Draft, 20 June 2003
Project Number: To be assigned
Requested Project Duration: October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2009
Project Title: Drainage design and field management practices to improve water quality in
subsurface-drained lands
Statement of Issue and Justification:
Excess NO3 in drinking water can be toxic to humans (Heathwaite et al., 1993), requiring costly
treatment of water for human consumption. Excess N in estuaries and coastal waters enhances
algal growth (Ocean Studies Board and Water Science and Technology Board, Commission on
Geosciences, Environment, and Resources, National Research Council, 2000) and is implicated
in the formation of a hypoxic zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico (Rabalais et al., 1996). The
principal sources of nitrogen to the Mississippi river are the agricultural basins within the
Midwest corn-belt (David and Gentry, 2000; Goolsby et al., 2001). Nitrate contaminated
drainage water from subsurface drains or “tiles” from the many artificially drained watersheds
within the corn-belt is the primary source of NO3 to surface waters (David et al., 1997; Goolsby
et al., 1999). While much of this loss of N is commonly attributed to overuse of commercial N
fertilizer, one conclusion that can be drawn from studies by Keeney and DeLuca (1993) and
Willrich (1969) is that considerable N loss was occurring before the wide spread use of inorganic
fertilizers and that N leaching loss is more a result of farming per se (drainage, tillage, rowcropping, etc.) than of irresponsible fertilizer use. Within the eight state North Central Region,
there is currently >41,000,000 acres of drained cropland under production. Within these states,
drained land represents from 10 to 50% of all land under production (USDA, 1987). These lands
are some of the most productive in the world, but only if adequate drainage is provided. Thus,
crop production, tile drainage, and surface water quality within the corn-belt are intimately
intertwined.
In addition to the primary role subsurface drainage plays in transporting nitrate to surface waters,
there is also continuing concern for the role tile drains play in transporting pesticides to streams
and lakes. Subsurface drainage may also play a central role in a number of emerging issues.
These include the transport of pathogens and pharmaceuticals to surface waters as a result of
manure application to drained land. Both have been found in streams at levels exceeding
recommended concentrations. Drainage also plays a significant role in the transport of
phosphorus to surface waters. Phosphorus concentrations in fresh waters are the primary factor
determining the eutrophication level and often exceed levels suitable for fishable, drinkable, and
swimmable rivers and lakes. While drainage has commonly been thought of as reducing P levels
in streams by reducing runoff and erosion, there is growing evidence that subsurface drainage
waters can also exceed the P concentration levels recommended by EPA for surface waters.
In a recent review by Dinnes et al. (2002), several approaches were proposed for reducing the
impact of drained lands on surface water quality. These included the use of alternative crop
rotations and cover crops, improvements in the timing and rate of fertilizer application, and
redesign and management of drainage systems to reduce the contribution of nitrate mass to
surface waters through reduced drainage and increased denitrification. Currently, researchers
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across the North Central Region are investigating these and other approaches for reducing
nutrient and other contaminant losses from drained croplands. While this research has shown
promising results, there is little coordination or interaction amongst the different state
researchers. Thus, there is little exchange of new ideas amongst researchers and as a result little
synergy such exchange could produce in development of new approaches. Lack of coordination
also makes it difficult to determine the effectiveness of various practices across the Region with
its wide variations in climate and soils. Lack of coordinated evaluation of alternative
management practices and drainage designs across the Region hinders attempts of identifying
effective practices for reducing nitrate contamination of surface waters within the different
states. A coordinated research program, focused on the unique characteristics of subsurface
drained lands, would be of considerable benefit to farmers, the drainage industry, and the various
state departments of agriculture and natural resources who will be charged with identifying and
implementing management and infrastructure changes to reduce nitrate contamination. This
coordinated research effort will also be of benefit to the Agricultural Drainage Management Task
Force within the ARS-NRCS-CSREES Partnership Management Team and the USDA-NRCS
who are charged with evaluating the efficacy of alternative drainage designs and management
approaches as nutrient control practices.
