Development of a method for estimating the likelihood of crack flow in Canadian agricultural soils at the landscape scale

2010 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Dadfar ◽  
S E Allaire ◽  
R. De Jong ◽  
E. van Bochove ◽  
J -T Denault ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Contaminant Transport ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Water Contamination ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Tile Drainage ◽  
Risk Indicators ◽  
Subsurface Water

Indicators of risk of water contamination by agricultural pollutants are developed in Canada to assess sustainability of agriculture. Crack flow (CF), a key pathway for sub-surface contaminant transport, is part of the transport-hydrology algorithm used in two of these risk indicators. The objective was to develop a methodology for predicting the likelihood of CF in Canadian agricultural soils at the landscape scale. The algorithm considers soil clay content, crack development followed by a runoff event based on water budget, tile drainage, and crops. More than 40% of Canadian farmlands had moderate to very high likelihood of CF, mainly in Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, due to frequent runoffs on cracked clay soils potentially contributing to groundwater contamination. In Ontario and Quebec, farmlands with high CF likelihood correspond to regions under intensive tile drainage, which increases the risk of lateral translocation of contaminants to surface water bodies. Besides being a component of risk indicators of water contamination by phosphorus and coliforms, the CF algorithm and maps can be used to identify areas at risk of subsurface water contamination. Best management practices, adapted to reduce CF can then be targeted to these areas.Key words: Agrichemicals, contaminant transport, macropore flow, preferential flow, risk assessment, risk indicators

Agricultural land use and N losses to water: the case study of a fluvial park in Northern Italy

2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 275-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Morari ◽  
E. Lugato ◽  
M. Borin
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Subsurface Water ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
N Losses ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Impact

An integrated water resource management programme has been under way since 1999 to reduce agricultural water pollution in the River Mincio fluvial park. The experimental part of the programme consisted of: a) a monitoring phase to evaluate the impact of conventional and environmentally sound techniques (Best Management Practices, BMPs) on water quality; this was done on four representative landscape units, where twelve fields were instrumented to monitor the soil, surface and subsurface water quality; b) a modelling phase to extend the results obtained at field scale to the whole territory of the Mincio watershed. For this purpose a GIS developed in the Arc/Info environment was integrated into the CropSyst model. The model had previously been calibrated to test its ability to describe the complexity of the agricultural systems. The first results showed a variable efficiency of the BMPs depending on the interaction between management and pedo-climatic conditions. In general though, the BMPs had positive effects in improving the surface and subsurface water quality. The CropSyst model was able to describe the agricultural systems monitored and its linking with the GIS represented a valuable tool for identifying the vulnerable areas within the watershed.

scholarly journals The adoption of best management practices to reduce agricultural water contamination

Limnologica ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 366-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.J. Centner ◽  
J.E. Houston ◽  
A.G. Keeler ◽  
C. Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Water Contamination ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Water ◽  
Best Management

scholarly journals Microplastics and nanoplastics barely enhance contaminant mobility in agricultural soils

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Castan ◽  
Charlotte Henkel ◽  
Thorsten Hüffer ◽  
Thilo Hofmann
Keyword(s):  
Contaminant Transport ◽  
Organic Contaminants ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Contaminant Mobility ◽  
Farmland Soils ◽  
Partitioning Coefficients

AbstractFarmland soils are prone to contamination with micro- and nanoplastics through a variety of agricultural practices. Concerns are recurrently raised that micro- and nanoplastics act as vector for organic contaminants to deeper soil layers and endanger groundwater resources. Whether and to what extent micro- and nanoplastics facilitate the transport of organic contaminants in soil remains unclear. Here we calculated the ratio between transport and desorption time scales using two diffusion models for micro- and nanoplastics between 100 nm and 1 mm. To identify micro- and nanoplastics bound contaminant transport we evaluated diffusion and partitioning coefficients of prominent agrochemicals and additives and of frequently used polymers e.g., polyethylene and tire material. Our findings suggest that the desorption of most organic contaminants is too fast for micro- and nanoplastics to act as transport facilitators in soil. Contaminant transport enabled by microplastics was found to be relevant only for very hydrophobic contaminants (logKow >5) under preferential flow conditions. While micro- and nanoplastics might be a source of potentially harmful contaminants in farmland soils this study suggests that they do not considerably enhance contaminant mobility.

Ground water contamination from agricultural sources: Implications for voluntary policy adherence from Iowa and Virginia farmers' attitudes

1990 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 126-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Halstead ◽  
Steven Padgitt ◽  
Sandra S. Batie
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Ground Water ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Water Contamination ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
Ground Water Quality ◽  
Ground Water Contamination ◽  
Voluntary Programs ◽  
Voluntary Adoption

AbstractContamination of ground water from agricultural sources has been documented in a majority of the contiguous United States. In this study, we examine the potential for voluntary adoption of management practices that reduce risk of ground water contamination and discuss how f arm operators' attitudes regarding the environment might affect the success of voluntary programs. Farmers' behavior and attitudes in Rockingham County, Virginia, and Big Spring Basin, Iowa, reveal that both groups consider the ground water issue to be a serious problem to which they are contributing. This awareness is a significant first step in prompting consideration of management practices that reduce the threat to ground water quality. We also found that the “worst offenders”—that is, farmers applying nitrogen well above agronomic recommendations-were those with the least concern about the problem. If major shifts in farming practices are to occur voluntarily, major incentives or disincentives are needed. Even though the concern about ground water quality is high, the documented risks perceived by farmers are not strongly convincing. The economic incentives for change are questionable at best. Voluntary adoption of best management practices is only one of several policy options. Ultimately, policies designed to reduce ground water contamination may need a mix of strategies, including economic incentives and disincentives, zoning and land use restrictions, environmental regulations, and bans on agricultural chemicals.

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