SOIL AND WATER QUALITY MONITORING TECHINIQUES

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SOIL AND WATER QUALITY MONITORING TECHINIQUES

• Ramesh Kanwar
• Professor and Chair, Agricultural Biosystems
  Engineering Department
• Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa USA

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Objectives of Soil and Water Monitoring

1. To determine the impact of any activity on the
   landscape (agriculture, chemicals, manure use,
   industry, human or industry waste etc) on surface
   or groundwater quality
2. To make sure our drinking water supplies are safe
   for human consumption.

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World Water Supply
0.307 in Ground Water lt 0.5mi deep
2.8 Fresh
0.01 in surface waters the atmosphere
0.307 in Ground Water gt 0.5mi deep
0.005 soil moisture
97.2 Saline
2.15 Icecaps Glaciers
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Water Quality Issues Related to Human Health

• Main compounds are - N, P, pathogens, and
  antibiotics
• Surface and groundwater pollution potential
• High NO3-N levels can cause blue baby syndrome
  (methemoglobinemia)
• High NO3-N can lead to etiology of stomach cancer
  (only limited evidence available)
• Bacteria and pathogens can be disease causing
• Antibiotics as feed supplements are finding ways
  to water

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WATER QUALITY CONCERNS FROM ANIMAL WASTES

• Main concern is infant health
• Nitrate/nitrite causes blue baby disease
• Newborn babies essentially suffocate
• Water Quality Standard for Nitrate-nitrogen is 10
  mg/l
• SURFACE WATER WATER BODIES
• Ammonia gt 2 mg/L Kills Fish
• Phosphate gt 0.05 mg/L promotes excess algae
  growth which leads to Fish Kills - Eutophication
• BOD depletes oxygen which causes Fish Kills -
  Hypoxia

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Agricultural Contribution World Perspective

• 60 N and 25 P from European Ag to North Sea
• 48 of nutrient pollution in the former
  Czechoslovakia
• Significant levels flowing into the Adriatic Sea
• Eutrophication problems in Lake Erie

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NITROGEN LOSSES FROM FARMS IN THE MISSISSIPPI
BASIN US Example
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Water Quality Issue HYPOXIA

• The worst hypoxic conditions are in the Baltic
  Sea and the Black Sea
• Hypoxic conditions have been increasing since the
  1960s
• The Gulf of Mexico, outside the delta of the
  Mississippi River is the worlds third largest
  hypoxic area
• 12400 sq. km. (4800 sq. mi)

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Major Water Quality Issue WORLD HYPOXIC ZONES
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Current Status of Iowa Lakes
Crystal Lake
Clear Lake
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Manure Characteristics and Production Estimates(
what does it contain)

• 6 of bodyweight per day
• (most species)
• 13 - 15 solids
• 85 -87 liquid

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Daily Manure Production Per Animal

• We have estimates of manure production
• 4.5 kg/day/hd for swine (liquid manure)
• 45-50 kg/day/hd for dairy cow (liquid)
• 25-30 kg/day/hd for beef cow (liquid)
• Solid portion 13-15 of total

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Animal Waste Nutrient Utilization Scenario

• Swine Confinement Facility
• 4000 animals _at_ 61 kg / animal
• Nutrient Content in kg/ day / 1000 kg
• 0.52 kg N / day / 1000 kg animal wt.
• 0.18 kg P / day / 1000 kg animal wt.
• 0.29 kg K / day / 1000 kg animal wt.

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Manure Characteristics

• In general
• Nitrogen (ammonia) is in urine
• Phosphorus is in feces
• In the U.S. were working on ways to keep urine
  and feces separate

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Manure Management Issues

• Animal manure is a liability in high density
  livestock production areas where fertilizers are
  cheap
• Animal manure is an asset if fertilizers are
  unavailable or expensive
• Odor and ammonia emission to air-global warming
• Odor issues are serious in residential areas
• Pollution of soil and water resources-water
  quality
• Hypoxia problems in international water

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Nitrogen

• Is mobile in some forms (NO3)
• not in others (organic, NH4)
• Does not carryover like P
• Is not determined by soil test

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Negative Environmental Impacts

• Nitrogen
• - Nitrates leaching to tilelines and/or
  groundwater
• - Ammonia runoff into surface water
• causing fish kills

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Negative Environmental Impacts

• Phosphorus
• Loss with soil erosion
• Eutrophication (algae growth) of surface
  waters

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Phosphorus

• Is bound to the soil particles
• Remains in the soil year to year
• Moves if soil erodes
• Is determined by soil test
• Does not volatilize like nitrogen

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Manure Nutrient Planning

• Determine the hectares needed to maximize
  nutrient use and minimize negative environmental
  impacts

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Question 1

• Which Nutrient should I use for planning...
• Nitrogen?
• Phosphorus?

