Excerpt
Nitrate has been shown to contribute to hypoxia and a severe reduction in fish populations in parts of the Gulf of Mexico. Farmers may need to adopt technologies such as controlled drainage to reduce nitrates in surface water. Farm tile drainage water management (also referred to as controlled drainage) is a potentially profitable and socially desirable management strategy because it can help reduce nitrate in surface water and it may improve crop yields in some cases. Controlled drainage restricts outflow during periods of the year when equipment operations are not required in the field (i.e., winter and midsummer).
Controlled drainage is a potentially proftable and socially desirable management strategy because it can help reduce nitrate in surface water and it may improve crop yields in some cases.
Controlled drainage restricts outflow during periods of the year when equipment operations are not required in the field (i.e., winter and midsummer).
Federal conservation programs include controlled drainage as part of an effort to reduce nutrient pollution in the Gulf of Mexico. Our study estimated the financial incentives for farmers to adopt controlled drainage using the B-21 representative farm-planning model. In the Midwestern United States too much nitrate load …
Footnotes
- Copyright 2007 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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