NECC1010: Use of Residuals in Agriculture in the Northeast
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
NECC1010: Use of Residuals in Agriculture in the Northeast
Duration: 10/01/2005 to 09/30/2010
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
On behalf of faculty from participating universities, we are submitting this request for establishing a Multi-state Coordinating Committee. This group has successfully worked together under a Multi-state Research Committee structure for the past 5 years. (Reports and other information about the work of our committee can be seen at: http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/NERA/NEhome.html). At our annual meeting in July, 2004, the committee decided that it was important to continue to meet to facilitate our collaborations and the discussion of issues pertinent to agriculture in the Northeast. We decided that this purpose could be met effectively by establishing a coordinating committee. This decision was reaffirmed at the July 2005 final meeting of multi-state research committee.
Our research and extension activities provide important knowledge for decision-makers in the Northeast. These audiences include agricultural producers and their advisors as well as local and state governmental officials. These stakeholders are faced with decisions about the use of residuals in agriculture and unbiased, research-based information specific to the Northeast is critical to making wise decisions.
The actively participating land grant universities include: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Other active participants include faculty from William and Mary (VA) and U. Guelph (Ontario) and governmental representatives from Ontario.
Residual materials (wastes) from a number of sources including waste water treatment plants, papermills, livestock manures, and various industrial processes possess qualities that make them potentially useful soil amendments. To a large degree, most of these materials have traditionally been considered waste materials and dealt with accordingly (e.g., buried in landfills, dumped in the oceans). In part due to the environmental degradation resulting from such actions, plus the fact that these materials contain plant-available nutrients and organic matter useful in improving soil structure, recycling these materials through application to agricultural land is increasingly being viewed as desirable (US EPA, 1999). Simplistically, one might assume that these substances could be considered to be equivalent to commonly used fertilizers and applied to field sites accordingly. Yet, complications result from their potential content of inorganic (e.g., heavy metals), organic (e.g., surfactants, solvents), public health (e.g., viruses, other pathogens, endotoxins) contaminants, as well as nuisance issues (e.g., odors) (National Research Council, 2002; LaGuardia, et al., 2004). These materials also may have concentrations of nutrients that are not balanced in regard to plant needs (Brandt, et al., 2004).
Use of residuals on agricultural lands is increasing in the Northeastern U.S. These materials have been used to supplement agricultural phosphorus and nitrogen sources, to adjust soil pH, and to enhance soil structure and tilth. However, a variety of concerns have been raised that must be resolved to ensure the long-term utility of residuals, as well as the preservation of the limited resources of high quality agricultural soils, particularly under Northeast conditions. These concerns include questions of whether currently rules and practices are adequate to protect the quality of the soils characteristic of this region, to insure the safety of the crops produced thereon, to protect groundwater resources and to protect neighbor health and welfare (Harrison, et al., 1999; McBride, 1995).
Soils of the Northeast tend to be shallow and acidic, making them more sensitive to metal applications than are soils in the Midwest or Western U.S.(NEC-28, 1985). Furthermore, many crops crucial to Northeastern agriculture (e.g., leguminous forage crops and vegetables) are more sensitive to soil metal contamination than the relatively metal-insensitive crops (e.g., corn) for which most phyotoxicity data have been collected. Dairy is a predominant agricultural industry in many Northeastern states and the sensitivity of ruminant animals to some contaminants such as molybdenum is an important consideration (Harrison, et al., 2003; McBride and Hale, 2004). In addition to these agricultural production concerns, there are questions of potential degradation of groundwater quality (Richards, et al., 1998). Again this is a particular problem in the Northeastern region due to soil and groundwater conditions, its complex mosaic of high population centers and adjacent agricultural enterprises and the predominant use of private wells to supply water to rural residents. The proximity of people to agricultural lands in the Northeast also results in concerns about neighbor issues.
To address the issues cited above, a multi-institution multidisciplinary coordinating committee is proposed so that the productive collaboration of the terminating multi-state research project (NE 1001: Application of Sewage Biosolids to Agricultural Soils in the Northeast: Long-term Impacts and Beneficial Uses) can be continued. By providing such a mechanism, the research and extension efforts pertaining to the use of residuals in agriculture can be coordinated, saving resources and providing for synergy among the participating states.
Objectives
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Finalize and publish the Guidelines for use of sewage biosolids in agriculture in the NE that NE 1001 has begun drafting.
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Meet annually to share information regarding on-going and planned research and extension activites pertaining to the use of residuals in agriculture.
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Develop and nurture collaborations in research and extension.
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Maintain a website with links to the participating people and institutions.
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Maintain and post a list of relevant publications of participants.
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Objective 6. Communicate through shared membership with W-1170 multi-state research committee.
Procedures and Activities
1. Finalize and publish the Guidelines for use of sewage biosolids in agriculture in the NE that NE 1001 has begun drafting.
This document will be a follow-up to the 1985 document published by Penn State that was the product of a previous multi-state research committee. The process will be:
Co-chairs Harrison and Krogmann complete first draft of extension publication.
Send to members for review.
Revise.
Send back out for review.
Revise.
Publish through one of the participating universities.
Rewrite for publication in peer-reviewed journal and go through the same process of review and revision.
Submit to appropriate journal (potential venues include Waste Management, Journal of Residuals Science and Technology, or Soil Science (issues section)).
