Delta Farm Press, NE
09-18-06
Corn growers, universities receive drainage management grant
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has awarded a $2.2 million
grant to the National Corn Growers Association and other groups to study
impacts of drainage water management.
Besides NCGA, grant recipients include the Agricultural Drainage Management
Coalition, the University of Minnesota, Iowa State University, the University of
Illinois, Purdue University, Ohio State University and the Minnesota Department
of Agriculture.
“We’re happy the money is available to research drainage management,” said
Bill Chase, chairman of the NCGA Production and Stewardship Action Team.
“This is an important issue for agriculture. Now we can compare drainage
projects throughout several states and determine future best management
practices for farmers in the Corn Belt.”
The grant will allow farmers and researchers to study management practices that
control subsurface drains to better conserve water and reduce nutrient loss. The
project will examine yield effects and pollution reduction and develop
management recommendations for Midwestern farmers.
The demonstration projects will utilize the latest technologies, including satellitecontrolled water level monitor structures that farmers will be able to control using
Web-based applications, according to Merlyn Carlson, USDA deputy
undersecretary for natural resources and conservation.
“This grant will help our organization develop management recommendations for
farmers, as well as quantify the yield impacts of this practice,” said Tade Sullivan,
executive director of ADMC. “We are fortunate to have a distinguished group of
research partners and to be able to engage producers directly in developing the
recommendations.”
Drainage water management holds a great deal of promise for corn growers
because research has shown a 30 to 50 percent reduction in nitrate, a contributor
to hypoxia.