The field has been in a no-till cropping program with a corn -soybean rotation for several years. Subsurface drains consisting of four inch laterals at a depth of 91 cm and 13.7 m spacing between laterals were installed in 1996. In December, 2004, modified circular flumes (15 cm; Cooke et al., 2004) with sampling wells were installed in twelve subsurface drains. <br /> Three treatments (no manure; liquid dairy manure; and liquid manure applied to a fall seeded, chemically desiccated, cereal rye cover crop) were established in a randomized block design with four replications. Liquid dairy manure was applied at 6000 gal/acre in early May (2006-2008) with a commercially available slurry tanker (Husky Farm Equipment Ltd., Alma, Ontario, Canada; 11,340 L) equipped with a rear-mounted rolling-tine aerator (3.66 m; Aer-Way, Holland Equipment Ltd. Norwich, Ontario, Canada) and a SSD (sub-surface deposition) slurry distribution system. The aeration tool and slurry tank were drawn behind a 112-kW tractor at 4.8 km h-1. The manure slurry was applied in a 7.3 m swath over each subsurface drain. Slurry rate calibration was based on tractor engine rpm, travel speed, machine width, and slurry flow rate. The flow rate was monitored with an electromagnetic flow meter (15.2 cm diameter; Danfoss, Danfoss Inc., Milwaukee, Wis.) mounted on the SSD. <br /> <br /> Our observations to date indicate that much more information is needed on: the nature of the E. coli leaching from these soils into tile-drains; the degree to which they truly indicate transport of pathogens to tile water; alternative, unequivocal, indicators of both immediate and residual manure transport to tile drains; and improved understanding of the influence of manure management practices on E. coli occurrence, survival and transport through soils. <br /> <br /> Outreach and Extension. The results of this work were presented to farmers, technical service providers and regulatory agency personnel at the Conservation Tillage Conference in Ada, Ohio in February, 2008, and at the Center for Excellence field day in Lenewee Co. in August 2008. <br /> <br /> Impacts. The results of this work has increased awareness of the potential for leaching of E. coli and other bacterial contaminants to subsurface drains following the land application of liquid manure. Tentative BMPs for land application of liquid manure on artificially drained cropland based on our work include: 1) limit application rates to no more than 6,000 to 8,000 gallons per acre in a single application, 2) use pre-tillage to fracture and disrupt preferential flow paths, 3) avoid slurry application on wet ground and when significant rainfall is forecast. <br /> <br /> MN (University of Minnesota), submitted by Gary Sands:<br /> <br /> Accomplishments. Drainage and water quality field research continues to be conducted at the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center (SROC) in Waseca, MN. The role of drainage depth and intensity on hydrology and nitrate-nitrogen losses from drained lands is being investigated. Eight years of data beginning in 2001 indicate that shallow drainage can reduce seasonal drainage volumes and nitrate-nitrogen by 18-20 percent, when data are averaged over the entire study period. This research also shows that drainage intensity is a strong predictor of nitrate-nitrogen losses. When drain spacings designed for a 13 mm/day design drainage rate (intensity) were cut in half (resulting in a 51 mm/d theoretical steady-state drainage intensity), 6-year nitrate-nitrogen loads were reduced by 18 percent. <br /> <br /> A drainage design workshop continues to be held in Minnesota annually, with collaboration from researchers and extension specialists in Minnesota, Iowa, and North Dakota.<br /> <br /> University of Minnesota Extension and University of Iowa Extension Service held the ninth annual Drainage Research Forum in Owatonna, Minnesota. The event was attended by over 100 university faculty, agency staffs, producers and contractors.<br /> <br /> University of Minnesota and North Dakota State Extension collaborated for the second year to conduct a 1-day drainage forum, held on the NDSU campus. Approximately 180 attendees heard presentations comprising drainage design, water quality impacts, and an interesting agency/farmer forum.<br /> <br /> Impacts. University of Minnesota research and extension activities continue to serve stakeholders interested in drainage, water quality, and soil/water conservation. The programs serve thousands of stakeholders annually through all facets of delivery.