ARS | Publication request: Determining the profitability of improving water quality on farms in the southeastern Piedmont region of Georgia

Submitted to: Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: December 20, 2007
Publication Date: April 4, 2008
Citation: Ziehl, A.R., Dunn, K.D., Escalante, C.L., Lacy, R.C., Franklin, D.H., Gaskin, J.W. 2008. Determining the profitability of improving water quality on farms in the southeastern Piedmont region of Georgia. Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists Proceedings. p. 61-62.

Technical Abstract: The Southeastern Piedmont (SEP) region of Georgia is a high nutrient status area for phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). Previous research indicates certain farm practices utilize more P and N from the soil and/or decrease P and N runoff. With the objective to improve water quality, six farm fields in the SEP modified their pasture systems to become crop/forage rotation management systems (CFS). Farm enterprise budget analysis and statistical methods were used to determine and rank the profitability of each CFS. Economic analysis and data collection are still being conducted at the time of this poster proposal submission. Initial results show improvements in water quality in both the Greenbrier and Rose Creek watersheds. This will be combined with the economic analysis to determine the more profitable and beneficial CFS model.