Groundwater Quality and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Nebraska's Central Platte River Valley

Ferguson, Richard B.

doi:10.2134/jeq2014.02.0085

Cited by 39 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Individual irrigation well data including well depth, pumping rate, and depth to water (Table ) were obtained from the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NDNR ) Registered Wells Database. Urea‐ammonium nitrate (UAN) has become the dominant commercial N fertilizer applied to Nebraska corn fields (Ferguson ). It likely was knifed into or broadcast on the soils of several cored fields.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated Deep Soil N and Groundwater Isotope Investigation of N Sources Captured by Municipal Wells

Spalding¹,

Hirsh²,

Exner³

et al. 2018

Groundwater Monitoring Rem

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Identification of major nitrate sources that adversely impact groundwater quality in municipal well capture zones in areas of emerging nitrate contamination is essential to minimize leaching and prevent exceedance of the nitrate drinking water standard. Vertical profiles of nitrate leachate in deep soils provide an estimate of the amount of nitrate in transit beneath irrigated, row‐cropped fields; depths of peak leachate; and the approximate rate of downward movement. Profiles of pore‐water soil‐nitrate concentrations in thick 60‐feet (~18 m), fine‐textured soils near Hastings, Nebraska clearly indicate that considerably more nitrate leached beneath furrow‐irrigated than center‐pivot irrigated fields. Peak leaching appeared to correlate with recorded periods of poor weather conditions during some growing seasons and may best be controlled by “spoon feeding” fertilizer to the crop through the sprinkler irrigation system at times of nutrient need. The presence of trace levels of atrazine and deethylatrazine to 60 feet (18 m) in core samples indicates that larger, more complex anthropogenic molecules also leach through the fine‐textured soils. The light δ15NNO3 values in the surficial groundwater beneath fertilized and irrigated cropland indicate that ammonium fertilizer is a major N source and suggest that the natural soil‐N contribution is negligible. δ15NNO3 values were most enriched in irrigation wells located within municipal well capture zones downgradient of a large feedlot. Dual isotope method (DIM) δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3 values suggest that the Hastings’ municipal wells farther downgradient are contaminated with a mixture of nitrate from manure and commercial ammonium‐based fertilizer. DIM values indicate an absence of denitrification, which has implications for long‐term management of the water resources.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated Deep Soil N and Groundwater Isotope Investigation of N Sources Captured by Municipal Wells

Spalding¹,

Hirsh²,

Exner³

et al. 2018

Groundwater Monitoring Rem

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“…Educational efforts began in 1979 and have expanded across the entire district since, continuing to date (Ferguson 2015). Educational efforts often involved demonstrations on grower fields of recommended practices, including use of the UNL N recommendation algorithm to predict optimal fertilizer N rate (Shapiro et al 2008), scheduling irrigation according to crop water use, use of irrigation flowmeters to calculate water application rates, and the use of nitrification inhibitors to reduce NO 3 -N leaching.…”

Section: Socio-economic Impediments To Adopting the 4rsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutrients in the nexus

et al. 2016

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Synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer has enabled modern agriculture to greatly improve human nutrition during the twentieth century, but it has also created unintended human health and environmental pollution challenges for the twentyfirst century. Averaged globally, about half of the fertilizer-N applied to farms is removed with the crops, while the other half remains in the soil or is lost from farmers' fields, resulting in water and air pollution. As human population continues to grow and food security improves in the developing world, the dual development goals of producing more nutritious food with low pollution will require both technological and socioeconomic innovations in agriculture. Two case studies presented here, one in sub-Saharan Africa and the other in Midwestern United States, demonstrate how management of nutrients, water, and energy is inextricably linked in both small-scale and large-scale food production, and that science-based solutions to improve the efficiency of nutrient use can optimize food production while minimizing pollution. To achieve the needed large increases in nutrient use efficiency, however, technological developments must be accompanied by policies that recognize the complex economic and social factors affecting farmer decision-making and national policy priorities. Farmers need access to affordable nutrient supplies and support information, and the costs of improving efficiencies and avoiding pollution may need to be shared by society through innovative policies. Success will require interdisciplinary partnerships across public and private sectors, including farmers, private sector crop advisors, commodity supply chains, government agencies, university research and extension, and consumers.

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“…One of the few examples of partially successful regulated agricultural N management is in the Platte River Valley of Nebraska (Ferguson, 2015). Groundwater management districts were formed by the state legislature in the late 1980s in response to widespread NO 3 -contamination of groundwater, which reached levels of 30 to 40 mg NO 3 --N L -1 and sometimes greater.…”

Section: A Success Story With Cautionsmentioning

confidence: 99%