<br /> <br /> MN (University of Minnesota), submitted by Jeff Strock:<br /> <br /> Accomplishments. Soil and water management and conservation with emphasis on drainage water management continues to be conducted at the University of Minnesota Southwest Research and Outreach Center (SWROC) near Lamberton, MN. Our research goal is to provide field-based research information and integrated soil and water management solutions to assist agricultural and environmental stakeholders in supporting sustainable agricultural production and improving water quality. Results from the on-farm, field-scale, research project comparing controlled and conventional drainage showed that controlled drainage reduced nitrogen and phosphorus loss from the drainage system by 65% and 75%, respectively, compared to conventional drainage. No yield difference was observed between the two drainage systems. A plot scale drainage research site at SWROC was retrofitted to compare drain outflow, nutrient, and fecal bacteria losses from controlled and conventional drainage.<br /> <br /> Data collection continues on drainage water management within vegetated open ditches. Nutrient retention basins were constructed and included pairs of surface-flow, subsurface-flow, and vertical-flow basins. Pre-flooding soils samples were collected and analyzed for background levels of nutrients and trace metals.<br /> <br /> Extension/Outreach Education. The 3rd Soil and Water Management Field Day and Drainage Water Management Design Workshop was hosted by the Hicks family (Nettiewyynnt Farm) and was designed to highlight progress on soil and water management research and serve as an example of inter-institutional and inter-agency collaboration. The objective of the Field Day and Workshop was to convene researchers, stakeholders and practitioners to interact on issues related to soil drainage for productivity and environmental enhancement. The proceedings from the Field Day included six papers that discuss research projects conducted by scientists from the University of Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and the Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS)  Soil and Water Management Research Unit. Nearly 100 people participated in the field day and 25 farmers, contracts, and agency staff attended the 1.5 day workshop. (http://swroc.cfans.umn.edu/soilandwater/08soilwater_proceeding.pdf). <br /> <br /> Impacts. Research and accompanying extension/outreach education programs increased the understanding of the effect of controlled versus conventional drainage on drain outflow and nutrient loss. This research shows that there are practices with the potential to decrease drain outflow and nutrient losses under drained agricultural landscapes. <br /> <br /> In addition to on-going research, over 1,100 producers, agriculture professionals, and local, state and federal employees participated in field days and workshops on topics related to soil and water management and conservation and drainage water management research during 2008. <br /> <br /> MO (University of Missouri), submitted by Kelly Nelson:<br /> <br /> Accomplishments. Drainage and subirrigation research in Northeast Missouri in claypan soils is ongoing and has been expanded to corn hybrid comparisons and soybean management systems. Some of the key findings to date from this research include: a) drainage only increased average corn grain yields up to 15% while DSI increased average yields up to 45% when compared with non-drained, non-irrigated soil, b) overhead irrigation increased grain yield 25% compared to subirrigated corn with 6.1 m laterals when averaged over all N treatments from 2004 to 2007; however, applied water was on average 4-times greater for overhead irrigated corn compared with subirrigated corn on a 6.1 m drain tile spacing during this period; c) soybean planting date was delayed an average of 3 days for the non-drained control when compared with drained soils from 2002 to 2008; d) soybean grain yield with drainage only has averaged 23% greater than the non-drained or non-drained delayed planting controls; and e) DSI had soybean grain yields 27% greater than the non-drained or non-drained delayed planting controls. <br /> <br /> The Hubble Creek (AgNPS) SALT Project obtained funding by the Cape Girardeau SWCD from DNR via the Soils and Parks Tax to address water quality