The development and use of targeted conservation practices was the subject of modeling, interviews and support tools researched by the project investigators.

This is a continuation of an earlier pilot project (E2010-01) where tile discharge was rerouted to allow subsurface flow through an established riparian buffer. This third year of observations allowed researchers to gather more data on nitrate removal using this system.

What are some options for enhancing organic content and carbon storage in soils that have been used in intensive row-crop production? The project looked at bioenergy feedstocks and how they might be employed to improve soil properties.

Changing the configuration of tile drainage structures to allow subsurface flow through a riparian buffer could offer farmers another option for nitrate removal. This project examined the effects of using tiling and buffers to enhance the denitrification process.

A gap in transitioning to ecologically beneficial farming practices is the lack of understanding of how soils store carbon (C) and nitrogen (N)long term. Farmers need management practices for improving soil quality, increasing both belowground (live roots) and aboveground (live cover) biomass, increasing soil organic matter, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This project quantified root productivity, root decomposition, soil microbial dynamics, soil aggregation, and belowground C allocation in annual and perennial biomass cropping systems across multiple landscape positions.

Information collected for this project, along with additional research conducted on the STRIPS project, showed that prairie strips can be a valuable tool for improving ecosystem health in agricultural lands, especially in terms of improving water quality and increasing biodiversity and landscape heterogeneity.