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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Agroecosystems Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #411883
Research Project: Sustainable Intensification in Agricultural Watersheds through Optimized Management and Technology

Location: Agroecosystems Management Research

Title: Modeling nitrate removal from subsurface drainage by saturated buffers

Author
item KATUWAL, SHEELA - Orise Fellow
item Rogovska, Natalia
item JOHNSON, GABRIEL - Iowa State University
item ISENHART, THOMAS - Iowa State University
item Malone, Robert - Rob

Submitted to: Soil and Water Conservation Society International Annual Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/28/2024
Publication Date: 7/24/2024
Citation: Katuwal, S., Rogovska, N.P., Johnson, G.M., Isenhart, T.M., Malone, R.W. 2024. Modeling nitrate removal from subsurface drainage by saturated buffers [abstract]. Soil and Water Conservation Society.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A saturated buffer (SB) is an edge-of-field practice which removes nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) from subsurface drainage by diverting it to a vegetated buffer as shallow groundwater flow where NO3-N is removed by denitrification and plant uptake. Here, we model discharge and NO3-N load exiting field drain, flow diverted to SB, and SB’s NO3-N removal efficiency. Modeling includes a 3-step approach: 1) estimating field drainage discharge and NO3-N load using DRAINMOD, 2) performing mass balance of water and NO3-N at the flow structure based on DRAINMOD computed field drainage discharge and conductivity of the buffer, and 3) estimating NO3-N removal from the discharge diverted to buffer using a first-order reaction equation and buffer soil properties.