issues while additional support was obtained from EPA. A drainage/irrigation system was piloted to incorporate control structures to manage drainage and allow low-cost, low-energy subsurface irrigation. Over 1,100 acres of prime farmland implemented this system. Corn yields often doubled and generally increased yield 75 bu/acre. Soybean yield increase was usually 25%, but in a dry year yield doubled. It was estimated that the yield increase amounted to about $270/acre for a total of over $250,000 of additional income. Income and yields were stabilized, risk was reduced, and pollution potential has been reduced based on research from other states. Southeast Missouri State University installed 100 acres of this system on their farm south of Gordonville. A new research site at the Bradford Research and Extension Center near Columbia was completed in 2008. <br /> <br /> Impacts. The success of the Hubble Creek project has allowed the SWCD to obtain an AgNPS SALT grant for the Byrd's Creek watershed. It will include many of the same practices of the Hubble Creek project. A drainage installation field day was held at Columbia over a two-day period with over 200 in attendance. Approximately 30 participants were trained on drainage water management design at the MLICA drainage workshop in Feb., 2009.<br /> <br /> NC (North Carolina State University), submitted by Mohamed A. Youssef and R. Wayne Skaggs:<br /> <br /> Accomplishments. A Conservation Innovative Grant (CIG) project was funded by NRCS and initiated in late 2007. The two field demonstration sites previously identified for this project have continued to function. The first site is located at the Tidewater Research Station in Washington County, NC. The subsurface tile drained site has two plots that are being used in controlled drainage and two more plots that are in conventional drainage management. The site has continuously been monitored for flow data, water table data, and yield information. Soybean yield data was collected in November 08. The use of controlled drainage on this site increased soybean yields by 6.7 % during 2008. Water quality samples have been collected at this site during the period, but have not been analyzed to date. Currently, funds are being sought to facilitate this analysis. <br /> <br /> The second demonstration site has been identified and constructed on a producers farm (Steve Poole Jr.) in Beaufort County, NC, near the town of Bath. It is located in the Tar-Pamlico River basin. A conventional drainage management treatment was established along with a controlled drainage treatment. In 2008, the site was planted to corn. The use of controlled drained increased corn yield by 4.8%. The site has continuously been monitored for water table depth since the summer of 2008. Flow monitoring stations have been set up on the site and data acquisition was started on March 30, 2009. Implementation of the instrumentation and sampling devices for drainage water quality is still in progress. <br /> <br /> The third field demonstration site that will utilize the structures on subsurface tile lines has been identified. It is located on Eric Pierces farm in Farmville, NC. Four Agri-Drain structures have been installed on the site. There are four field plots on the farm. Two will be managed in controlled drainage and two will be in conventional drainage. Flow monitoring equipment has been installed at the site. Instrumentation of the site is still in progress. <br /> <br /> A field day in December of 2008 was held to introduce the project to NRCS agents, extension agents, Certified Crop Advisors, and producers from throughout the eastern part of the state. Presentations were given to explain the water management systems available to them, the management scenario of each system, the purposes of the demonstration sites, and the goal to develop the online-advisory system and a history of the yield data that was available for the area. Over 73 individuals attended the field day on 12-16-2008. <br /> <br /> An online web-site has been developed that will serve as a host-site for the water-management online advisory. The site has been designed to serve as a home page for individual producers on their personal computers. The primary objective of the new site was to promote the benefits of drainage water management. In addition to promoting conservation, the page has links for producers to relevant agricultural resources. The idea was to develop a site that would be utilized for producers as a home page that contains pertinent information used by them on a day to day basis as a draw for continual use of the site. The following link can be used to access the advisory.