2. Meet annually to share information regarding on-going and planned research and extension activities pertaining to the use of residuals in agriculture.
This coordinating committee will be a follow-on to a multi-state research committee. That committee met annually in early summer in Ithaca, NY and the group has indicated an interest in continuing. We thus anticipate an annual Ithaca meeting. Co-chair Harrison at Cornell has provided the coordination and arranging of the meeting and is willing to continue to serve that role.
3. Develop and nurture collaborations in research and extension.
Through both the annual meeting and other communications (particularly email), the group will continue to pursue collaborations. Over the past 5 years when the group operated as a multi-state research committee, a number of collaborative research and extension projects were carried out. We expect those to continue and additional ones to begin.
4. Maintain a website with links to the participating people and institutions.
A website was created as part of the multi-state research committee activities (see http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/NERA/NEhome.html) that includes information on the project. With the change to a coordinating committee, the site will be revised to reflect the new status, plans and participants. Harrison at Cornell will continue to provide this service to the committee.
5. Maintain and post a list of relevant publications of participants.
A website was created as part of the multi-state research committee activities (see http://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/NERA/NEhome.html) that includes information on the publications of participants. With the change to a coordinating committee, the site will be revised to reflect the new status, plans and participants and new publications will be added. Harrison at Cornell will continue to provide this service to the committee.
6. Communicate through shared membership with W-1170 multi-state research committee.
The W-1170 group of researchers addresses similar issues, but without the Northeast focus. Several participants in the NE multi-state research committee that this coordinating committee will replace are also participants in W 1170 and will help to provide liaison between the groups.
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
- Coordination, collaboration and avoidance of duplication of research into the use and impact of waste residuals in agriculture in the NE. The communication afforded by the Coordinating Committee will enable the participants to discuss research needs and opportunities as well as on-going and planned research efforts. Through this, participants will develop collaborations. It will also provide a means for participants to coordinate research so that duplication can be avoided and key areas for research can be identified.
- Publication of joint extension materials or sharing of extension materials among the participating states. The communication and collegiality afforded by the Coordinating committee will enable participants to discuss extension needs and how to fill them. Where appropriate, new materials can be jointly developed. In other cases, one university may take the lead and develop materials that other universities can review and then refer to in order to address extension needs. Currently the NE 1001 Multi-state research committee which is the "parent" of the proposed Coordinating Committee is jointly developing an extension publication regarding the use of sewage biolsolids in agriculture. Sharing of extension materials is also underway. The greater prevalence of horse farms in NJ has led to the development of fact sheets on composting horse manure being prepared by Rutgers. Cornell is reviewing these and anticipates referring persons in NY needing such information to them.
- Coordination and joint-participation in extension activities. There is an array of extension activities that can be better accomplished through a coordinated effort among the NE participants. An advanced composting short course involving PA and NY is being planned. Developing joint workshops directed at state regulatory agencies (who meet together through several organizations such as the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission) as well as agricultural organizations will lighten the load of individual participants and will also provide more wide-ranging expertise and credibility.
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
Use of the WWW will provide access to the products of the committee. Many of the committee participants also give numerous presentations in a variety of venues. Through outreach to Cooperative Extension educators and agricultural advisors, we will reach a wide audience.
Organization/Governance
The group will elect a Chair, a Chair-elect, and a Secretary. Officers will be elected for at least two-year terms to provide continuity. Administrative guidance will be provided by an assigned Administrative Advisor and a CSREES Representative.
Literature Cited
Harrison, E. Z. M. McBride and D. Bouldin. 1999. Land application of sewage sludges: An appraisal of the US regulations. Int. J Envir. And Pollution. 11: 1-36.
Harrison, E.Z., L. Telega, M. McBride, S. Bossard, L. Chase, D. Bouldin, K. Czymmek. 2003. Considerations for dairy farms regarding use of sewage sludges, sludge products and septage. Working paper. Cornell Waste Management Institute. Available at
La Guardia, M.J., R.C. Hale, E. Harvey, E.O. Bush, T.M. Mainor and M.O. Gaylor. 2004. Organic contaminants of emerging concern in land-applied sewage sludge (biosolids). J. Residuals Sci. Technol. 1:111-122.
Brandt, R.C., H.A. Elliott, G.A. O'Connor. 2004. Water extractable phosphorus in biosolids: Implication for land-based recycling. Water Environ. Research. 76: 121-129.
McBride, M. B. 1995. Toxic metal accumulation from agricultural use of sludge: Are US EPA regulations protective? JEQ, 26:5-18.
McBride, M.B. and B. Hale. 2004. Molybdenum extractability in soils and uptake by alfalfa 20 years after sewage sludge application. Soil Science,169, 505-514.
National Research Council. 2002. Biosolids applied to land. National Acadamies Press. Washington, D.C.
NEC-28. 1985. Criteria and recommendations for land application of sludges in the Northeast. Northeastern Regional Research Publication. Pennsylvania State University.
Richards, B., T. Steenhuis, J. Peverly, and M. McBride. 1998. Metal mobility at an old, heavily-loaded sludge application site. Envir. Pollution. 99: 365-377.
US EPA. 1999. Biosolids generation, use and disposal in the United States. EPA530-R-99-009. Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.