Nutrient reduction strategies and ongoing research in Ohio

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1 Nutrient reduction strategies and ongoing research in Ohio Mark Williams & Kevin King USDA ARS Soil Drainage Research Unit, Columbus, OH 2014 SERA17 Meeting Des Moines, IA

2 2011 Phosphorus loading has been identified as a major water quality issue in Ohio

3 Annual total P loads to the Western Lake Erie Basin have decreased since the early 1970s D. Baker, Heidelberg University

4 Annual dissolved P loads have been increasing since the mid-1990s D. Baker, Heidelberg University

5 Lake Erie is not the only problem in Ohio OEPA, 2013 Bloom Toxin No contact

6 What is the state of Ohio doing to improve water quality in Lake Erie and other surface waters? Directors Agricultural Nutrients and Water Quality Working Group Tasked with developing recommendations for improving Ohio s water resources while maintaining the integrity of the region s agricultural industry

7 Ohio Clean Lakes Initiative Provided $3 million for projects in the WLEB to help address water quality issues As of April 2013: 290 farmers have participated and BMPs have been implemented on more than 35,000 acres

8 Ohio Phosphorus Task Force Developed reduction targets for total and dissolved P loads in the WLEB Recommended that a 40% reduction in P load is required to significantly reduce or eliminate algal blooms in the WLEB Recommended that more data on BMPs be collected in Ohio

9 Ohio Senate Bill 150 Provides education and a new certification program for applying commercial fertilizer in Ohio Similar to pesticide applicator certification

10 Ohio Senate Bill 150 Who is required to be certified? Anybody who applies commercial fertilizer to >50 acres Certified persons must maintain records of fertilizer application for 3 years When do they need to be certified by? Must be certified by September 2017 or face fines and misdemeanor offense Need to be recertified every 3 years

11 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification

12 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Voluntary program for CCAs and agricultural retailers Provides a consistent, recognized standard for nutrient management and sustained crop production Outlines 43 criteria to be implemented Private 3 rd party audit to maintain certification

13 Ongoing phosphorus research in Ohio at the Soil Drainage Research Unit 46% of fields in Ohio have subsurface drainage

14 Edge-of-field Flow pathways Watershed

15 Research objectives 1. Quantify how, when, and under what conditions nutrients are transported to tile drains 2. Quantify the amount of water and nutrient loss in surface and subsurface flow paths under various management and antecedent conditions 3. Evaluate the effectiveness of BMPs in mitigating nutrient delivery to surface waters 4. Determine the effect of agricultural management on watershed-scale nutrient transport

16 Edge-of-field research Monitoring 34 fields (17 paired fields) representative of Ohio crop production agriculture Surface runoff and tile discharge measurements Using a before-after controlimpact study design

17 Edge-of-field research

18 Management and BMPs Cover crops Application method Timing of application Tillage Application rate Organic vs. inorganic fertilizers Controlled traffic and variable rate application Surface amendments (gypsum) Drainage water management

19 Edge-of-field instrumentation H-flumes for surface runoff Thel-mar compound weirs and Isco area velocity sensors for tile

20 Case Study #1 Surface drainage area: 13.4 ac Subsurface drainage area: 22.4 ac Soil: Paulding clay Tile spacing: 40 ft Tile depth: 60 cm

21 Wheat planted in October 2012 P applied: 50 lb P 2 O 5 /ac Soil test P: 35 mg/kg Mehlich-3 Deep tillage after harvest in July 2013 prior to oats

22 N Fertilizer Harvest Oats Daily Discharge (m 3 ) Discharge Soluble P Rainfall Tile Surface Cumulative Soluble P Loss (kg) 0 Jan Mar May Jul Sep Nov Jan 0

23 Case Study #1 Hydrology: 6% of rainfall in surface runoff (15% of discharge) 36% of rainfall in tile flow (85% of discharge) P concentration and load: 0.13 kg DRP/ha in surface runoff (0.3 mg/l) 0.37 kg DRP/ha in tile flow (0.14 mg/l)

24 Case Study #2 Quantify tile discharge and nutrient dynamics before and after implementation of drainage water management

25 Case Study #2 Drainage area: B2 = 12.0 ha; B4 = 27.8 ha Tile depth: m m Legend Ditch Tile drain Drainage area Soil type: Bennington silt loam Pewamo clay loam Soil test P concentration: 60 mg/kg (0-20 cm) B2 B : Both sites were free draining : DWM was implemented at B4

26 Tile Discharge (mm) B B % reduction in annual tile discharge with DWM

27 Mean DRP conc. (mg L -1 ) Annual DRP load (kg/ha) Case Study # B2 B Year Year DWM did not significantly affect DRP concentration 65-74% reduction in annual DRP load with DWM

28 Tile flow (L/s) Dissolved P conc. (mg/l) Evidence of preferential flow Williams et al. (unpublished data) Date Peaks in dissolved P concentration coincide with peaks in tile flow

29 Frank Gibbs (9/10/2013) Visible connection between surface soils and tile drains

30 Using lysimeters to quantify P transport to tile drains Sample collection Suction cup lysimeter Pan lysimeter Tile Suction cup lysimeters sample slowly moving water in soil pores and the bulk soil matrix Pan lysimeters sample fast, free draining water (preferential flow paths)

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32 4R Research Project Overall objective is to assess the environmental and socio- economic benefits of the 4R nutrient stewardship concept and the 4R Certification Program in the WLEB

33 4R Research Project To monitor the impacts of 4R practices and the 4R Certification Program on crop productivity, nutrient losses, and biotic integrity from select fields, streams, and watersheds in the WLEB To model the environmental benefits in Lake Erie (turbidity and HABs) following various levels of implementation of 4R practices and the 4R Certification Program in three WLEB agricultural watersheds To determine the behavioral impact of 4R educational efforts and the 4R Certification Program on the knowledge, beliefs, and management practices of crop growers and nutrient service providers in the WLEB To conduct a triple bottom line evaluation of the economic, social, and environmental performance of the 4R Certification Program in the WLEB

34 Is there hope for Lake Erie? Lake Erie responds rapidly to changes in nutrient loads Understanding nutrient transport processes and testing of BMPs through research will help us keep nutrients in the field and out of the Lake

35 Contact Information Mark Williams 590 Woody Hayes Dr. Columbus, OH Kevin King