<br /> http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/topic/drainageadvisory<br /> <br /> ND (North Dakota State University), submitted by Xinhua Jia:<br /> Project I. Tile drainage on agricultural production <br /> Importance: From the 1990s through the spring of 2009 excess water has significantly impacted crop production in the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota. Besides acres not seeded due to water logged conditions, excess water caused yield losses in most crops. <br /> <br /> Computer modeling of tile drainage in the region (Conducted by Dr. Sands, U of M Extension Engineer) suggests that delayed planting may be one of the most significant impacts of excess water on crop yield. <br /> <br /> Research field: In the summer of 2008 eight research units were established, each with 7 tile lines (180 feet long) and 25 feet apart, near Fargo ND. Control structures were installed and 4 replicates were established by closing four control structures to simulate non drained conditions and keeping four structures open to create tile drained conditions. <br /> <br /> The current research will investigate the yield response of commonly grown crops in ND and MN under tiled and non-tiled conditions. In addition to measuring yield, crop plants will be evaluated for disease and other growth characteristics. After identification of crop responses to tile drainage further studies will focus on fine tuning crop rotation, fertility management, and crop residue management.<br /> <br /> Short term goals: (1) Evaluate the yield response of soybean, dry bean, field pea, sunflower, canola, corn and wheat to tile drainage as compared to non-tiled field conditions. (2) Improve computer model predictions of long-term impact of tile drainage on crop yields in the region. (3) Monitor water table, soil water content and composition of water in observation wells.<br /> Medium term goals: Publish an Extension brochure that presents the cost and benefits of tile drainage and includes soil water data and other relevant information about tile based on the research conducted.<br /> <br /> Long term goals: (1) Refine crop management recommendations for tile drained conditions.<br /> <br /> Funding: North Dakota State University, MN/ND Hancor, Inc, Field Drainage, Inc., Minnesota Wheat Minnesota Wheat Research & Promotion Council, North Dakota Soybean Council, North Dakota Soybean Council, North Dakota Corn Council , ND State Board of Agriculture Research and Education, University of Minnesota, Total Amount so far $ 90,000.- <br /> <br /> Project II. Water quality monitoring of subsurface drains in Cass County <br /> The situation: Subsurface drains are perforated pipes installed about four feet deep and forty to fifty feet apart in agricultural terrain. Over the past ten years an increasing number of tile drains have been installed in the Red River Valley in response to excess precipitation, which has raised the water table, bringing salts to the root zone and reducing crop yields. Tiling enables the producer to reduce the effects of soil salinity on crop production and allows earlier access to otherwise saturated fields. There has been little monitoring of effluent from tile drains on saline affected soils; and the potential impact on surface water quality of the receiving waters in the Red River Basin is unknown. <br /> <br /> Extension response: NDSU Extension water quality specialists hosted a meeting in the spring of 2008 to discuss the state of subsurface drainage in the area. Among those present were land owners using tile drain, tile drain contractors, water board and soil conservation board members, hydrologists, soil scientists, agricultural engineers, and state agency representatives. Their consensus indicated little factual data of water quality coming through saline soils and suggested a monitoring project be initiated in Cass County.