Transcript Slide 1
Kansas State University - Dan Devlin, Charles Barden, Amanda Schielke University of Nebraska - Charles Wortmann, Jamie Benning www.oznet.ksu.edu/waterquality Who We Are… The NPM Approach to Obtaining our Objectives… NPM Regional OUTCOMES and IMPACTS… The Nutrient and Pesticide Management (NPM) Team is comprised of research and extension faculty from Kansas State University, the University of Nebraska, Iowa State University, and the University of Missouri. A U.S. EPA Region 7 representative is a member of the NPM team as well, and together they work as part of a multi-institution steering committee, which includes multiple state and federal natural resource agency personnel, and representatives from non-governmental organizations. The number one priority of the team is to facilitate efficient development, evaluation, and dissemination of researchbased information on phosphorus, nitrogen and pesticide pollutants. The NPM team promotes best management practices (BMPs) to aid in the control of nonpoint source pollution of those nutrients and pesticides. • Issues. The NPM team addressed P issues in 2004, N issues in 2005, pesticide issues in 2006 and is addressing targeting BMPs in 2007. • A paper, “Phosphorus indexes in four Midwestern states: an evaluation of the differences and similarities” was published in the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation in October 2005. • Research Roundtables. For each of the priority pollutants, the team hosted noon-to-noon research roundtables. Attendees included researchers from land-grant universities in the Heartland Region and researchers from USDA-ARS, EPA, and NRCS. The goals of the roundtable were to share research findings on N, P, and pesticide BMPs to prioritize regional research needs and to identify opportunities for collaboration. • BMP Workshops. Following the research roundtables, BMP workshops for each of the priority pollutants were held to share research findings and provide training on BMPs with Heartland Region university research and extension faculty, federal and state agencies, such as, EPA, USDA-ARS, NRCS, Departments of Natural Resources and Environment, and Soil Conservation Districts. At each workshop, participants also shared and discussed BMP implementation strategies. • Authors from the four land-grant universities and USDA-ARS collaborated to publish a regional extension publication, “Agricultural Phosphorus Management and Water Quality Protection in the Midwest”. This publication is posted on the CSREES National Water Quality website. • Fifteen authors from the Heartland Region collaborated to write a second regional extension publication, “Agricultural Nitrogen Management for Water Quality Protection in the Midwest”. This publication will also be posted on the CSREES website. • The pesticide research roundtable was held in 2006, during which a multi-state research group was formed. The research group submitted and received funding for a CSREES 406 competitive grant proposal titled “Targeting Watershed Vulnerability and Behaviors Leading to Adoption of Conservation Management Practices”. • A third regional extension publication regarding pesticides is in development. 2006 Pesticides Workshop, researchers discuss experiences with monitoring a multi-state watershed. • Increased communication and collaboration throughout the region. Well over 150 individuals from throughout the Region have attended NPM events. Inter-agency as well as inter-state communication has improved. Steering Committee brainstorms to establish objectives and future goals for the NPM Team. • The NPM Team has opened communication with Haskell Indian Nations University resulting in several collaborative grant proposals, two of which were funded. • The NPM Team has built capacity throughout the region by contributing to over 15 training sessions. Our Objectives… • Improve the availability of technical and educational resources on nutrient and pesticide management to meet the needs of watershed planners, technical service providers, and producers. • Address quantitative nutrient and pesticide reduction goals, including goals related to TMDL implementation, nutrient criteria and nutrient trading proposals. • Improve tools available for developing Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs). • Identify, report, and publicize the effectiveness of BMPs for phosphorus, nitrogen and pesticides. 2005 Nitrogen BMP Workshop at Arbor Day Farm, Lied Lodge and Conference Center, Nebraska City, NE – soil samples taken while sampling the vadose zone. • Building Collaboration and Capacity. Collaboration and building capacity at an inter-state and agency level is another objective of the NPM team. Roundtables and workshops aided in doing so by increasing communication among the states and agencies. Multi-state papers and BMP guides were written, printed, and utilized. • Disseminating Information. Disseminating the information shared is essential to achieving the NPM objective. Materials and publications developed through the roundtables and workshops were disseminated by participants of the events to others in their state. In addition, a dynamic website (www.oznet.ksu.edu/waterquality) was developed that includes publications, presentations, and other information. The NPM website was the recipient of an American Society of Agronomy’s Award of Excellence in 2004 and serves as a hub for research-based information. • The NPM Team has leveraged support from several USDA- and EPA- funded water resources projects. • The Nebraska P Index was changed as a direct result of the NPM P Workshop (2004) and the P Index comparison paper. A Focus Group was formed to evaluate the success of the NPM Team efforts. The following statements were made: • Heartland is the reason that state and federal agencies like NRCS and USDA-ARS are meeting with university personnel to discuss research. • The workshops have been very helpful and have encouraged interaction among the different agencies and universities, it is nice to hear what the other states are doing. • There are all sorts of ties and connections here that are well beyond anything that we could have done without the project…these connections strengthen grant proposals. • Field office staff that attend the workshops deliver the information to producers, while agency personnel deliver the information to state and federal policy makers. Funding is supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement No. 2004-51130-02249 . Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.