Nitrates in Water

A Yahoo news article recently caught my attention.  No it wasn’t the “fluffy cows”, OK, I did read about them but the one I am talking about is “Iowa copes with nitrate surge in drinking water”.  Farmers are working to do the right things to prevent this from happening locally.  4 R Tomorrow and 4 R Nutrient Stewardship are programs that help train farmers on the 4 R’s.

 The 4 R’s include:

The Right time- Assess and make decisions based on the dynamics of crop uptake, soil supply, nutrient loss risks and field operation logistics.

The Right place- Address root-soil dynamics and nutrient movement, and manage spatial variability within the field to meet specific crop needs and limit potential losses from fields.

The Right rate- Assess and make decisions based on soil nutrient supply and plant demand.

The Right source- Ensure a balanced supply of essential nutrients, considering both naturally available sources and the characteristics of specific products, in plant available forms.

By adapting the 4 R’s farmers are able to improve productivity and minimize impact to the environment.

Locally, farmers were able to enroll in a Nutrient Reduction Program.  Through this program, farmers in Wood County enrolled over 7,560 acres in Variable Rate Technology (VRT) grid sampling and will install 130 water control structures.  By enrolling in VRT farmers are getting a more accurate sample of the nutrient levels in the field, as they are taking samples every 2-6 acres.  The variability across a field is the treated as needed instead of as a whole field.  This allows for areas that may need more or less nutrients than other areas to get the proper treatment.  VRT with cover crops can reduce nitrogen loss by 70% and phosphorous loss by 28%.  By adding the cover crop you are also reducing soil erosion.  Using controlled drainage structures can also help reduce the nitrate load anywhere from 15 to 75%.  Nitrate load is reduced by the same percentage that drain flow is reduced.

Farmers are taking the initiative to prevent nitrates from entering the water supply, thus saving money in the long run.  If your water was to get contaminated you would need to find a new source of drinking water, bottled water or pay for a city water line if available.  If your well water is contaminated it also means that there is a problem with your well casing and nitrogen wouldn’t be the only thing entering your water.  Say hello to pesticides, manure and untreated sewage.