Instrumentation for measuring runoff, sediment, and chemical losses from agricultural fields

• Published in: Journal of environmental quality Vol. 35; no. 1; pp. 216 - 223
• Main Authors: Bonilla, C.A, Kroll, D.G, Norman, J.M, Yoder, D.C, Molling, C.C, Miller, P.S, Panuska, J.C, Topel, J.B, Wakeman, P.L, Karthikeyan, K.G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society 01.01.2006; Crop Science Society of America; American Society of Agronomy
• Subjects: Accumulators; Agricultural chemicals; Agricultural land; Agricultural management; agricultural runoff; Agriculture; Agronomy; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Collectors; Copyrights; data collection; Documents; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental quality; equipment design; Exact sciences and technology; Farms; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geologic Sediments; Ground level; Information Storage and Retrieval; Installations; Instrumentation; losses from soil; measuring devices; phosphorus; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Pumps; Radio transmitters; remote sensing; Runoff; Samplers; Sampling; Sediment transport; Sediments; Slope gradients; Snowmelt; stormwater; Telemetry; Water; Winter; Agricultural chemical product; Cultivated field; Gradient; Instrumentation; First record; Agricultural soil; Runoff water; Passive system; Sediments; Telemetry; Pump; Slope; Passive detection; Winter; Snow melt; Measuring system; Sampler; Collector; Sampling
• DOI: 10.2134/jeq2005.0130
• ISSN: 0047-2425; 1537-2537

This work describes a simple, passive sampling system for measuring runoff, sediment, and chemical losses from typical agricultural fields. The sampler consists of a 5 to 7 m wide runoff collector connected to a series of multislot divisors. These divisors split the flow into aliquots, providing a continuous sampling during the runoff event. Divisors were located in a wooden box below ground level. With an adequate pump, this system can operate in fields with a slope gradient as low as 2%, and can stay in the field during winter to record first snowmelt-generated runoff. A radio transmitter reports by telemetry the occurrence and magnitude of any runoff event, and indicates when the system should be sampled and emptied. This article includes a description of the equipment, advantages, and disadvantages based on 2 yr of operation, and examples of data collected.