TARGETING PERENNIAL/BIOMASS CROPS TO SENSITIVE AREAS Claire Baffaut USDA-ARS Cropping Systems and...

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”


2012, Columbia, MO


Close to 8”

Less than 2.5”


2012, Columbia, MO


Close to 7”

Less than 2”


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.


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.


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.


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!


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


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


2012, Columbia, MO

Simulated water quality effects of mid-slope buffers in Field 1


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


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


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.


2012, Columbia, MO

TARGETING PERENNIAL/BIOMASS CROPS TO SENSITIVE AREAS Claire Baffaut USDA-ARS Cropping Systems and...

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