July 2021 - 17

PLANT & SOIL HEALTH
nitrogen from one part of the farm
would affect another area. Nitrogen
levels varied widely across the
farm, even though it was managed
consistently by a single grower.
" We did not expect the significant
variability in nitrate concentrations
between monitoring wells, given
the relatively uniform management
across the site, " said Harter.
Older studies often measured
groundwater across entire regions.
Those researchers usually assumed
that different crops and growing
practices controlled groundwater
nitrate. But Harter's team has now
seen that even a single farm can
harbor big differences. Nearby
patches of soil and water can look
very different.
Some factors could predict the
amount of nitrate in groundwater.
The total amount of nitrogen and
water entering the field affected the
nitrate in groundwater.
Scientists saw that the nitrogen in
the sandy soils predicted how much
ended up in wells. That's because
of how water moves through
different types of soil. Sandy soils
let nitrogen and water move freely
compared to sticky clay soils.
But because of how much
nitrogen varied across the fields,
new methods are needed to monitor
and evaluate this source of potential
pollution.
" We must develop efficient
alternative tools that can be
validated at field sites like ours,
but then used at thousands of
individual fields and farms to assess
their contributions to groundwater, "
Harter said.
Going forward, the scientists also
hope to see how new irrigation and
nitrogen management practices
might improve groundwater quality
at this farm. This work will help
design and test solutions to improve
groundwater quality.
" This work provides the
foundation for better design and
interpretation of field studies that
are the foundation of improving
agricultural practices and ultimately
groundwater quality, " said Harter.
" Over the long-term, this will lead
to better solutions for protecting
well water quality as well as stream
water quality in agricultural
regions. "
Harter is a groundwater
researcher at the University of
California, Davis. This work was
supported by the Almond Board of
California, the Fertilizer Research
Education Program, and the
California Department of Food and
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VGN | JULY 2021 | 17
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July 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2021
