Researchers from University of Vermont Extension are conducting long-term, on-farm experiments to study conservation practices for soil and water quality, according to an April 24 announcement. The research is taking place at Discovery Acres, a field site with four distinct watersheds where various management techniques are being tested.
The project aims to address concerns about phosphorus runoff from dairy farms into Vermont waterways. This issue has led to harmful algal blooms in the summer and prompted the state to introduce stricter water quality regulations over the past decade. Discovery Acres is part of a multi-state program that partners farmers with researchers and other stakeholders to monitor water quality and evaluate effective environmental management strategies compatible with profitable agriculture.
Claire Benning, UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Water Quality Research Specialist and Ph.D. student, said during a recent webinar: “Roughly 41% of total phosphorus load to Lake Champlain is coming from agricultural production.” Benning explained that heavy clay soils in the Lake Champlain basin do not drain well, increasing surface runoff of phosphorus during rain or snowmelt events. She added: “Legacy phosphorus is a primary driver of phosphorus loss in poorly-drained soils with subsurface drainage, especially here in Vermont… And due to shifting climates, we are seeing periodic snowmelt in winter, as well as rain-on-snow events, and shifting freeze-thaw cycles, which are increasing likelihood of nutrient losses during winter and early spring.”
Heather Darby, UVM Extension Agronomic and Soils Specialist, said: “In particular, the Farmers Watershed Alliance… has driven the work at Discovery Acres,” emphasizing their role in funding and supporting this research initiative.
At Discovery Acres’ St. Albans site, different watershed areas test various practices such as tile drainage versus no tile drainage or injecting manure versus broadcasting it. These efforts examine impacts on water quality as well as soil health and crop yield under real farm conditions throughout changing weather patterns.
Joshua Faulkner—Director of UVM Extension Center for Sustainable Agriculture—said: “Farmers are using [tile drainage] more and more because growing seasons are getting wetter and wetter… It’s an important practice for farm resilience but we know there’s some environmental questions and concerns.” Faulkner oversees both Discovery Acres research efforts along with similar studies elsewhere in Vermont aimed at reducing phosphorus pollution through innovations like filter systems at tile drain outlets.
While conclusive results have yet to be determined from these ongoing experiments around reducing phosphorus runoff, Faulkner said data collection continues toward finding solutions for longstanding challenges facing local agriculture: “It’s a big ship to turn… It’s not necessarily going to benefit our generation but probably generations that come after us.” He concluded: “It’s a finite resource… We need to keep it on the landscape and use it to grow food instead of running off into our waterways.”
