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NORTH DAKOTA WHEAT

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The field used to represent wheat production in North Dakota is located in Cass County in the Red River Valley. According to the 1997 Census of Agriculture, North Dakota is ranked 1st in the production of both durum and spring wheat in the U.S. The crop is generally planted in the Spring (late April to the end of May) and harvested beginning in August. Continuous wheat is practice is much of the region. Conventional tillage is used but requires greater seedbed preparation. No-till and reduced tillage systems are designed for use in high residue conditions. Row spacing ranges from 6 to 9 inches with seeds planted at a depth of 2 inches or less. The soil selected to simulate the field is a benchmark soil, Bearden silty clay loam. Bearden silty clay loam, is a fine-silty, mixed, superactive, frigid Aeric Calciaquolls. These soils are nearly all under cultivation to small grains, especially alfalfa, and row crops. Bearden silty clay loam is a very deep, somewhat poorly drained, slowly permeable soil with negligible to high runoff. These soils formed in calcareous silt loam and silty clay loam lacustrine sediments. They are generally found on glacial lake plains at elevations from 650 to 2000 feet above mean sea level on slopes of 0 to 3 percent. Bearden silty clay loam is a Hydrologic Group C soil.

Table 1.
PRZM 3.12 Climate and Time Parameters for Cass County, North Dakota Wheat
ParameterValueSource
Starting Date January 1, 1948Meteorological File - Fargo, ND (W14914)
Ending Date December 31, 1983Meteorological File - Fargo, ND (W14914)
Pan Evaporation Factor (PFAC) 0.75PRZM Manual Figure 5.1 (EPA, 1998)
Snowmelt Factor (SFAC) 0.5m C- 1PRZM Manual Table 5.1 (EPA, 1998)
Minimum Depth of Evaporation (ANETD) 12.0 cmPRZM Manual Figure 5.2 (EPA, 1998)

Table 2.
PRZM 3.12 Erosion and Landscape Parameters for Cass County, North Dakota Wheat
ParameterValueSource
Method to Calculate Erosion (ERFLAG) 4 (MUSS)PRZM Manual (EPA, 1998)
USLE K Factor (USLEK) 0.28 tons EI-1* GLEAMS Manual, table of Representative Soils (USDA, 1990)
USLE LS Factor (USLELS) 0.17GLEAMS Manual, table of Representative Soils (USDA, 1990)
USLE P Factor (USLEP) 1.0Set according to guidance (EPA, 2001)
Field Area (AFIELD) 172 haArea of Shipman Reservoir watershed (EPA, 1999)
NRCS Hyetograph (IREG) 3PRZM Manual Figure 5.12 (EPA, 1998)
Slope (SLP) 1.5%Value mid-point of series slope range (EPA, 2001)
Hydraulic Length (HL) 600 mShipman Reservoir (EPA, 1999)

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


Table 3.
PRZM 3.12 Crop Parameters for Cass County, North Dakota Wheat
ParameterValueSource
Initial Crop (INICRP) 1Set to one for all crops (EPA, 2001)
Initial Surface Condition (ISCOND) 1Set to fallow prior to new crop planting
Number of Different Crops (NDC) 1Set to crops in simulation - generally one
Number of Cropping Periods (NCPDS) 36Set to weather data. Fargo, ND (W14914)
Maximum rainfall interception storage of crop (CINTCP) 0.1PRZM, Table 5.4 (EPA, 1998)
Maximum Active Root Depth (AMXDR) 22 cmPRZM Manual, Table 5.9 (EPA, 1998)
Maximum Canopy Coverage (COVMAX) 100QA/QC Guidance (EPA, 2001)
Soil Surface Condition After Harvest (ICNAH) 1Fallow conditions after harvest in preparation for winter crop
Date of Crop Emergence
(EMD, EMM, IYREM)
15/05 Planting and Harvesting dates for spring wheat adjusted for "C" value planting and harvesting date (USDA, 1984)
Date of Crop Maturity
(MAD, MAM, IYRMAT)
25/07
Date of Crop Harvest
(HAD, HAM, IYRHAR)
08/08
Maximum Dry Weight (WFMAX) 0.0Set to "0" Not used in simulation
SCS Curve Number (CN) 91, 85, 87 Gleams Manual Table A.3, Fallow = SR/CT poor; Cropping = Row Crop SR/CT poor (second number; Fallow = row crop SR/CT poor (3rd number) (USDA, 1990)
Manning's N Value (MNGN) 0.014 RUSLE Project, F86WSFA Fargo, ND spring wheat, fallow, conventional tillage (USDA, 2000)
USLE C Factor (USLEC) 0.036 - 0.617 RUSLE Project; F86WSFA Fargo, ND spring wheat, fallow, conventional tillage (USDA, 2000)

Table 4.
PRZM 3.12 Bearden Soil Parameters for Cass County, North Dakota Wheat
ParameterValue Verification Source
Total Soil Depth (CORED) 100 cm NRCS, National Soils Characterization Database (NRCS, 2001)
Number of Horizons (NHORIZ) 4
First, Second, Third and Fourth Soil Horizons (HORIZN = 1,2,3,4)
Horizon Thickness (THKNS)
  • 10 cm (HORIZN = 1)
  • 8 cm (HORIZN = 2)
  • 54 cm (HORIZN = 3)
  • 28 cm (HORIZN = 4)
NRCS, National Soils Characterization Database (NRCS, 2001) http://soils.usda.gov/survey/nscd/ Exit EPA Disclaimer
Bulk Density (BD)
  • 1.4 g cm-3 (HORIZN = 1,2)
  • 1.5 g cm-3 (HORIZN = 3)
  • 1.8 g cm-3 (HORIZN = 4)
Initial Water Content (THETO)
  • 0.377 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN =1,2)
  • 0.292 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN =3)
  • 0.285 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN =4)
Compartment Thickness (DPN)
  • 0.1 cm (HORIZN = 1)
  • 2.0 cm (HORIZN = 2,3,4)
Field Capacity (THEFC)
  • 0.377 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN = 1,2)
  • 0.292cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN = 3)
  • 0.285 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN = 4)
Wilting Point (THEWP)
  • 0.207 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN = 1,2)
  • 0.132 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN = 3)
  • 0.125 cm3-H2O cm3-soil (HORIZN = 4)
Organic Carbon Content (OC)
  • 1.74% (HORIZN = 1,2)
  • 0.116% (HORIZN = 3)
  • 0.058% (HORIZN = 4)

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.

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. 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. 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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