Production Fields - a Slide Show The Riparian Zone - a Slide Show

Site Description Four adjacent watersheds with similar surface and sub-surface soil and water flow characteristics were carved out of a 25 ha (62 acre) study area. The site consists of four surface hydrologically bounded sub-watersheds, about 4 ha (10 acres) each, which feed a wooded riparian wetland and first-order stream. Each of the four watersheds was formed from sandy fluvial deposits and has a varying slope ranging from 1% to 4%. The research site is about 40 m (130 ft) above sea level and the site consists of four major soil series. A clay lens is under the entire site, varying from 0.9 m to 3.5 m (3 to 11.5 ft) below the soil surface. Three of the watersheds are managed with different crop production systems: a uniform application of fertilizer in the form of processed liquid manure (Field A) a conventional farming approach where the field receives a uniform application of agricultural chemicals (Field B) a precision farming approach where within-field locations are given agricultural chemical applications according to site-specific conditions at the locations (Field D) Although the fourth watershed, Field C, has similar soil properties, the subsurface hydrology is significantly different from the other three watersheds. Therefore, management practices can not be directly compared to other watersheds within the study area. There is also a small area between Fields B and C where experiments are conducted that do not require the larger watershed-sized fields to meet their objectives.

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