targeting perennial/biomass crops to sensitive areas claire baffaut usda-ars cropping systems and...
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TARGETING PERENNIAL/BIOMASS CROPS TO SENSITIVE AREAS
Claire Baffaut
USDA-ARS Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit
Columbia, MO
Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October
2012, Columbia, MO
Rills from 4/2012 storm after planting
Following a 3” rain, the soil from the planted rows is gone, at least 2”
Planted and germinated corn is now exposed
Rills in the Centralia plots 4/21/2010
Top soil depth along Plot 18
Close to 8”
Less than 2.5”
Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October
2012, Columbia, MO
Top soil depth along Plot 11
Close to 8”
Less than 2.5”
Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October
2012, Columbia, MO
Top soil depth along Plot 9
Close to 7”
Less than 2”
Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October
2012, Columbia, MO
Average measured soybean yields CS1 – Mulch till
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
So
ybe
an
yie
lds
(b
u/a
) Summit: 31 bu/ac
Backslope: 26 bu/ac
Footslope: 34 bu/ac
Backslope soybean yields significantly lower than summit or footslope yields.
Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October
2012, Columbia, MO
Average measured soybean yields CS2 – No-till
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
So
ybe
an
yie
lds
(b
u/a
) Summit: 32 bu/ac
Backslope: 31 bu/ac
Footslope: 35 bu/ac
Backslope soybean yields significantly lower than footslope yields.
1997. Dry year but footslope has enough moisture.
Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October
2012, Columbia, MO
Average measured corn yields CS1 – Mulch till
020406080
100120140160180200
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Co
rn y
ield
s (
bu
/a)
Summit: 95 bu/acBackslope: 86 bu/acFootslope: 101 bu/ac
Backslope corn yields significantly lower than footslope yields, but no difference with summit yields.
Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October
2012, Columbia, MO
Average measured corn yields CS2 – No-till
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Co
rn y
ield
s (
bu
/a)
Summit: 90 bu/acBackslope: 92 bu/acFootslope: 99 bu/ac
No significant difference between any position!
Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October
2012, Columbia, MO
Runoff quantity and quality
Two indices were good predictors of areas generating the highest loadings of runoff, sediment, and atrazine:
CCI= Ksat * depth_to_clay/ Slope CPI= depth_to_clay / Slope
Runoff Atrazine Sediment
A progressive phenomenon: 100 years
Depth to clay in Field 1 Erosion ranges
Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October
2012, Columbia, MO
Topsoil loss (in)
-20 -10 0 10 20
Perennial Crops on degraded slopes?
Switchgrass buffer Advantages
Does not displace food producing acres.
Does well because roots go through the claypan
May help remediate the degradation
Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October
2012, Columbia, MO
Simulated water quality effects of mid-slope buffers in Field 1
Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October
2012, Columbia, MO
Scenario
Best Management Practices
Percent change (%)
RunoffSediment Yield
Dissolved Atrazine in
Surface Runoff
Baseline
No BMPs applied, mulch till corn-soybean - - -
1Switchgrass in all sensitive areas (66% of field), rest of field under mulch till corn-soybean.
-14 -40 -70
2
2 acre area immediately before the field outlet managed as filter strip in fescue, rest of field under mulch till corn-soybean
-37 -63 -35
4Switchgrass in area around main channel rest of the field under mulch till corn-soybean
-38 -64 -48
Testing the hypothesis of water quality improvements
Cropping systems for targeted buffers: Mulch till corn – NT
soybean NT corn – soybean
Water Quality monitored also for: All in switchgrass All in willow Corn-Soybean-Wheat
Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October
2012, Columbia, MO
Variables Q, Sediment Dissolved and total
nutrients Herbicides
Targeting to the sensitive area
Two croping systems were targeted: Corn MT – Soybean
NT NT Corn-soybean
Buffers were designed: 150 feet Placed on the most
sensitive part, according to CPI, a function of slope and depth to clay
Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October
2012, Columbia, MO
What will we learn?
Experience in establishing switchgrass on claypan soils
Productivity of the system on a larger scale than at the SPARC plots
Interactions between the switchgrass and row crop management Impact of row crop production upstream of the
switchgrass. Impact of switchgrass production on the tow
slope row crop productivity. Water quantity impact of switchgrass production
on the sensitive area. Water quality impact of switchgrass production on
the sensitive area. Will switchgrass propagate and fill-in the existing
rills? Impact of switchgrass production on soil quality.
Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October
2012, Columbia, MO