<br /> <br /> Impacts. The purpose of this monitoring project is to compile data to answer basic water quality concerns that until now had not been addressed. <br /> <br /> Project managers, working with the agriculturists will review data and develop farm management practices to reduce nutrient losses and increase our awareness of salt movement through soils in this area. <br /> <br /> Natural resource specialists, educators, legislators, and others may use this information to understand impacts to surface waters and assist land owners in future decisions based on the best available science in the Red River Valley. <br /> <br /> This data will also be used in future monitoring projects in the Valley. One cooperator from this project is now involved with the Discovery Farm Project, monitoring water quality on land utilizing manure management planning. Additional interest in data from this project has been received from local, state and federal agencies. <br /> <br /> Project III. Fairmount subsurface drainage project <br /> Importance: Tile drainage has been accelerated in recent years in the Red River Valley due to an extended wet weather cycle and rising water table. It is important to understand the impacts of water availability (quantity and quality) due to subsurface drainage. Controlled drainage and subirrigation have been practiced in other regions, but with the presence of high salts and sodium concentration, their effects to soil and water physical and chemical properties are not known. With Mr. Millers high interest and State Water Commissions initiation, this project becomes the pilot research in the State of North Dakota in the next two years. <br /> <br /> Research field: The research field was located at Fairmount, Richland County, and corner of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. The experimental field is 116 acres, consisting of 50 acres of drained and 66 acres undrained. Of the 50 acre drained field, 25 acres will be used in the subirrigation study after the mid-growing season. The field has been modified to include two 10-ft alleys, which were permanently installed in both drained and drained-subirrigated plots and extend into the undrained plots. These alleys will be used for instrumentation setup, access for soil and water sampling and monitoring, and data retrieval. <br /> <br /> Objectives: The overall objectives of the research projects are: (1) demonstrate the use of tile drainage for subirrigation; (2) monitor changes in specific soil chemical and physical properties (EC, pH, bulk density, porosity, crusting potential, aggregate stability, total cations, total nitrogen, and plant available phosphorus) overlying the drained and drained-subirrigated areas; (3) monitor drainage water quality (total ions, EC, SAR, pH, trace elements) and determine ground water depth and water quantity in the drained, drained and subirrigated, and undrained areas; (4) conduct comprehensive measurements of the water mass balances of drained and undrained fields, with emphases on validation of evapotranspiration ET estimates by satellite-based remote sensing model (SEBAL) using a suite of ground-based measurements, including eddy correlation, scintillometer, and soil water balance methods, and on their inter-comparison; and (5) develop remote sensing algorithms for identifying fields with subsurface drainage installed. <br /> <br /> Collaborators: <br /> <br /> Thomas Scherer and Dean Steele, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, NDSU; Thomas DeSutter and David Hopkins, Soil Science, NDSU; and Xiaodong Zhang, Northern Great Plains Center for People and the Environment, University of North Dakota. <br /> <br /> NY (Cornell University), submitted by Larry Goehring and Tammo Steenhuis:<br /> Accomplishments. Two grant proposals were prepared and approved for funding which will provide more research investigation for water quality monitoring of subsurface drain discharges on dairy farms. One of the research grants aims to investigate the mobility and transport of E. coli and Salmonella as dairy manure is collected and then land applied to tile drained fields. The objective of the second grant is to evaluate controlled drainage as a method for reducing the impact of liquid manure applications to tile drained fields, where preferential transport may contaminate the drain discharge. Several candidate field sites have been selected and preliminary investigations are now underway. <br /> <br /> In cooperation with NRCS, revisions were made to The New York State Drainage Guide, to include more information regarding water quality considerations. The NY State Drainage Guide is now available and accessible as a web based document. A training session on Soil Hydrology and Drainage and Irrigation Principles was organized and presented at the annual Northeast Certified Crop Advisors Conference, and other extension activity included responding to tile drainage discharge water quality violations, whereby the drainage discharge was discolored from preceding manure applications. This resulted in making several presentations at farmer meetings and to the Agricultural Environmental Management Certification Subcommittee, a joint committee of the New York State Departments of Agriculture and Markets and Environmental Conservation, which addresses policy implications of CAFOs and provides training and certification of CNMPs (Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planners).