Response of Winter Manure Application on Surface Runoff Water Quantity and Quality from Small Watersheds in South Dakota

Manure application on frozen soil, which is a common practice in the upper Midwest of USA, results in degraded soil and water quality. During snowmelt or precipitation events, water runoff carries nutrients into nearby streams and impairs the water quality. There is a need, therefore, to identify improved management of manure application in the soils. This study was conducted to assess water quality impacts associated following manure application during winter months when soil is completely covered with snow. The study site included three watersheds, named south (SW), east (CW), and north (NW) managed with a corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation located in South Dakota. The SW and NW were used as treatment, and CW as the control watershed. The treatments included manure application on the upper half of the SW and lower half of the NW, and CW received no manure application. This study showed that manure improved soil properties including infiltration rate and organic matter. Nitrogen and phosphorus losses in the surface runoff were higher from NW compared to that of SW. The CW had similar nutrient losses compared to the NW with slight differences. It can be concluded that maintaining a setback distance can help in improving the environmental quality as well as managing the agricultural wastes during the winter months.