Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #137061

Title: ASSESSMENT OF THE WATER QUALITY IMPACTS OF FARMING SYSTEMS BY INTEGRATING DATABASES AND SIMULATION MODELS

Author
item Hatfield, Jerry
item Bucks, Dale
item Alberts, Edward
item Dowdy, Robert
item Fausey, Norman
item Schepers, James

Submitted to: National Water Quality Monitoring Council
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/23/2002
Publication Date: 9/30/2002
Citation: HATFIELD, J.L., BUCKS, D.A., ALBERTS, E.E., DOWDY, R.H., FAUSEY, N.R., SCHEPERS, J.S. ASSESSMENT OF THE WATER QUALITY IMPACTS OF FARMING SYSTEMS BY INTEGRATING DATABASES AND SIMULATION MODELS. NATIONAL WATER QUALITY MONITORING COUNCIL. 2002. CD-ROM. MADISON, WI.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Understanding the impact of farming practices on environmental quality requires an integrated approach across different scales. The Management Systems Evaluation Areas (MSEA) program was developed to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of different farming practices across the Midwest on ground and surface water quality. The MSEA monitoring program was developed to capture the movement of nutrients and pesticides in the soil and vadose zone in different soils and hydrology settings using standard protocols for sampling and analysis. The scale of research ranged from laboratory to watershed scale studies. For each site a comprehensive database of meteorological, soils, pesticide, nutrient, soil water, plant growth, and leaching and runoff data was assembled. This database was used to provide an intensive evaluation of the Root Zone Water Quality Model and other water transport models. The MSEA effort has produced a unique database of information across the Cornbelt for assessment of farming practices on water quality and a model for multi-discipline and multi-scale research.