Research conducted by faculty, staff, and students from the Appalachian Laboratory, the Horn Point Laboratory, and Washington College demonstrates that the water level in drainage ditches can be managed to reduce nitrate leaching to the Chesapeake Bay, where it contributes to harmful algal blooms. However, this management practice has the potential to result in increased emissions of the potent greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide. Researchers are trying to make sure that the increased nitrate reduction that reduces water pollution isn't coming as a trade-off with increased greenhouse gas production.
In “The Case of the Missing Nitrogen”, doctoral student Jake Hagedorn’s research is featured in the June 2020 Issue of Chesapeake Quarterly. Visit the article to learn more.
Researchers and a Maryland farmer were also featured on a Maryland Public Television segment on Maryland Farm and Harvest, describing this on-farm research on the Delmarva Peninsula. As shown in this video, preliminary results suggest only a small increase in the greenhouse gas emissions is being measured, while nitrate leaching is strongly curtailed.
Watch the video:
Additional preliminary results of this project can be found in the December 2019 AGU posters presented by graduate students, Jake Hagedorn and Qiurui Zhu.
