GGrantIndex
← Search

SUBSURFACE AGRICULTURAL DRAINAGE IS A MAJOR, YET UNDERAPPRECIATED, COMPONENT OF UNITED STATES INFRASTRUCTURE. MORE THAN 25% OF U.S. CROPLANDS BENEFIT FROM ARTIFICIAL DRAINAGE INCLUDING ~42 MILLION ACRES WITH SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE PIPES ('TILES'). THESE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS TRANSFORMED NON-FARMABLE LAND INTO SOME OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE CROPLAND IN THE WORLD.HOWEVER, THESE SYSTEMS ARE FAILING: CONTEMPORARY DRAINAGE SYSTEMS WERE INSTALLED MORE THAN 100 YEARS AGO AND HAVE REACHED THE END OF THEIR DESIGN LIFE. THE ORIGINAL CLAY 'TILE' PIPES ARE CRUMBLING. HENCE, THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITY TO REDESIGN AND REPLACE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS TO BOOST LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF CROP PRODUCTION BY BALANCING SEVERAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL TRADE-OFFS. HOW WE REDESIGN AND REPLACE THESE SYSTEMS WILL HAVE ENORMOUS CONSEQUENCES ON CROP PRODUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.IF NEW DRAINAGE SYSTEMS CAN CONSISTENTLY INCREASE FERTILIZER NITROGEN USE EFFICIENCY WHILE MAINTAINING OR INCREASING CROP PRODUCTION, FARMER ADOPTION IS GUARANTEED AND THE ENVIRONMENT WILL BENEFIT. HOWEVER, THE BENEFITS OF CONTEMPORARY DRAINAGE SYSTEMS COME AT THE COSTS OF INCREASED NITRATE LOSS TO SURFACE WATERS AND REDUCED SOIL ORGANIC MATTER STOCKS. OUR GOAL IS TO DEVELOP NEW DRAINAGE SYSTEMS DESIGNS THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY IMPROVE CROP PRODUCTIVITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. TO DO THIS, WE WILL INSTALL DRAIN SYSTEMS THAT ALTER DRAIN DEPTH AND SPACING TO BALANCE TRADE-OFFS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EFFECTS OF DRAINAGE ON CROP YIELD, NITRATE LOSS, FERTILIZER N USE EFFICIENCY, AND SOIL ORGANIC CARBON SEQUESTRATION. SPECIFICALLY, WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT SHALLOW DRAIN DEPTH AND NARROW SPACING CAN SUFFICIENTLY INCREASE DRAINAGE CAPACITY TO BOOST CROP PRODUCTION AND NITROGEN FERTILIZER USE EFFICIENCY WHILE MAINTAINING OR INCREASING SUBSOIL ORGANIC CARBON AND NITROGEN STOCKS AND LIMITING NITRATE LOSS. WE ARE UNAWARE OF ANY INFORMATION GUIDING NITROGEN FERTILIZER INPUTS AS A FUNCTION OF DRAINAGE SYSTEM. OUR STRATEGY COULD ACHIEVE WIDESPREAD ADOPTION BECAUSE INCREASES IN FERTILIZER NITROGEN USE EFFICIENCY AND CROP PRODUCTION INCREASE PROFITABILITY.

$498,768FY2019National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA

Iowa State University Of Science And Technology

Investigators

View source on USAspending →
SUBSURFACE AGRICULTURAL DRAINAGE IS A MAJOR, YET UNDERAPPRECIATED, COMPONENT OF UNITED STATES INFRASTRUCTURE. MORE THAN 25% OF U.S. CROPLANDS BENEFIT FROM ARTIFICIAL DRAINAGE INCLUDING ~42 MILLION ACRES WITH SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE PIPES ('TILES'). THESE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS TRANSFORMED NON-FARMABLE LAND INTO SOME OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE CROPLAND IN THE WORLD.HOWEVER, THESE SYSTEMS ARE FAILING: CONTEMPORARY DRAINAGE SYSTEMS WERE INSTALLED MORE THAN 100 YEARS AGO AND HAVE REACHED THE END OF THEIR DESIGN LIFE. THE ORIGINAL CLAY 'TILE' PIPES ARE CRUMBLING. HENCE, THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITY TO REDESIGN AND REPLACE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS TO BOOST LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF CROP PRODUCTION BY BALANCING SEVERAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL TRADE-OFFS. HOW WE REDESIGN AND REPLACE THESE SYSTEMS WILL HAVE ENORMOUS CONSEQUENCES ON CROP PRODUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.IF NEW DRAINAGE SYSTEMS CAN CONSISTENTLY INCREASE FERTILIZER NITROGEN USE EFFICIENCY WHILE MAINTAINING OR INCREASING CROP PRODUCTION, FARMER ADOPTION IS GUARANTEED AND THE ENVIRONMENT WILL BENEFIT. HOWEVER, THE BENEFITS OF CONTEMPORARY DRAINAGE SYSTEMS COME AT THE COSTS OF INCREASED NITRATE LOSS TO SURFACE WATERS AND REDUCED SOIL ORGANIC MATTER STOCKS. OUR GOAL IS TO DEVELOP NEW DRAINAGE SYSTEMS DESIGNS THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY IMPROVE CROP PRODUCTIVITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. TO DO THIS, WE WILL INSTALL DRAIN SYSTEMS THAT ALTER DRAIN DEPTH AND SPACING TO BALANCE TRADE-OFFS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EFFECTS OF DRAINAGE ON CROP YIELD, NITRATE LOSS, FERTILIZER N USE EFFICIENCY, AND SOIL ORGANIC CARBON SEQUESTRATION. SPECIFICALLY, WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT SHALLOW DRAIN DEPTH AND NARROW SPACING CAN SUFFICIENTLY INCREASE DRAINAGE CAPACITY TO BOOST CROP PRODUCTION AND NITROGEN FERTILIZER USE EFFICIENCY WHILE MAINTAINING OR INCREASING SUBSOIL ORGANIC CARBON AND NITROGEN STOCKS AND LIMITING NITRATE LOSS. WE ARE UNAWARE OF ANY INFORMATION GUIDING NITROGEN FERTILIZER INPUTS AS A FUNCTION OF DRAINAGE SYSTEM. OUR STRATEGY COULD ACHIEVE WIDESPREAD ADOPTION BECAUSE INCREASES IN FERTILIZER NITROGEN USE EFFICIENCY AND CROP PRODUCTION INCREASE PROFITABILITY. · GrantIndex