Duration: 10/01/2009 to 09/30/2014

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Statement of Issues and Justification

Statement of Issue and Justification:

In the North Central Region, most agricultural producers improve drainage on their land to improve trafficability, enhance field conditions for more timely planting and harvesting operations, and help decrease crop damage that can result from saturated soil and standing water. Agricultural drainage improvement can also help reduce year-to-year variability in crop yield, which helps reduce the risks associated with production of abundant, high quality, affordable food. Although subsurface (tile) drainage can reduce surface water runoff and associated soil erosion and contaminant losses from soils prone to saturation, these subsurface (tile) drainage systems are known to transport nitrate-nitrogen, sediment, particulate and dissolved phosphorus, pesticides, and microbial contaminants to streams and rivers (Carpenter et al., 1998; Scott et al., 1998; Gilliam et al., 1999; Kladivko et al., 1999; Addiscott et al., 2000; Randall and Goss, 2001; Jamieson et al., 2002). On-going water quality assessments of lakes, rivers and streams in the U.S. will result in additional water bodies listed as impaired for turbidity, nutrients, and fecal coliform; and thus, all sources of these inputs will require improved assessment and more stringent management. Eutrophication of surface water and its impact on coastal estuaries and hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico will continue to be important water quality issues.

The goal of drainage research is to improve drainage system design and function in order to simultaneously meet production goals and minimize detrimental environmental outcomes. Sustaining the high productivity of drained lands for food and fiber production and protecting the environment is a delicate balance between the interests of private farms and public policy objectives. The need to better understand and elucidate the role of drainage water management as a means of optimizing crop production systems while minimizing adverse off-site impacts on water quality continues to be of critical importance. Because of its fundamental importance in crop production and in aquatic systems, nitrogen has been and will continue to be the focus of drainage research and education. Additional information and education are needed to evaluate the impact of integrated crop-drainage water management systems on water quality and quantity. However, the impact of manure based sources of nitrogen is also becoming increasingly important in drainage water management because other manure based constituents adversely affect water quality. The many potential benefits from improved design and management of drainage systems requires further evaluation, demonstration and integration into the agricultural and watershed management sectors of society.

Accomplishments of NCERA207:

This committee has been very active, as demonstrated by the many accomplishments that have been documented during the last five years. The committee includes 20 official members that represent 12 states and two government agencies. This group was organized to focus on research and extension/outreach education topics related to agricultural drainage and water quality. More than 145 members and guests have attended Annual meetings held in Louisiana (2004), Minnesota (2005), Iowa (2006), North Carolina (2007), and Indiana (2008), respectively. During each meeting, time has been dedicated to focus on one or two key topics in a mini-symposia format. Mini-symposia topics have included:
" Where does the rest of the water/N go;
" Integration of perennials and cover crops for water quality improvement;
" Hydrological changes on the landscape scale;
" DRAINMOD-NII;
" Flow measurement in tile; and
" Manure management to prevent contamination of drainage water.

Extension and outreach education are important aspects of the mission of members of this group. Clientele groups for information generated from this committee included agricultural and environmental scientists and agricultural producers, drainage contractors, consultants, certified crop advisors and nutrient management planners, county and regional Extension staff, and local, state and federal agencies that have responsibility for surface water quality, and drainage system evaluation, design, construction, operation, management, and maintenance. Committee members hosted local workshops and field days, developed educational materials [bulletins, web sites (The Drainage Outlet, http://d-outlet.cfans.umn.edu/; Illinois Drainage Guide, http://www.wq.uiuc.edu/dg/; Agricultural Water Management, http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~agwatmgt/; Ag Drainage, http://www3.abe.iastate.edu/agdrainage/index.html; New York Drainage Guide, ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NY/Engineering/publications/drainage_guide_ny.pdf; North Carolina Drainage Water Manage Advisory, http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/topic/drainageadvisory/
Purdue Agricultural Drainage site, https://engineering.purdue.edu/SafeWater/Drainage/] for drainage design and management systems, and soil and crop management practices for improved environmental quality in agricultural landscapes.

Committee members hosted and taught a DRAINMOD workshop, in conjunction with the 2007 annual meeting. Additionally, there have been field tours and a field day for members and guests of the committee during annual meetings. Members of this group have organized, moderated, and given oral presentations at two special symposia at national meetings of the ASA-CSSA-SSSA and SWCS. In addition, members of this group were among presenters at several annual ASABE International meetings, as well as the ICIDs 10th International Drainage Workshop in Helsinki, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia during 2008.

