A4. A Web-Based BMP Selection Tool to Minimize Pesticide Transport
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Abstract
Farmers rely on best management practices to reduce pesticide transport to surface waters and groundwater. There are a variety of tools available to help soil and water conservation managers optimize agricultural best management practices (BMPs), but many require a considerable amount of time to calibrate and/or advanced training to use. More often than not, these same BMP tools also fail to accurately identify dominant hydrological processes, and thus, the location of runoff generating areas. More specifically, commonly used BMP selection tools are capable of predicting either infiltration excess runoff or saturation excess runoff but not both. Many studies have shown that saturated areas in the landscape are more likely to contribute dissolved and sediment bound contaminates. Therefore, an easy-to-use tool that can accurately characterize local hydrology is needed to assist soil and water managers as they work to target management practices and reduce pesticides transport. In this study we present a simple online BMP selection tool and compare simulated versus observed atrazine loads under different tillage conditions in the Goodwater Creek Watershed of northeastern Missouri. Results indicate a reasonable fit for runoff and dissolved atrazine concentrations but more research is needed to improve the accuracy and usability of this tool.