1. TARGETING PERENNIAL/BIOMASS CROPS TO SENSITIVE AREAS Claire Baffaut USDA-ARS Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit Columbia, MO Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October 2012, Columbia, MO

2. Rills from 4/2012 storm after planting Following a 3” rain, the soil from the planted rows is gone, at least 2” Planted and germinated corn is now exposed

3. Rills in the Centralia plots 4/21/2010

4. Top soil depth along Plot 18 Close to 8” Less than 2.5” Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October 2012, Columbia, MO

5. Top soil depth along Plot 11 Close to 8” Less than 2.5” Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October 2012, Columbia, MO

6. Top soil depth along Plot 9 Close to 7” Less than 2” Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October 2012, Columbia, MO

7. Average measured soybean yields CS1 – Mulch till Backslope soybean yields significantly lower than summit or footslope yields. Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October 2012, Columbia, MO

8. Average measured soybean yields CS2 – No-till Backslope soybean yields significantly lower than footslope yields. 1997. Dry year but footslope has enough moisture. Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October 2012, Columbia, MO

9. Average measured corn yields CS1 – Mulch till Backslope corn yields significantly lower than footslope yields, but no difference with summit yields. Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October 2012, Columbia, MO

10. Average measured corn yields CS2 – No-till No significant difference between any position! Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October 2012, Columbia, MO

11. Runoff quantity and quality Two indices were good predictors of areas generating the highest loadings of runoff, sediment, and atrazine:  CCI= Ksat * depth_to_clay/ Slope  CPI= depth_to_clay / Slope Runoff Atrazine Sediment

12. A progressive phenomenon: 100 years Depth to clay in Field 1Erosion ranges Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October 2012, Columbia, MO Topsoil loss (in) -20 -10 0 10 20

13. Perennial Crops on degraded slopes? Switchgrass bufferAdvantages  Does not displace food producing acres.  Does well because roots go through the claypan  May help remediate the degradation Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October 2012, Columbia, MO

14. Simulated water quality effects of mid- slope buffers in Field 1 Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October 2012, Columbia, MO ScenarioBest Management PracticesPercent change (%) Runoff Sediment Yield Dissolved Atrazine in Surface Runoff Baseline No BMPs applied, mulch till corn-soybean--- 1 Switchgrass in all sensitive areas (66% of field), rest of field under mulch till corn- soybean. -14-40-70 2 2 acre area immediately before the field outlet managed as filter strip in fescue, rest of field under mulch till corn-soybean -37-63-35 4 Switchgrass in area around main channel rest of the field under mulch till corn- soybean -38-64-48

15. Testing the hypothesis of water quality improvements  Cropping systems for targeted buffers:  Mulch till corn – NT soybean  NT corn – soybean  Water Quality monitored also for:  All in switchgrass  All in willow  Corn-Soybean-Wheat Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October 2012, Columbia, MO  Variables  Q, Sediment  Dissolved and total nutrients  Herbicides

16. Targeting to the sensitive area  Two croping systems were targeted:  Corn MT – Soybean NT  NT Corn-soybean  Buffers were designed:  150 feet  Placed on the most sensitive part, according to CPI, a function of slope and depth to clay Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October 2012, Columbia, MO

17. What will we learn?  Experience in establishing switchgrass on claypan soils  Productivity of the system on a larger scale than at the SPARC plots  Interactions between the switchgrass and row crop management  Impact of row crop production upstream of the switchgrass.  Impact of switchgrass production on the tow slope row crop productivity.  Water quantity impact of switchgrass production on the sensitive area.  Water quality impact of switchgrass production on the sensitive area.  Will switchgrass propagate and fill-in the existing rills?  Impact of switchgrass production on soil quality. Translating Missouri USDA-ARS Research and Technology into Practice A training session provided by USDA-ARS-CSWQRU, 10-11 October 2012, Columbia, MO