AMES, IOWA— Iowa Learning Farms will host a webinar Wednesday, June 19 at 12 p.m. about drainage water recycling.
Drainage water recycling is a conservation practice during which subsurface drainage water is captured for use as supplemental irrigation water in the summer. In addition to the irrigation benefit, drainage water recycling reduces nitrogen and phosphorus loss by reusing the water in the field. Chris Hay, Senior Environmental Scientist with the Iowa Soybean Association, will discuss current drainage water recycling research that is taking place as part of the multi-state “Transforming Drainage” project, modeling work in Iowa and field research projects that are beginning in Iowa.
“Drainage water recycling is a practice with multiple potential win-wins: crop production and downstream water quality, nitrogen and phosphorus loss reduction, water quality and water quantity,” said Hay, whose research and outreach focuses on agricultural water management and water quality with a primary focus on edge-of-field practices. He hopes that webinar attendees will understand that drainage water has exciting potential for both crop production and water quality, but that more research is needed – especially on the economics – before widespread implementation is realistic.
A Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit has been applied for and is pending CCA board approval. For those who are able to watch the live webinar, information for submitting your CCA/CPAg/CPSS/CPSC number to earn the (pending) credit will be provided at the end of the presentation.
To watch, go to www.iowalearningfarms.org/page/webinars and click the link to join the webinar shortly before 12:00 p.m. on June 19, to download the Zoom software and log in option. The webinar will be recorded and archived on the ILF website for watching at any time at https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/page/webinars.