First research of its kind in Ontario
Posted By Heather Rivers, SENTINEL-REVIEW
Updated 8 months ago
If you look carefully, you can spot the pink flags in the carefully cultivated cornfields on Curry Road, east of Dodge Line.
The flags mark 60 small plots that are part of an innovative new County of Oxford nitrogen management plan launched Tuesday, geared to improving water quality in the municipal wells that service the Sweaburg area and the City of Woodstock.
The project, located on what is known as the Thornton Well field, a producer of source water for the municipal wells, is designed to investigate the effectiveness of different nitrogen management practices for crop producers.
Nitrates occur naturally in soil, but are also found in natural and manmade fertilizers and can leach into the soil and end up in groundwater.
Nitrate in the drinking water is an issue for children under the age of two because it affects oxygenation in their blood.
In infants under six months, high nitrate intake creates a condition called "blue baby syndrome", in which blood lacks the ability to carry sufficient oxygen to body cells.
The county first began looking at the new nitrate program due to increases in nitrate levels in the wells.
Groundwater takes about two years to travel from the Thornton well field to the Sweaburg municipal wells.
Nitrate levels in a couple of the Sweaburg wells have slightly surpassed provincial recommendations of 10 milligrams per litre.
"A few wells hover around the 10 mark," said Deborah Goudreau, the county's manager of water services.
In the spring, a couple of the wells have reached levels as high as 12 mg per litre, she said.
Because water from several municipal wells is blended, it does still meet with provincial standards.
"Water coming out of the facility is around five (mg per litre)," Goudreau said.
The new project will explore ways to maintain crop productivity while reducing the amount of nitrogen flow into the soil, said Don King, research agronomist with the Soil Resource Group and project manager.
King said timing will be explored through the project, with nitrogen being applied later in the season because wet springs accelerate the water-soluble product ability to leach into groundwater.
A slow-release product known as Environmentally Smart Nitrogen will also be experimented with to see if a slower release makes a difference on the leaching.
The project will also analyze the costs and benefits of the new techniques for crop producers.
The project will take two years to complete with results being published on the county's website and the website of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority.
The project has several contributing partners, including the University of Waterloo, University of Guelph, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Upper Thames Rivers Conservation Authority.
hrivers@bowesnet.com
