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ATRAZINE ABATEMENT DEMONSTRATION FOR ROUTE J WATERSHED,
RALLS COUNTY, MISSOURI
Ralls County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) located in northeast Missouri is in the claypan soils region. These claypan soils have a shallow, very dense clay layer, seasonal high water table and slow internal water movement through the soil that causes surface water ponding and increased surface runoff water that contain potential agricultural pollutants entering surface waters in the watershed. Threats to the Monroe City-Route J water supply include season-long contamination of the herbicide product atrazine, a triazine, for which the city has previously received a notice of violation under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Ralls Co. SWCD received this mini-grant to support education and the establishment of field demonstration plots to showcase alternative herbicide treatments and other beneficial management practices such as split application of herbicides to abate atrazine runoff in the watershed of Monroe City-Route J public water supply reservoir. Most residents are dependent on this up-grade surface water supply, both public and private. The Monroe City officials initiated a Watershed Protection Plan in 1995 with an approved plan signed and agreed-to in 1998 identifying various sources of contaminants in the watershed and action items to abate these contaminants.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Route J Watershed Atrazine Abatement/Management Project is to support education and the establishment of field demonstration plots to showcase alternative herbicide treatments and other beneficial management practices to abate atrazine runoff in the watershed of Monroe City-Route J public water supply reservoir. The project will serve as a catalyst for stakeholders in this surface water-drinking watershed to protect their water resource.
OBJECTIVES
1. Reduce the annual application rate of atrazine to 1.0 lb./ac. active ingredient or less on 840 acres in the Route J watershed.
2. Establish 1 field plot annually within the watershed to showcase and promote atrazine management through alternative herbicide programs.
3. Conduct field days to inform/educate producers and crop protection industry on Integrated Crop Management (ICM)/Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices.
4. Sixty (60) percent of the watershed farmers will utilize an ICM Consultant on their row crop acres in this watershed.
PRODUCTS
Pre- and post survey results will be studied for comparison of before-and-after knowledge of surface water protection, beneficial management practices (BMPs), in the Monroe City-Route J water supply watershed as a result of herbicide strategies adopted. The project's intent is to establish a two-pass herbicide application (split-application) to reduce the annual application rate of atrazine to 1.0 lb./ac. active ingredient or less on 840 acres. Additionally the following products are to be provided: 1) there will be two field days conducted annually to inform and demonstrate results; 2) conduct annual training courses and workshops on Integrated Crop Management/Integrated Pest Management; and 3) annually establish field plots (for two years) to better inform producers and crop protection industry staff on the beneficial management practices to protect surface water supply.
PROJECT SPONSOR
Ralls County Soil and Water Conservation District
COOPERATING AGENCIES
US EPA Region VII, Missouri Department of Natural Resources-DEQ-Water Pollution Control Program; University of Missouri-Columbia (CAFNR-Agronomy Dept.), University Outreach and Extension-Columbia, University Outreach and Extension-Plant Science Unit/Pest Management, University of Missouri-Columbia (CAFNR-FAPRI), Mark Twain Water Quality Initiative, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Quinn Farm Supply, Monroe City COOP, Crop Protection Companies (AgrEvo, DowElanco, Rhone-Poulene Agro, Cyanamid, BASF, Bayer, Monsanto, DuPont), Monroe City Public Water Supply Superintendent, Monroe City Alderman, Missouri Corn Growers Assoc., and local landowners.
CONTACT
Ralls County Soil and Water Conservation District
17623 Highway 19, Suite 3
New London, MO 63459
Lori Robinson, District Manager
telephone: [573] 985-8631, ext. 3
email: lori-robinson@mo.nacdnet.org
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