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U.S. Manure Law says...

• Use nitrogen for nutrient planning
• - Results in least land area needed
• - May not be best use of nutrients because
  phosphorus is overapplied
• - Laws in U.S. are changing to require P
  planning

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NP Ratio of Manure

• NP ratio is different for different types of
  manure
• NP
• Cattle ratio 21
• Swine ratio 1.51
• Poultry ratio 12

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Phosphorus Planning

• Requires more hectares
• Results in lower application rates
• Maximize economic value of manure
• Depends on crop manure application frequency
• Requires additional commercial N fertilizer

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Question 2

• How much of the nutrient
• should I apply??

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Plant Nutrient Utilization

• Plant utilization
• Corn uses 0.7 lb/bu N 0.4 lb/bu P2O5
• Beans use 3.8 lb/bu N 0.8 lb/bu P2O5
• Plant fertilization
• Corn needs 1.2 lb/bu N 0.4 lb/bu P2O
• Beans need 0.0 lb/bu N 0.8 lb/bu P2O

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Steps in Manure Nutrient Management

• 1. Determine crop nutrient needs
• 2. Determine manure nutrients available
• 3. Calculate hectares needed for the manure
• 4. Calculate manure volume to apply

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Summary - Manure Planning

• Not difficult to do
• Economically advantageous
• Manure can replace purchased fertilizer
• Using manure correctly is good for the environment

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Potential Pathways

• Pollutant Pathway
• Nitrate N Leaching Runoff
• Ammonium N Surface water runoff Aerial
  deposition

• Phosphorus Surface water runoff
• Pathogens Surface water runoff
• Organic Matter Surface water runoff

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Soil and Water Quality Monitoring Techniques

• Soil sampling
• Surface water sampling
• Surface runoff
• Open ditch or irrigation canals
• Small or large rivers
• Ponds, lakes, reservoirs
• Ocean, sea
• Wetlands
• Groundwater
• Shallow groundwater
• Deep groundwater

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Soil Monitoring and Sampling

• Must know the objectives why to sample?
• What to sample for?
• When to sample?
• Number of soil sampling?
• Variability in sampling?
• From various soil depths Objectives?

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Soil Monitoring

• What to sample for?
• NO3-N, pesticides, organic matter, metals,
  organics, pathogens, micro-organisms, N, P, K,
  micro-nutrients.

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When to Sample?

• Once a week, month, or year.
• As a function of cropping system or season.
• As a function of weather cycle.

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Number of samples per field function of cost?

• Spatial variability.
• Minimum three samples per plot.
• Several depths.
• Composite to cut down cost.

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Soil Sampling Techniques

• Soil augers
• Soil probes
• Back saver
• Zero contamination tube
• Hydraulic probes

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Problems During Soil Sampling and Transportation

• Cross-contamination
• Separation, collection
• Storage, transportation, temperature control
• Timely analyses in lab
• Laboratory techniques/interpretation

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Quantity Control/Quality Assurance

• Sending duplicate samples to recognized
  laboratories
• Manual on laboratory procedures
• All steps on how to collect soil samples and
  lab analyses.

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Water Quality Monitoring

• Point sources of pollution (manure storage
  platforms, spills)
• Non point sources (agriculture)

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Monitoring Needs

• Surface water
• Groundwater

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Surface water Monitoring

• Field runoff
• Open ditches/drains
• Irrigation canals
• Ponds/Lakes/reservoirs
• Wetlands
• Streams, rivers (Danube River)
• Ocean, Sea (Black sea)

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Groundwater Monitoring

• At what depth would you like to collect water
  samples?
• Shallow depth lt 3 m.
• Deep groundwater gt 3 m.
• Monitor at depth increments 5, 10, 15, 50 m??

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Groundwater Monitoring Techniques

• Piezometers
• Water table wells
• Deep ground water wells

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Construction of Groundwater Wells
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1. Glass bottles VS plastic bottles.
2. Temperature control during transportation.
3. Acidify samples if used for NO3-N analysis.
4. Store samples at 4oC until analyzed.
5. EPA protocol is to analyze within 15 days of
   collection.

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When to collect Groundwater Samples?

• Weekly, monthly, 3-4 time in a year??
• Define objectives
• For drinking water wells weekly/monthly (weekly
  for public wells, monthly/six month for
  industrial wells)
• Quality VS quantity

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Vadose Zone Monitoring

• Water content and Chemical conc.
• Soil moisture potential Tensiometers
• Soil water contents
• Soil salinity
• Temperature
• Soil pore water sampling

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Soil Pore Water Sampling

• Soil samples
• Extract them for either NO3-N or
  pesticides
• Suction lysimeters
• Caissiosn lysimeters
• Trench lysimeters
• Drainage systems
• Piezometers
• Single or multiple sampling wells