Recipient Organization
UNIV OF WISCONSIN
21 N PARK ST STE 6401
MADISON,WI 53715-1218
Performing Department
SOIL SCIENCE
Non Technical Summary
Reduced crop land productivity from soil erosion costs an estimated $40 billion/yr; environmental costs are an estimated 3.1 billion/yr. Addition of organic materials (manure) provides some restorative effect but can pose an environmental hazard due to P and N loss in runoff water. We will evaluate erosion's impact on C, N, and P redistribution in an eroded landscape and assess use of animal waste on restoration of eroded land and environmental impacts.
Animal Health Component
70%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
70%
Developmental
10%
Goals / Objectives
(1) Determine the distribution of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in soils of eroded landscapes; (2) Assess management effects on eroded soil productivity and quality of soil, air and water resources.
Project Methods
Objective 1. Degradation and redistribution of carbon and phosphorus in soils of closed landscape systems. Research will be conducted on our existing plots (established as a part of the original NC-174 research project in 1985) at the Lancaster Experimental Farm. The site is located on a Dubuque silt loam soil. We have identified three levels of erosion at the site and we have three replicates for each level of erosion. Over the past 13 years we have applied animal waste to one-half of each plot in an attempt to restore the eroded land. NC-174 Soil Carbon Sampling Protocol: Three soil cores will be collected with a 1.2-m long 6.0-cm diameter steel sampling tube containing a 5.7-cm acetate liner (to prevent sample contamination) to a minimum depth of 1 meter from each treatment. The acetate liners containing the sample core will be removed from the steel tube, capped with plastic caps, and sealed with duct tape for transportation to the laboratory for processing. In the
laboratory, the cores will be sectioned into 5-cm, 15-cm, or 30-cm sections and core bulk density will be determined on each section. Each core section will constitute one soil sample. The soils will then be air-dried and crushed to pass a 2-mm screen. Samples will be collected at the start, in the middle, and end of each growing season. Approximately 10- to 15-gram subsamples will be further ground to pass a 60-100 mesh screen for total C analysis. Total C analysis will be performed by high temperature combustion. Organic C will be determined by subtracting inorganic C values from total C values. Analysis of samples for C determination will be performed with a carbon analyzer. Inorganic C data will be included when data are reported since there is very little information in the literature on C sequestration as inorganic C in agricultural systems. Subsamples of the soil cores will be sent to the UW-Soil and Plant Analyses Laboratory for analyses of N and P. These samples will be
analyzed for total N and nitrate-N, and total P and water soluble P. Objective 2. Assess management and erosion effects on eroded soil productivity and quality of soil, air, and water resources. Soil and crop management methods to be investigated for the maintenance and/or restoration of soil productivity on eroded soils will be based on evaluation of the literature, assessment of current research, simulation modeling using an existing data base (1st phase of project) to identify limiting factors of a specific soil, and field testing of promising management alternatives. Long term data are necessary to adequately evaluate the management-climate interactions on yields.