<br /> <br /> Impacts. The need for more research regarding manure application impacts to tile drain discharges and to evaluate potential BMPs which might address these concerns has been met with the preparation and approved funding of the two proposals. This work will be targeted to areas where water quality violations have previously occurred, providing stakeholders some assurance that the problem is being evaluated and addressed. The outreach activities have resulted in greater awareness of the potential water quality impacts of tile drain discharges, so producers and nutrient management planners are paying more attention to identifying vulnerable tile outlets and adjusting their manure application methods, rates and timing accordingly. About 100 people attended the various meetings and training sessions. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

Publications

[2008]Publications:<br /> <br /> Ale, S., L.C. Bowling, S.M. Brouder, J.R. Frankenberger, and M.A. Youssef. 2009. Simulated effect of drainage water management operational strategy on hydrology and crop yield for drummer soil in the Midwestern United States. Agricultural Water Management. (In Press).<br /> <br /> Appelboom, T.W., G.M. Chescheir, R.W. Skaggs, J.W. Gilliam and D.M.Amatya. 2008. Nitrogen balance for a plantation forest drainage canal on the North Carolina coastal plain. Trans of ASABE, 51(4):1215-1233.<br /> <br /> David, M.B., S.J. Del Grosso, X. Hu, E. P. Marshall, G.F. McIsaac, W.J. Parton, C. Tonitto, and M.A. Youssef. 2009. Modeling denitrification in a tile-drained, corn and soybean agroecosystem of Illinois, USA. Biogeochemistry 93:7-30.<br /> <br /> Jin, C.X., G.R. Sands, J. Wiersma, H. Kandel. 2008. The Influence of Subsurface Drainage on Soil Temperature in a Cold Climate. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (ASCE) 134(1):83-88.<br /> <br /> Lawlor, P. A., M. J. Helmers, J. L. Baker, S. W. Melvin, and D. W. Lemke. 2008. Nitrogen application rate effects on nitrate-nitrogen concentrations and losses in subsurface drainage. Trans. ASABE 51(1): 83-94. <br /> <br /> Nangia, V., P. H. Gowda, D. J. Mulla, G. R. Sands. 2008. Water Quality Modeling for Impacts of Fertilizer Management Practices on Nitrate-N losses in Tile Drains at the Field-Scale. Journal of Environmental Quality 37:296-307.<br /> <br /> Naz, B., and L.C. Bowling. 2008. A decision analysis system for mapping of subsurface drainage systems. Trans. ASABE 51:1937-1950.<br /> <br /> Qi, Z. and M.J. Helmers. Soil water dynamics under winter rye cover crop in central Iowa. Vadose Zone Journal Accepted February 5, 2009.<br /> <br /> Salazar, O., I Wesstrom, M.A. Youssef, R.W. Skaggs and A. Joel. 2008. Evaluation of the DRAINMOD-NII model for predicting nitrogen losses in southeast Sweden, Agricultural Water Management, 96(2):267-281.<br /> <br /> Sands, G.R., I. Song, L.M. Busman, B. Hansen. 2008. The Effects of Subsurface Drainage Depth and Intensity on Nitrate Load in a Cold Climate. Transactions of the ASABE 51(3):937-946.<br /> <br /> Schilling, K. E., and M. J. Helmers. 2008. Effects of subsurface drainage tiles on streamflow in agricultural watersheds: exploratory hydrograph analysis. Hydrological Processes DOI:10.1002/hyp.7052. <br /> <br /> Schilling, K. E., and M. J. Helmers. 2008. Tile drainage as Karst: Conduit flow and and diffuse flow in a tile-drained watershed. Journal of Hydrology 349: 291-301. <br /> <br /> Singh, R., M. J. Helmers, A. L. Kaleita, and E. S. Takle. In Press. Potential impact of climate change on subsurface drainage in Iowas subsurface drained landscapes. