Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID NE_2023_Katimbo

Managing Irrigated Cropping Systems for Drought Resilience and Vadose zone Nitrate Control: Field Evaluations and Modeling

Institute: Nebraska
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $29,962 Total Non-Federal Funds: $29,966

Principal Investigators: Abia Katimbo

Project Summary: In Nebraska, heavily dependent agricultural systems on groundwater for irrigation to increase crop production and farm economics amidst severe droughts, have increasingly contributed to depletion of groundwater in Ogallala aquifer due to over pumping. Additionally, over application of both irrigation and fertilizers on the agricultural fields has caused the escalation of nitrate concentrations in groundwater at domestic wells. Therefore, there is a need for better management practices aimed at strengthening drought resilience and reduced nitrate leaching within irrigated cropping systems to ensure clean and sustainable environment. However, it is argued that combining efficient management strategies with use of cover crops can improve soil water storage and infiltration rates and resource use efficiency with reduced nitrate concentrations in vadose zone. Therefore, this project is aimed at understanding the benefits of integrating cover crops with improved management strategies for water and nitrogen in building climate-smart agricultural systems and mitigating poor groundwater quality.