Nutrient transport through a Vegetative Filter Strip with subsurface drainage

Improved APEX Model Simulation of Buffer Water Quality Benefits at Field Scale

“…Seobi et al (2005) and Kumar et al (2012) determined that soil hydraulic conductivity values were four to 16 times higher in an agroforestry buffer than in the associated cropland or pasture. Reported trapping effectiveness values of upland and edge-of-field buffers vary widely among studies: from 41% to 100% for sediment and from 27% to 96% for total phosphorus (TP) (Dillaha et al, 1989;Daniels and Gilliam, 1996;Schmitt et al, 1999;Mayer et al, 1999;Lee et al, 2000;Blanco-Canqui et al, 2004;Vianello et al, 2005;Bhattarai et al, 2009;Caron et al, 2010;Al-wadaey et al, 2012).…”

Effects of native perennial vegetation buffer strips on dissolved organic carbon in surface runoff from an agricultural landscape

“…Research in Midwestern agricultural watersheds often focus on nutrient and/or carbon losses from subsurface drainage (Bhattarai et al 2009, Warrner et al 2009), groundwater measured through lysimeters (Zhou et al 2010), or the importance of different tillage practices on export in surface runoff (Apezteguia et al 2009), rather than how the incorporation of different types of soil conservation practices such as buffer strips would affect carbon concentrations and export.…”

“…Finally, there have been few studies which evaluated the export of nutrients, carbon, and pollutants from watersheds containing both perennial vegetative buffer strips and subsurface drainage systems (Bhattarai et al 2009). Tiling systems installed to improve drainage are a common agricultural management practice in the Midwestern United States.…”

“…The addition of subsurface drainage under NPV strips should improve the infiltration capacity of the soil, thus reducing nutrient and carbon losses in surface runoff (Bhattarai et al 2009). Iowa is to demonstrate to area farmers how incorporation of NPV strips into row-crop agriculture can reduce export of sediment, nutrients, and carbon.…”

“…Bhattarai et al (2009) andDunn et al (2011) recommended placement of NPV strips to spread concentrated flow so as to maximize the usefulness of the strips in reducing nutrient export. Helmers et al (in review) concluded that the upslope strips which were established to minimize concentrated flow at the NSNWR did not significantly decrease sediment export.…”