Project Number: 3604-13000-008-09
Project Type: Nonfunded Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jan 13, 2004
End Date: Mar 31, 2008

Objective:
Develop and evaluate BMPs that protect surface water quality and enhance crop yields. Conduct integrated drainage management research and cropping systems research, including watershed modeling and economic assessments, to determine the feasibility for adoption of these BMPs throughout the watershed.

Approach:
The development of BMPs, including water management strategies, for corn and soybean production systems will be carried out at field plot and small watershed facilities complemented with demonstrations on farmers' fields. The effect of the BMPs on the movement and fate of agricultural chemicals will be studied at these same facilities concurrently with crop yield effects. The ADAPT and DRAINMOD models will be further developed using the data from these field studies. The development of flooding tolerant crop varieties will be achieved by identifying the genetic variation in flooding tolerance of soybean cultivars, mapping the quantitative trait loci and isolating the related genes, development a database of mitrochondrial DNA polymorphism and correlating this polymorphism with the flooding tolerance trait, and investigating possible management techniques to improve flooding tolerance under field conditions. DNA markers linked to low phytic acid in corn will be used to incorporate this trait into elite corn hybrids by molecular plant breeding.