PE4.01 (SUPERSEDED) MetaData - NORTH CAROLINA CORN (Eastern)

MetaData

The field used to represent corn production in Eastern North Carolina is located in Pitt County in the Piedmont. According to the 1997 Census of Agriculture, North Carolina is ranked 9th among major corn producing states in the U.S. Corn is produced throughout the state with the largest production located in the coastal plain and tidewater regions. Sweet corn is produced mainly on the coastal plain (MLRA 153 A and B). The crop is generally planted the early Spring (April) and harvested beginning in August. Continuous corn is practice is much of the region, especially the Piedmont. However, rotation with other crops such as soybean is practiced on the coastal plain. Most of the corn is planted for feed grain. Planting depth and row spacing (generally 30 inches) follows general practices for the U.S. Conventional tillage dominates management practices, followed by no-tillage. However, conservation tillage is continuing to grow. The crop is rarely grown under irrigation, except for sweet corn. The soil selected to simulate the field is a Craven silt loam. Craven silt loam is a fine, mixed, subactive, thermic Aquic Hapludults. Approximately one-half of the series is used for the production of row crops such as corn, tobacco, cotton, small grain, peanuts and pasture. Craven silt loam is a deep, moderately well drained, medium to rapid runoff, slowly permeable soil formed in clayey Pleistocene sediments. They are located on nearly level to sloping Coastal Plain Uplands. Slopes are generally between 0 to 12 percent. The soils are extensive throughout the Coastal Plain region. Craven silt loam is a Hydrologic Group C soil.

Table 1.
PRZM 3.12 Climate and Time Parameters for Pitt County North Carolina - Eastern Corn
Parameter Value Source
Starting Date January 1, 1948 Meteorological File - Montgomery, AL (W13895)
Ending Date December 31, 1983 Meteorological File - Montgomery, AL (W13895)
Pan Evaporation Factor (PFAC) 0.75 PRZM Manual Figure 5.1 (EPA, 1998)
Snowmelt Factor (SFAC) 0.15 cm C- 1 PRZM Manual Table 5.1 (EPA, 1998)
Minimum Depth of Evaporation (ANETD) 15.0 cm PRZM Manual Figure 5.2 (EPA, 1998)
Table 2.
PRZM 3.12 Erosion and Landscape Parameters for Pitt County North Carolina - Eastern Corn
Parameter Value Source
Method to Calculate Erosion (ERFLAG) 4 (MUSS) PRZM Manual (EPA, 1998)
USLE K Factor (USLEK) 0.24 tons EI-1* FARM Manual, Table 3.1 (EPA, 1985)
USLE LS Factor (USLELS) 1.34 Haan and Barfield, 1978.
USLE P Factor (USLEP) 1.00 PRZM Manual (EPA, 1998)
Field Area (AFIELD) 172 ha Area of Shipman Reservoir watershed (EPA, 1999)
NRCS Hyetograph (IREG) 4 PRZM Manual Figure 5.12 (EPA, 1998)
Slope (SLP) 6% Mid-point of series range. Selected according to QA/QC Guidance (EPA, 2001)
Hydraulic Length (HL) 600 m Shipman Reservoir (EPA, 1999)

