U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Agroecosystems Management Research: Ames, IA
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    Careers


        


                    CRIS ProjectsSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Midwest Area Ames, Iowa National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment Agroecosystems Management Research Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Malone, Robert

                                                         - *Rob*item
                                            Jaynes, Danitem
                                            Kaspar, Thomasitem
                                            Thorp, Kellyitem
                                            Ma, Liwangitem
                                            James, Daviditem
                                            KLADIVKO, EILEEN - Purdue Universityitem
                                            Singer, Jeremy
  Submitted to: ASABE Annual International Meeting
                                    Publication Type: Abstract Only
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 1/8/2014
                                    Publication  Date: N/A
                                    Citation: N/AInterpretive Summary:
                                Technical Abstract: A fall-planted cover crop is a management practice with multiple benefits including reducing nitrate losses from artificially drained fields. We used the Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM) to simulate the impact of a cereal rye cover crop on reducing nitrate losses from drained fields across five states in the Midwest. Within the five states, we estimate that a minimum of 3.6 million ha of drained land used to grow corn in rotation with soybean are immediately suitable for cover crops, because they are currently in no-till or ridge-till or are not tilled in the fall. An additional 3 million ha would be suitable, but delaying tillage until spring on these lands would be more difficult to integrate into the current farming systems. Considering the estimated area within the five states that drains to the Mississippi River, cover crops have the potential to reduce nitrate losses from drained fields by 89 million kg yr-1, or about 11% of the total nitrate load in the Mississippi River. We estimate that the cost per kg of nitrate removed in drainage water with cover crops would be from US$3.87 to $10.33 (kg-N)-1, a cost quite competitive with other management practices for reducing nitrate loads in surface waters.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov