Water is a shared resource and is depended on by Wisconsinites for a variety of daily needs including drinking, power generation, growing food, and more. However, agriculture is the dominant land use in Wisconsin, and current farming practices have a significant impact on soil and nutrients loss to surface and groundwater.
The majority of water bodies included on Wisconsin’s Impaired Waters List are a result of excess phosphorus creating eutrophic conditions, and many are located in predominately agricultural watersheds. Groundwater pollution from agriculture also presents a challenge. Nitrate loads to groundwater have increased statewide since 2013, and awareness of nitrate levels in private wells above the health standard of 10 parts per million (ppm) has increased the focus on nitrogen losses from agriculture practices. Discovery Farms water quality data indicate that conservation practices including waterways, no till farming, and cover crops can substantially reduce soil loss, but a better understanding of the dynamics of phosphorus and nitrogen loss is needed. Subtleties of phosphorus and nitrogen dynamics and the effectiveness of suggested practices are a key focus for educational content by Extension’s Agriculture Water Quality Program (AWQP).
The AWQP aims to increase the awareness of farmers, crop advisors, and conservation professionals of farming practices’ impact on soil and nutrient losses to surface and groundwater. Farmer adoption of conservation and water quality protection practices can depend on things like access to information sources, positive attitudes towards conservation, recognition of co-benefits, history of practice adoption, and trusted information sources. Program activities provide research-based conservation and water quality information through a variety of educational channels to increase the farmer adoption of practices that reduce losses of soil and nutrients to surface and groundwater in the long term.
Providing Research & Solutions
The AQWP delivered several different educational efforts to increase farmers, crop advisors, and conservation professionals’ awareness of f farming practices’ impact on soil and nutrient losses to surface and groundwater. Increasing awareness and knowledge of the dynamics of soil and nutrient losses in different farming systems allow for implementation of agricultural practices that are protective of water quality.
Discovery Farms collected water quality data from nine edge-of-field surface runoff sites and three subsoil leaching locations in 2023. This adds to the large existing database of water quality results that includes over 30 farms and more than 200 site years. Discovery Farms’ water quality monitoring and similar research by faculty in Wisconsin and beyond provide a basis for outreach information and practice recommendations delivered by Agriculture Water Quality Outreach Specialists.
In January and February, outreach specialists collaborated to produce a three-part webinar series to increase understanding of phosphorus loss based on time of year and farming system, and quantification of nitrogen movement in different locations and farming systems. Attendance at the three webinars averaged 160 viewers per webinar, with a mixed audience of farmers, crop advisors and conservation professionals.
In July, program staff partnered with Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin to host a Water Tour. The tour had 30 participants including agency personnel, farmers, and a variety of industry and elected local officials. The bus trip traveled to three diverse locations to look at technologies and current practices designed to help protect water quality and engage in discussions with water quality stakeholders and resource professionals.
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Categories: Wisconsin, Education, General