Objectives:
1. Evaluate the effectiveness of alternative drainage design and operational practices, to reduce
nitrate-N losses from drained agricultural lands in the North Central Region.
Current research in a number of the North Central states is developing and testing different
drainage design and management systems. There is a critical need for researchers from the
different states to meet regularly and exchange information about the research and results.
Research should be coordinated where possible, so that unnecessary duplication is avoided and
that replicated trials in different states measure the appropriate variables to allow comparisons.
2. Assess the impact of various soil and crop management practices on reducing nitrate-N
loadings to subsurface drains in the North Central Region.
Research is being conducted on tile-drained fields, to evaluate different in-field management
practices for reduction of nitrate-N losses into the tiles, including use of cover crops, fertilizer
practices, tillage and rotation, etc. This objective is specifically related to reducing nitrate-N
leaching into tile drains, and thus does not overlap significantly with the NC-218 objectives for
soil N mineralization and diagnostic criteria for N rates for crops. Discussion of comparative
studies conducted in the different soils and climates within the region, are important for
understanding and improving management on these drained lands.
3. Assess the need for further research in other aspects of water quality from drained
agricultural lands, including the emerging issues of pathogens and phosphorus from manure
applications.
Although the initial emphasis of the committee will be on nitrate-N leaching into tile drains,
there are other issues that the committee thinks need to be kept in mind while trying to “solve the
N problem.” Subsurface drainage usually reduces the losses via surface runoff of sediment,
pesticides, and phosphorus, and so management practices designed to reduce nitrate leaching
should also evaluate the potential negative impacts on these other components. An emerging
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area of concern is movement of pathogens, pharmaceuticals, and phosphorus into tile drains in
manured fields. The committee will evaluate the need for additional research in the North
Central region in these topics.
4. Develop drainage guides and other extension materials, and work with state and federal
action agencies, to assist in implementation of improved design and management practices for
subsurface drainage systems.
The committee will include extension personnel and an NRCS representative, and will
coordinate the development of educational materials for drainage design and management for
improved water quality. The committee will work with the Agricultural Drainage Management
Systems Task Force (ADMSTF) to assess needs for technical bulletins and other educational
material. Many of the representatives on the NCR committee are also participating in meetings
of the ADMSTF, which will facilitate communication and coordination between the groups.
Expected Outcomes and Impacts:
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Coordination of research programs in drainage design and management for reduced
nitrate-N losses in subsurface drains.
Exchange of information about research studies on soil and crop management practices to
reduce nitrate-N losses to tiles.
Identification of key research needed to improve water quality from drained lands in the
North Central region.
Publication of joint research articles on nitrate-N losses to tile drains in studies from
several states.
New extension materials to support the implementation of improved management
practices on drained lands.
Improved water quality, resulting from implementation of improved management
practices on drained lands.
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 materials that the
committee proposes. The committee will work with the ADMSTF previously discussed, as well
as with NRCS. Selected drainage researchers and others from states outside the region, will also
be invited to participate. The Appendix E table lists the proposed members of the committee.
Education 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.
Governance: Standard
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Names of potential committee members (would need to be put into the table format shown in
Appendix E of instructions)—not all states have two listed here on our first cut, but there may be
others we forgot.
OH
IN
IL
IA
MN
MI
WI
MO
ND
SD
NE
KN
Norm Fausey
Larry Brown
Eileen Kladivko (R)
Jane Frankenberger (E)
Richard Cooke
Dan Jaynes
Ramesh Kanwar
Stu Melvin
Jim Baker
Gary Sands
John Nieber
Jeff Strock
Bill Northcutt
Sam Kung
Kelly Nelson
Allen Thompson
Tom Scherer
Frank Casey
Hal Werner
Bob Kohl
Tom Franti
Kyle Mankin
Outside the 12-states
KY
Steve Workman
NC
Wayne Skaggs
Robert Evans
NY
Larry Goehring
Tammo Steenhuis
TX
Clive Munster or Gary Phipps
FL
Ken Campbell
LA
Jim Fouss
Brandon Griggs
NRCS or others
IL
Don Pitts
DC
Tom Spofford
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