Effects of tillage management on agricultural headwater streams of the eastern cornbelt region, IN
Dates
Year Conference
2005
Year
2005
Citation
Flores, Edith A., Neumann, Klaus, Grigsby, Jeffry D., Dowling, Carolyn B., and Anonymous,, 2005, Effects of tillage management on agricultural headwater streams of the eastern cornbelt region, IN: v. 38, 225 p.
Summary
Beginning in the 1970's there has been an increase in the public awareness of the quality of surface waters due to the increase of chemicals being applied to farmland and an increase in soil erosion. Nutrient losses associated with agricultural activities have an adverse effect on surface and subsurface drainage water by increasing nitrate, phosphate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). In recent years there has been more research in comparing conventional till (CT) soil management practices to those of no till (NT) soil management practices. The results of the implementation of NT soil management practices are changes in subsurface drainage, river recharge, and nutrient fluxes. The change in nutrient fluxes associated with NT management [...]
Summary
Beginning in the 1970's there has been an increase in the public awareness of the quality of surface waters due to the increase of chemicals being applied to farmland and an increase in soil erosion. Nutrient losses associated with agricultural activities have an adverse effect on surface and subsurface drainage water by increasing nitrate, phosphate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). In recent years there has been more research in comparing conventional till (CT) soil management practices to those of no till (NT) soil management practices. The results of the implementation of NT soil management practices are changes in subsurface drainage, river recharge, and nutrient fluxes. The change in nutrient fluxes associated with NT management is another important aspect of our study as there is no consensus within the scientific community. The main objective of this study is to compare those two types of soil management practices in terms of stream sediment load and water composition to determine which practice has better quality effects on headwater streams in east-central Indiana. Eleven sample sites were chosen in the Clifty Creek watershed. Five sites are located in a no-till, five in conventional till areas, and one downstream sample for a regional overview. Sampling was conducted in April and November of 2005, and April, May, and June of 2006 (during pre-planting and post-planting) to characterize high and low-flow water, suspended sediment composition and seasonal variations on the sub-watersheds. Initial data suggest that NT stream total suspended solid (TSS) values were on average half of those in CT streams (12.8 vs. 24.4 mg/L) and nitrate values in NT streams were on average 10 mg/L lower than nitrate in the CT streams (47 vs. 57 mg/L). In conclusion, our initial data indicate that in east-central Indiana NT sites there is a significant reduction in TSS (50 % based on average), and there is a noticeable decrease (17%) in nitrate compared to CT sites.