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering Accepted October 29, 2008. <br /> <br /> Thorp, K.R., Jaynes, D.B and Malone, R.W. Simulating the Long-Term Performance of Drainage Water Management Across the Midwestern United States. Trans. ASABE 51(3):961-976. <br /> <br /> Thorp, K.R., M.A. Youssef, D.B. Jaynes, R.W. Malone, and L. Ma. DRAINMOD-N II: Evaluated for an agricultural system in Iowa and compared to RZWQM-DSSAT. Trans. ASABE. (In review)<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Extension or Non-refereed Publications<br /> Amatya, D.M., K. Hyunwoo, G.M. Chescheir, R.W. Skaggs and J.E. Nettles. 2008. Hydrologic effects of size and location of harvesting on a large drained pine forest on organic soils. In: C. Farrell and J. Feehan, Eds. After Wise Use  The Future of Peatlands: Proceedings of the 13th International Peat Congress, Tullamore, Ireland, 8  13 June 2008. International Peat Society, Jyväskylä, Finland. pp. 463-467.<br /> <br /> Baker, J., R. Venterea, and J. Strock. 2008. The Impact of Tile Drainage on Soil Carbon. In C. Schrader and J.S. Strock (eds.). Proceedings of 3rd Soil and Water Management Field Day, 15 August, 2008. Univ. Minnesota, Southwest Research and Outreach Center, Lamberton, MN. http://swroc.cfans.umn.edu/soilandwater/08soilwater_proceeding.PDF.<br /> <br /> Beltran, B. D.M. Amatya, M.Jones, R.W. Skaggs, T.J. Callahan and J.E. Nettles. 2008. Impacts of fertilizer application on drainage water quality of a pine plantation in North Carolina. Paper presented at the Annual international Meeting of the ASABE, Providence, RI.<br /> <br /> Chescheir, G.M., D.M. Amatya, and R.W. Skaggs. 2008. Hydrology of a natural hardwood forested wetland. In: C. Farrell and J. Feehan, Eds. After Wise Use  The Future of Peatlands: Proceedings of the 13th International Peat Congress, Tullamore, Ireland, 8  13 June 2008. International Peat Society, Jyväskylä, Finland. pp. 468-471.Finland and Tallinn, Estonia: 195-208. <br /> <br /> Chescheir, G.M., R.W. Skaggs, and D.M. Amatya. 2008. Hydrologic impacts of converting grassland to managed forestland in Uruguay. Proceedings of Symposium, 21st Century Watershed Technology: Improving Water Quality and the Environment, Concepcion, Chile. <br /> <br /> Feser, S. and J.S. Strock. 2008. Drainage water management to improve edge-of-field water quality in southwest Minnesota. In C. Schrader and J.S. Strock (eds.). Proceedings of 3rd Soil and Water Management Field Day, 15 August, 2008. Univ. Minnesota, Southwest Research andOutreach Center, Lamberton, MN. http://swroc.cfans.umn.edu/soilandwater/08soilwater_proceeding.PDF.<br /> <br /> Frankenberger, J., E. Kladivko, R. Adeuya, N. Utt, L. Bowling, and B. Carter. 2008. Determining the hydrologic impacts of drainage water management in Indiana, USA. pp. 134-141 in Proc. 10th International Drainage Workshop of ICID Working Group on Drainage, July 6-11, Helsinki, Finland/Tallinn, Estonia.<br /> <br /> Geohring, L.D. 2008. Identifying and Addressing Hydrologically Sensitive Areas for Developing Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans. In: CNMP Training Manual  Hydrologic Concerns. NYS Soil & Water Conservation Committee. Albany, NY. <br /> <br /> Geohring, L.D., S.W. Duiker, D.W. Wolfe, and P.A. Ray. 2008. NRCCA Soil and Water Management Study Guide. NRCCA Program, Macedon, NY. 73 pp. http://www.northeastcropadvisers.org/soilwater.pdf<br /> <br /> Harrigan, T.M., S.K. Haack and J.W. Duris. 2008. Evaluation of Bacteriological Water Quality Following Liquid Manure Application on a Desiccated Cereal Rye Cover Crop in Artificially Drained Cropland. ASABE Paper No. 080031. St. Joseph, MI.: ASABE.<br /> <br /> Hester, J., K. Nelson, and M. Nussbaum. 2008. Performance of a solar pump system for subirrigating corn through a subsurface drainage system. Greenley Memorial Research Center Report. pp. 33-44.<br /> <br /> Kladivko, E.J. 2008. Long-term tile drainage studies provide data for better reduction of nitrate leaching losses. No. 761-1. Agron. Abs. (CD-ROM)<br /> <br /> Kladivko, E.J., and J.R. Frankenberger. 2008. Nitrate-N loads to subsurface drains as affected by drainage intensity and agronomic management practices. pp. 8-14 in Proc. 10th International Drainage Workshop of ICID Working Group on Drainage, July 6-11, Helsinki, Finland/Tallinn, Estonia.<br /> <br /> Motavalli, P.P., K.A. Nelson, and S.A. Anderson. 2008. Impact of fertilizer source and drainage on spatial variation. Missouri Soil Fertility and Fertilizers Research Update. Agronomy Misc. Publ. #08-01:51-57.<br /> <br /> Nelson, K.A., and R.L. Smoot. 2008. MU drainage and subirrigation (MUDS) research update. Greenley Memorial Research Center Report. pp. 21-32.<br /> <br /> Qi. Z. and M. J. Helmers. 