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Harford Animal Science Research Center

Agricultural Ecosystems Program: Understanding sources and sinks of nutrients and sediment in the upper Susquehanna River basin Agricultural Ecology Research. Goal. Harford Animal Science Research Center.

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Harford Animal Science Research Center

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  1. Agricultural Ecosystems Program: Understanding sources and sinks of nutrients and sediment in the upper Susquehanna River basinAgricultural Ecology Research Goal Harford Animal Science Research Center Our goal is to gain a better understanding of the sources and sinks of N, P, and sediment in agricultural landscapes in the Susquehanna River drainage basin and its tributaries within New York State. The strategy is to link long-term monitoring of N and P dynamics in agricultural watersheds to deposition in forested watersheds and export by stream discharge. • Site and Existing infrastructure • Dairy cattle (500 head, 350 lactating), beef cattle (up to 500 head) and sheep (up to 700 ewes) • Approximately 526ha of cropland in maize and alfalfa since 1979 • Valleys are farmed, hill tops are forested • Most of the water drainage is ground water in deep gravel outwash aquifers. About 40% of the ground water is from the intensively farmed valley floor and the remainder from the surrounding hills. • Existing Data Sets • Records from 1973 to present • Water quality from 15 wells, including nitrate • Soil test results (pH, P, potassium, and N availability) and crop yields and forage quality • Manure & fertilizer applications: good records for 20 years • Animal densities, production levels and feeding programs with nutrient imports • Field management • Economic data Approach Link long-term data-sets on the Harford Experimental Farm will be linked to mechanistic studies and incorporated into watersheds models. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses will provide information about knowledge gaps that will be filled by initiating an interdisciplinary collaborative research program. Harford Farm will serve as a pilot site to draw research programs at Cornell together. Future Activities • Repair and sample wells monthly for a year; analyze DON, nitrate, ammonium • Monthly + storm event surface samples from drainage creeks and nearby streams; analyze for sediments, nitrite, nitrate, ammonium, TDN, SRP, TDP, and particulate N and P • Monitor deposition of ammonia and ammonium along gradients away from the farm site, using both bulk deposition measurements (Fahey et al. 1999) and passive samplers for ammonia gas in the atmosphere. • Please add: • Please add: • Please add: • Please add: • Please add: • Please add: This is participatory

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