This regional group produced 169 publications, abstracts, book chapters, or proceedings on subjects ranging from subsurfae drainage and crop production, computer simulation modeling, nutrient loss (nitrogen and phosphorus) from drainage systems, and cover crop impacts on drainage discharges. One key collaborative extension publication authored by members of this committee and that won a Blue Ribbon award from ASABE for educational aids was titled Drainage Water Management for the Midwest: Questions and Answers for Drainage Water Management for the Midwest. For additional details on publications see the NCERA207 Station reports.

The members of this group have developed several successful partnerships at both national and local levels. The NCERA207 committee has been working in collaboration with the Agricultural Drainage Management Systems (ADMS) Task Force, a technical work group of the USDA Partnership Management Team, since 2004. The primary goal of the ADMS Task Force is to develop a national effort to implement improved drainage water management practices and systems that will enhance crop production, conserve water, and reduce adverse offsite water quality and quantity impacts. Other new collaborations have begun since this Committee was formed. Minnesota and Iowa annually hold a joint outreach forum highlighting drainage research results from the respective states. Each state alternately hosts the forum. In 2006, MN, IA, IL, IN, and OH successfully partnered with the Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC), a diverse group of trade associations, agricultural industry groups, drainage suppliers and contractors, to be awarded a Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) from NRCS. The focus of the grant was the implementation and demonstration of drainage water management across the five-states, using the demonstration sites as an outreach mechanism.


Why a Renewal is Needed:

Many critical questions remain concerning drainage impacts on water quality, and particularly on the relationship among the various drainage management practices that may reduce contaminant loading.

Many agronomic management practices such as cover crops, crop rotations with forage grasses, and growing cellulosic fiber feedstocks, and enhanced efficiency fertilizers may complement improved drainage system designs and result in reduced nitrate and soluble phosphorus loads. However, these practices may compete during critical periods of the year, or may be less economically viable without additional agricultural infrastructure adjustments and improvements between food and energy production objectives.

With increasing prices for nitrogen and phosphorus, and the need to better utilize and recycle manure based nutrients on livestock farms, manure application to tile drained lands has become a critical issue. The impact of liquid manure applications to drained lands and on the transport of nutrients and other manure-based contaminants to subsurface drainage is being researched, and alternatives are being demonstrated. Since the problem appears to be relatively wide spread, particularly on similarly formed soils that are conducive to macropore development, cracking soils, and preferential flow, the project renewal will provide a unique perspective on questions regarding the potential of drainage water management as a tool to also improve manure management practices on drained lands.

It is well known that nitrification and denitrification processes in soil are highly dependent on soil moisture and temperature, in tandem with other soil biological and chemical interactions imposed through various agricultural practices. Drained agricultural soils may constitute a net source or sink of nitrous oxide greenhouse gas, depending on various agricultural management practices. Although it is believed that subsurface drained soil enhances nitrification, thus reducing denitrification but raising the concern for nitrate in the discharge water, the overall impacts of drainage water management in combination with other agricultural practices on N cycling has not yet been well quantified. This research project will facilitate more discussion and potential collaboration to address the fate of N in drained soils.

Renewal of this successful research and extension project will enable researchers and extension specialists to continue to collaborate and solve problems associated with agricultural drainage, crop production, drainage system design, and environmental quality. The members of the NCERA207 committee have the range of technical expertise and the appropriate facilities to carry out the work of this committee. The regional and cross-regional perspectives and the range of environments provided by the various members of the committee will lead to broad applicability of the findings from the research/demonstration projects on drainage design and management practices to improve water quality.

Impacts from successful completion of the proposed regional project include improved drainage system design and management in the North Central region and in other areas represented by the committee membership. Communication of improved drainage water management techniques and cropping system management practices to agricultural professionals and farmers will lead to increased awareness and understanding of the impact of agricultural drainage and land use management at local, regional, and national scales. Implementation of improved drainage water management and cropping system practices will lead to more sustainable use of resources, a reduction in nitrogen, phosphorus and other contaminant losses from drained agricultural lands, and the dramatic reduction of water quality problems associated with nutrient enrichment.

Objectives

Procedures and Activities

Objectives:
1. Evaluate and demonstrate the impact of integrated drainage system design and agronomic management practices on reducing nitrate-N and soluble phosphorus loads from drained agricultural lands.

Research and demonstration projects in many of the North Central states, in North Carolina, and in other areas represented by the committee membership are underway to evaluate and quantify drainage design and management systems integrated with various in-field management practices for reduction of nitrate-N and soluble phosphorus losses to subsurface drains, including use of cover crops, fertilizer practices, tillage and rotation, etc.

2. Coordinate research on the water quality impact of manure application on drained agricultural land.

Research and on-farm demonstrations are being initiated to investigate the effects of using controlled drainage, tillage, controlled application rates, timing of application and the feasibility of constructed wetlands to protect water quality to mitigate losses of manure based contaminants from subsurface drains. The focus of our research and demonstration is how to successfully implement drainage water management during the periods of time during and after manure slurry spreading, in an attempt to minimize any preferential losses.