2008. Effect of cover crops in reducing nitrate-nitrogen leaching in Iowa. In: Proceedings of the 20th Annual Integrated Crop Management Conference (December 10 and 11, Iowa State University, Ames, IA), pp. 283-294. [Oral Presentation - Helmers]<br /> <br /> Qi, Z., M.J. Helmers, and P. Lawlor. 2008. Effect of different land covers on nitrate-nitrogen leaching and nitrogen uptake in Iowa. ASABE Meeting Paper No. 08-4806. St. Joseph, MI: ASABE. [Oral Presentation  Qi]<br /> <br /> Rice, P., W. Koskinen, S. Papiernik, and J. Strock. 2008. Evaluating the influence of drainage, application, and tillage practices on the dissipation of chloroacetanilide herbicides in minnesota soils. In C. Schrader and J.S. Strock (eds.). Proceedings of 3rd Soil and Water Management Field Day, 15 August, 2008. Univ. Minnesota, Southwest Research and Outreach Center, Lamberton, MN. http://swroc.cfans.umn.edu/soilandwater/08soilwater_proceeding.PDF.<br /> <br /> Singh, R. and M.J. Helmers. 2008. Improving crop growth simulation in the hydrologic model DRAINMOD to simulate corn yields in subsurface drained landscapes. ASABE Meeting Paper No. 08-3571. St. Joseph, MI: ASABE. [Oral Presentation  Helmers]<br /> <br /> Skaggs, R.W. 2008. Drainage Water Management to Reduce Nitrogen Losses to Surface Waters. 16th National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Workshop, Columbus Ohio, Sept. 14-18, 2008.<br /> <br /> Skaggs, R.W. 2008. DRAINMOD: A simulation model for shallow water table soils, South Carolina Water Resources Conference, Charleston, SC, Oct. 14-15, 2008.<br /> <br /> Skaggs, R.W. 2008. Wetland Hydrology. Presented at Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists, Washington, D.C., May 28, 2008<br /> <br /> Skaggs, R.W., G.M. Chescheir, D.M. Amatya and J.D. Diggs. 2008. Effects of drainage and forest management practices on hydraulic conductivity of wetland soils. Keynote paper, Proceedings of the 13th World Peat Congress, Tullamore, Ireland.<br /> <br /> Skaggs, R.W. and M.A. Youssef. 2008. Effect of controlled drainage on water and nitrogen balances in drained lands. Keynote paper, Proceedings of 10th International Drainage Workshop of ICID Working Group on Drainage, Helsinki. <br /> <br /> Strock, J.S., M. Youssef, K. Oquist, G. Sands, and R.W. Skaggs. 2008. Use of DRAINMOD-NII to predict nitrogen losses under conventional and organic farming practices in Minnesota, USA. p. 15-20. Proceedings of 10th International Drainage Workshop of ICID Working Group on Drainage. Helsinki/Tallinn 6-11, July 2008. http://www.fincid.fi/julkaisut/IDW2008_proceedings.pdf.<br /> <br /> Venterea, R.T., J. Strock, and C. Rosen. 2008. Agricultural management effects on nitrous oxide gas emissions. In C. Schrader and J.S. Strock (eds.). Proceedings of 3rd Soil and Water Management Field Day, 15 August, 2008. Univ. Minnesota, Southwest Research and Outreach Center, Lamberton, MN. http://swroc.cfans.umn.edu/soilandwater/08soilwater_proceeding.PDF.<br /> <br /> Wright, P.E. and L.D. Geohring. 2008. Drainage guide for New York State. USDA-NRCS, Syracuse, NY. 83 pp.<br /> ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NY/Engineering/publications/drainage_guide_ny.pdf<br /> <br /> Zhang, W., V. L. Morales, A. K. Sterle, B. Gao, L. D. Geohring, J. Y. Parlange, A. G. Hay, and T. S. Steenhuis. 2008. Quantification of capillary force acting on colloids in a three-phase model system of partially saturated porous media. H41F-0931. AGU 2008 Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California, December 15-19, 2008.<br /> <br />

Impact Statements

1. 1. Impacts on a state basis are listed within most station reports.
2. 2. Members were familiarized with research, education, and extension programs in other states. This is fostering collaborative relationships.
3. 3. As a result of the meeting, members from six Midwestern states (IA, IL, IN, MO, MN, and OH) will meet to identify and share drainage water management teaching resources and consider how to meet drainage design and water quality education needs.
4. 4. A virtual tour of the Conservation Innovation Program in Ohio, and a symposium on drainage ditch design and the subsequent ecological impacts provided members and guests with insight on drainage ditch design and generated significant discussion, interaction, and ideas that members can integrate into their extension, education, and research programs.

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