Project Number: 6408-13660-007-02
Project Type: Nonfunded Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Oct 01, 2008
End Date: Sep 30, 2013

Objective:
To transfer technology needed to determine the effects of agricultural conservation practices on water quality from watersheds in India based on USDA monitoring and modeling approaches.

Approach:
Research is needed to expand plot, field, and watershed research in India and to also support enhancements within USDA watershed modeling techology for evaluation of the effects of agricultural conservation practices on water quality. As a result, assistance is needed in India for USDA scientists to collaborate in planning experiments pertaining to water quality research. An existing USDA-Foreign Agricultural Service-Borlaug Fellowship program between USDA and India has initiated cooperation and identified cooperative areas of research. Research will be developed to investigate the effect of agricultural practices utilized in India on hydrology, sediment transport and chemical transport at field to watershed scales. USDA scientists will provide technology transfer to Indian scientists concerning necessary monitoring techniques and modeling tools needed to evaluate the capability of conservation practices to control sediment, nutrient, and chemicals, initially at experimental sites in India. Improvements in USDA watershed models needed for Indian conditions will be investigated.