* EI = 100 ft-tons * in/ acre*hr

Table 3.
PRZM 3.12 Crop Parameters for Pitt County North Carolina - Eastern Corn
Parameter Value Source
Initial Crop (INICRP) 1 Set to one for all crops (EPA, 2001)
Initial Surface Condition (ISCOND) 3 Sam Uzzell, Pitt County Extension
Number of Different Crops (NDC) 1 Set to crops in simulation - generally one
Number of Cropping Periods (NCPDS) 36 Set to weather data. Meteorological File - Montgomery, AL (W13895)
Maximum rainfall interception storage of crop (CINTCP) 0.25 PRZM Table 5.4 (EPA, 1998)
Maximum Active Root Depth (AMXDR) 90 cm PRZM Input Collator; (Burns, 1992); PRZM Table 5.9 (EPA, 1998)
Maximum Canopy Coverage (COVMAX) 100 PRZM Input Collator (Burns, 1992); Set to default for most row crops. (EPA, 2001)
Soil Surface Condition After Harvest (ICNAH) 3 Sam Uzzell, Pitt County Extension
Date of Crop Emergence
(EMD, EMM, IYREM)		 11/04 Usual Planting and Harvest Dates for US Field Crops (USDA, 1984)
Date of Crop Maturity
(MAD, MAM, IYRMAT)		 28/08
Date of Crop Harvest
(HAD, HAM, IYRHAR)		 12/09
Maximum Dry Weight (WFMAX) 0.0 Set to "0" Not used in simulation
SCS Curve Number (CN) 89, 86, 87 Gleams Manual Table A.3,Fallow SR/CT/poor, Cropping and Residue = Row Crop SR/CT/poor (USDA, 1990)
Manning's N Value (MNGN) 0.014 RUSLE Project, PB6CGWWC Field corn, conventional tillage, Greensboro (USDA, 2000)
USLE C Factor (USLEC) 0.105 - 0.471 RUSLE Project; PB6CGWWC Field corn, conventional tillage, Greensboro (USDA, 2000)
Table 4.
PRZM 3.12 Craven Soil Parameters for Pitt County North Carolina - Eastern Corn
Parameter Value Verification Source
Total Soil Depth (CORED) 100 cm PIC (Burns, 1992) Confirmed with: NRCS, National Soils Characterization Database (NRCS, 2001)
Number of Horizons (NHORIZ) 3 (Top horizon split in two)
  First, Second, and Third Soil Horizons (HORIZN = 1,2,3)  
Horizon Thickness (THKNS)
  • 10 cm (HORIZN = 1)
  • 12 cm (HORIZN = 2)
  • 78 cm (HORIZN = 3)
 PIC (Burns, 1992) Confirmed with: NRCS, National Soils Characterization Database (NRCS, 2001) http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/soils/home/
Bulk Density (BD)
  • 1.45 g cm-3 (HORIZN = 1,2,3)
Initial Water Content (THETO)
  • 0.194 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN =1, 2)
  • 0.321 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN =3)
Compartment Thickness (DPN)
  • 0.1 cm (HORIZN = 1)
  • 2 cm (HORIZN = 2,3)
Field Capacity (THEFC)
  • 0.194 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN = 1, 2)
  • 0.321 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN = 3)
Wilting Point (THEWP)
  • 0.074 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN = 1,2)
  • 0.201 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN = 3)
Organic Carbon Content (OC)
  • 1.16% (HORIZN = 1,2)
  • 0.174% (HORIZN = 3)

Burns. 1992. Burns, L.A., (Coordinator), B.W. Allen, Jr., M.C. Barber, S.L. Bird, J.M. Cheplick, M.J. Fendley, D.R. Hartel, C.A. Kittner, F.L. Mayer, Jr., L.A. Suarez, and S.E. Wooten. Pesticide and Industrial Chemical Risk Analysis and Hazard Assessment, Version 3.0. (PIRANHA) Environmental Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA. 1992.

EPA. 1985. Field Agricultural Runoff Monitoring (FARM) Manual, (EPA/600/3-85/043) Environmental Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA.

EPA. 1998. Carsel, R.F., J.C. Imhoff, P.R. Hummel, J.M. Cheplick, and A.S. Donigian, Jr. PRZM-3, A Model for Predicting Pesticide and Nitrogen Fate in the Crop Root and Unsaturated Soil Zones: Users Manual for Release 3.0. National Exposure Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA.

EPA. 1999. Jones, R.D., J. Breithaupt, J. Carleton, L. Libelo, J. Lin, R. Matzner, and R. Parker. Guidance for Use of the Index Reservoir in Drinking Water Exposure Assessments. Environmental Fate and Effects Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington. D.C.

EPA. 2001. Abel, S.A. Procedure for Conducting Quality Assurance and Quality Control of Existing and New PRZM Field and Orchard Crop Standard Scenarios. Environmental Fate and Effects Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.

Haan, C.T. and B.J. Barfield. 1978. Hydrology and Sedimentology of Surface Mined Lands. Office of Continuing Education and Extension, College of Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506. pp. 286.

USDA. 1984. Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates for U.S. Field Crops, Statistical Reporting Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook #628, pp.78.

USDA. 1990. Davis, F.M., R.A. Leonard, W.G. Knisel. GLEAMS User Manual, Version 1.8.55. USDA-ARS Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory, Tifton GA. SEWRL-030190FMD.

USDA. 2000. Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) EPA Pesticide Project. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

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