3. Assess the need for further research in other aspects of environmental quality from drained agricultural lands, such as salinity, implications of emerging feedstock production for biofuels, and potential greenhouse gas production in drained agricultural lands.

Research and demonstration projects are being conducted by committee members to investigate the effects of drainage system management on water conservation, salinity control, and greenhouse gas production under various soil drainage conditions (drained vs. undrained), and management of annual and perennial crops.
4. Develop Extension and outreach educational materials, develop strategies to facilitate communication between scientists and policy makers, and promote partnerships with stakeholders interested in drainage, soil and crop management, and environmental quality in agricultural landscapes.
This committee already includes research, teaching, and extension personnel, including a number of university faculty with joint extension and research appointments, and an NRCS representative, and will coordinate the development of educational programs and materials (workshops, bulletins, web sites, etc.) for drainage design and management systems, and soil and crop management practices for improved environmental quality in agricultural landscapes. An example of the materials that will be developed include a curriculum to be used throughout the Midwest for educational programs related to drainage system design and management. Members of the committee have begun discussing this curriculum, in order to leverage resources in various states and to provide important learning opportunities for stakeholders who have responsibility for drainage system evaluation, design, construction, operation, management, and maintenance.

Information regarding drainage system design and management practices to improve water quality will reach stakeholders through regional publications, extension publications, interactive web sites, state and regional workshops on drainage design and water management, extension meetings, and field days conducted on local, state, and regional bases. Process-level information will reach scientific clientele through refereed journal publications, presentations at scientific meetings and conferences, and published articles in conference proceedings.

The committee will continue to work with the Agricultural Drainage Management Systems Task Force (ADMSTF) and the Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC) to assess needs for technical bulletins and other educational materials. The committee is fundamental to the interactions among researchers and extension specialists in the North Central Region, and provides additional important linkages and networking opportunities with drainage researchers in Canada and internationally. Several members of the committee also serve as the conference organizing committee for ASABEs 9th International Drainage Symposium which is planned for June 13-16, 2010, in Québec City, Canada, where technical sessions on drainage water management research, demonstration, and implementation will be showcased.

Internal and External Linkages:
The committee would include two representatives from each land-grant university in the region, one with a primary research appointment and one with a primary extension appointment. This is essential for coordination of both research projects and new extension programs and materials that the committee proposes. The committee will work with the ADMSTF and ADMC previously discussed, as well as with NRCS and ARS.

Expected Outcomes and Impacts

Projected Participation

View Appendix E: Participation

Educational Plan

Extension materials and programs developed or coordinated by the committee will be available through standard channels, and in additional ways identified by the ADMSTF.

Organization/Governance

Standard

Literature Cited

References:
Addiscott, T.M., D. Brockie, J.A. Catt, D.G. Christian, N.N. Mirza, and K.R. Howse. 2000. Phosphate losses through field drains in a heavy cultivated soil. J. Environ. Qual. 29:522-532.

Carpenter, S.R., N.F. Caraco, D. L. Correll, R.W. Howarth, A.N. Sharpley, and V.H. Smith. 1998. Nonpoint pollution of surface waters with phosphorus and nitrogen. Ecol. Appl. 8:559-568.

Gilliam, J.W., J.L. Baker, and K.R. Reddy. 1999. Water quality effects of drainage in humid regions. p. 801-830. In R.W. Skaggs and J. van Schilfgaarde (eds.). Agricultural drainage. Agron. Monogr. 38. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI.

Jamieson, R.C., R. J. Gordon, K.E. Sharples, G.W. Stratton, and A. Madani. 2002. Movement and persistence of fecal bacteria in agricultural soils and subsurface drainage water: A review. Canadian Biosystems Engr. 44:1.1-1.9.

Kladivko, E.J., J. Grochulska, R.F. Turco, G.E. Van Scoyoc, and J.D. Eigel. 1999. Pesticide and nitrate transport into subsurface tile drains of different spacings. J. Environ. Qual. 28:997-1004.

Randall, G.W., and M. J. Goss. 2001. Nitrate losses to surface water through subsurface, tile drainage. p. 95-122. In R.F. Follett and J.L. Hatfield (eds.). Nitrogen in the environment: Sources, Problems, and Management. Elsevier Sci. B.V., Amsterdam.

Scott, C.A., L.D. Geohring, and M.F. Walter. 1998. Water quality impacts of tile drains in shallow, sloping structured soils as affected by manure application. Appl. Eng. Agric. 14:599-603.

Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

IA, IL, IN, MD, MI, MN, NC, ND, NY, OH, SD

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

USDA-ARS Fresno, USDA-ARS-NSTL