Impact of Tillage and Timing of Manure Application on Surface and Subsurface Water Quality in the Karst Region of the Upper Mid-West

Impact of Tillage and Timing of Manure Application on Surface and Subsurface Water Quality in the Karst Region of the Upper Mid-West

Munyankusi, S. Gupta, Willenhaupt, J.A. Moncrief
Dept. of Soil, Water, and Climate

Introduction

Soils in the study area are relatively shallow and underlain with fratured dolomitic bed rock. The landscape is rolling (>12% slope) and crops are grwon on a contour. Strip cropping is common. This is also a high dairy producing area and land spreading of manure is common. There is some concern that land applied chemicals are finding their way through earthworm bouurows and root channels to the top of the bedrock. There is also concern about the degradation of surface water quality from winter applied manure.

Objectives

To characterize the impact of tillage and timing of manure application on surface and subsurface water quality.
To characterize the differences in nitrate leaching during the growing and non-growing season.

Project Description

Field treatments include chisel plowing and no-till with manure applied in the fall or winter. Subsurface water samples will be taken at depths of two and four feet with pan and Wick samplers. Surface water quality will be evaluated for sediment, total P, DMRP, and mineral N.

Funding

Funding for this project is from USDA-CSRS-Water Quality, Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, and University of Minnesota Extension Service.

Page URL: http://www.bbe.umn.edu/extens/manure/programs/impacttil.html

Last updated August 14, 1998 by drs
For questions and further information, send email to David Schmidt at: schmi071@maroon.tc.umn.edu

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