Location: Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory
Project Number: 8042-13610-030-007-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2020
End Date: Sep 30, 2021
Objective:
The overall objective is to evaluate the environmental risks and benefits of switchgrass and Miscanthus buffers planted on marginal farmland and near-stream areas to reduce soil phosphorus saturation and nutrient losses from farmland.
Approach:
This project will be conducted in collaboration with NRCS, poultry producers, and extension specialists in Delaware and Maryland. Soil, water, and plant samples will be collected over a two-year period. Lysimeters will be installed at strategic locations. Analytical and processing methods will be validated. A new phosphorus in-situ, real-time sensor will be calibrated, and results validated using collected water samplers. Data will be compiled and assembled with economic, harvest, and agronomic information onto a GIS platform for use in modeling activities.
