NITRATE LEACHING STUDIES

Nitrate is an integral component of fertilizer for successful crop production. The chemical structure of the molecule allows it to readily absorb into the root mass of the plant. Unfortunately, that structure also allows it to leach beyond the root zone and into groundwater, potentially impacting both private and public drinking water supplies. 

NWATS has conducted several in-field nitrate leaching evaluation studies throughout the central sands region of Minnesota. Two of the studies include: 1) Byron Township Timber-to-Row Crop Agriculture Water Quality Study, and 2) Northwest Pivot, Nitrate in Groundwater Reduction Study.  The studies were conducted in farm fields in which the agronomic, irrigation and nutrient management practices were implemented by farmers. NWATS teamed up with Central Lakes College (CLC), R.D. Offutt Company and the Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture for the Byron study to evaluate, through groundwater monitoring, the effectiveness of nutrient and irrigation BMPs employed at the field for reducing the potential of nitrate to leach beyond the root zone. NWATS collected, managed and evaluated the resulting data for R.D. Offutt over the 10 years of the study.

NWATS teamed up with CLC and AgXplore International, Inc. for the Northwest Pivot study to evaluate the effectiveness of one of AgXplore's product, NZONE MAX, for reducing nitrate leaching and the concentration of nitrate in the groundwater beneath the field. NWATS designed and installed the monitoring network system that consisted of 10 vacuum lysimeters and 7 monitoring wells, conducted the in-field soil-pore water and groundwater sampling, and evaluated the resulting data over the four years of the study with respect to achieving the purpose of the study. 

The goals of both studies were achieved and the findings were published in Annual Status Summary Reports and a Final Study Report for the respective clients. From these successes, NWATS has demonstrated that we have the expertise to effectively conduct in-field nitrate studies to achieve the leaching reduction and groundwater mitigation goals of agrichemical manufacturers, suppliers and corporate farming operations.