Water Quality Benefits of Precision Agriculture
Temple, TX
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Sponsors:
Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board
Texas Agricultural Experiment Station
Texas Agricultural Extension Service
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Contributers:
Dr. Ann Kenimer1
Dr. Stephen Searcy2
Dr. James Davis2
Dr. Allen Torbert3
Dr. Jeff Heath4
Mr. Ed Coufal5
Mr. Terry Coufal5
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(1: TAES, 2: TAEX, 3: USDA/ARS 4: NRCS, 5: Producers)
Project Description
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Precision farming can be used to minimize the nutrient transport from agricultural lands to surface and ground water resources. This project will demonstrate the benefits of technology, specifically water quality improvement and reduce chemical costs, thereby increasing the rate of precision farming adoption by Texas producers. Not only will producers be given the opportunity to view the benefits of precision farming, they will also learn about the processes involved in implementing the technology.
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The specific tasks of the project include: 1) implementation of precision farming, 2) monitoring water quality, soil fertility, and crop yield, and 3) increase public awareness of precision farming as an economically viable BMP (Best Management Practice).
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Task 1. Implementation of Precision Farming
The demonstration project will be implemented in Bell County. The site, which is part of the Elm Creek watershed, will be divided into two fields. One farm will be managed based on present conventional farming practices, and precision farming concepts will be implemented on the second field. At the start of the project, the site will be surveyed and the soil type boundaries will be delineated. Also, soil core samples will be collected and tested for chemical and textural characteristics, and the collected information will be used to divide the site into homogeneous management units. A global positioning system (GPS) receiver will be used to locate the soil type boundaries, the location of the soil core sampling sites, and the boundaries of the individual management units. The GIS layers and database will be created for each of the tow fields.
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Task 2. Monitoring Water Quality, Soil Fertility and Crop Yield
The monitoring program will be conducted for three growing season. For each growing season, we will generate fertilizer application maps, monitor crop yields and collect and analyze soil and water samples. Simple construction work will be required during project start-up to facilitate water quality monitoring and demonstration. Surface water measuring flumes, stage recorders and automatic samplers will be installed at the natural discharge points from the demonstration fields. Crop yield from each management unit will be measured, and plant samples will be collected and tested for total nitrogen and total carbon content. Water samples will be collected and tested for all runoff events and will be analyzed for suspended solids, for nitrate/nitrite, and for ammonia. Soil core samples will be collected after harvest each year from management and will be tested for total nitrogen, total carbon content, organic carbon, ammonia, and nitrate content. The soil sampling and the yield and water quality related activities will be conducted on each of the two fields.
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Task 3. Increase Public Awareness
The information obtained from the soil and plant sampling and from the yield and water quality monitoring will be compiled. Our plan is to provide this information to the local producers, agri-businesses and local state and federal agencies. With the help of the TCAG and the local agents, we will set up field days to demonstrate the benefits of precision farming practices. We will also develop a manual that will describe the proposed BMP; it will include details information on the equipment, installation, operational procedure, economic returns, and, most particularly, the water quality benefits gained by the implementation of such a practice. Results of the project will be presented to the public through accessible written media. Media will include trade and popular press, fact sheets, newsletters, and local newspapers. In addition, other existing information dissemination mechanisms, including TAEX, TAES, TWRI, and the Texas A&M University Press, will be used to project results to interested parties.
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Images Associated with the Project
South Field Flume and Emergency Overflow
North Field Flume and Emergency Overflow
North Field Flume Being Installed
North Field Flume Inlet
Building of Levees for Routing Water to Sampling Flumes
Proper Water Flow was Ensured by Using a Transit Level
Overview of North and South Fields
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