This project will engage with an existing on-farm project designed to improve understanding of the impact of agricultural practices on water quality at both the field and small watershed scale. Current two-year edge of field monitoring indicates that an average of 51 lbs. per acre is lost from the field each year.
Research Category: 2016
Interseeding Cover Crops While Applying In-Season Nitrogen
This project will build a 12-row, 30-inch row spacing, cover crop interseeder that can apply liquid nitrogen and seed a cover crop in one pass. This will expand upon ongoing farm research using a small scale prototype interseeder that was built using commonly sourced Yetter Manufacturing strip freshener units, incorporating the seeds and a Gandy seeder.
Integrating Side-Dressing and Interseeding for Reduced Nitrate Loss and Soil Erosion
The objective of this project is to improve soil health, reduce soil erosion and reduce nitrate loss while utilizing a side-dress nitrogen application and simultaneous inter-seeding of a cover crop. This farm has utilized conventional tillage for many years and applied nitrogen fertilizer prior to spring planting.
Soil and Water Improvement through Strip-Tilling and Cover Crop Application
The objective of this project is to explore practices to reduce nitrogen loss and improve nitrogen management which, in turn, improves water quality. Cover crops will bring up underutilized nutrients from deeper in the soil profile, reduce erosion and allow better infiltration of rain water.