Project title: Nutrient Management for Surface Water Quality Protection

Principal investigators: Charles Shapiro, Charles Wortmann

Duration:   2000 to 2008

Funding: Various

Contact:   Charles Wortmann, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, 58C Filley Hall, Lincoln NE 68583-0951, (402) 472-2909 cwortmann2@unl.edu

Projects description:

Various studies of the effects of manure application, with different management practices, on nutrient loss to surface water have been conducted.

Key results:

Manure application was found to reduce runoff and erosion during the years of application and with a residual effect for up to eight years. Deep plowing in cases of extremely high P levels in the surface soil and use of grass filter areas occupying 1% of the drainage area were found to be effective in reducing runoff P loss. Non-application setbacks were not found to be effective in reducing runoff P loss.

Publications:

Wortmann, C.S. and C.A. Shapiro. 2008. The effects of manure application on soil aggregation. J. Nutr. Cycling Agroecosystems 80:173-180.

Wortmann, C.S. and D.A. Walters. 2007. Residual effects of compost and plowing on phosphorus and sediment in runoff. J. Envir. Qual. 36:1521-1527.

Mamo, M., C. Wortmann, and S. Brubaker. 2007. Manure P Fractions: Analytical methods and the effect of manure types. Comm. Soil and Plant Anal. 38:935-947.

Wortmann, C.S. and D. Walters. 2006. Phosphorus runoff during four years following composted manure application. J. Environ. Qual. 35: 651-657.

Wortmann, C.S., M. Helmers, A. Mallarino, C. Barden, D. Devlin, G. Pierzynski, J. Lory, R. Massey, J. Holz, C. Shapiro, J. Kovar. 2006. Agricultural phosphorus management and water quality protection in the Midwest. RP 187. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.