| The aim of this study was to investigate two potential beneficial management practices that will reduce the impact of fecal and fertilizers contamination on the environment. The study was conducted in Eastern Ontario on typical small scale agricultural practices.;The first part evaluates the impact of a conventional pasture system and an excluding pasture system on surface water quality. The three year study compared water quality endpoints such as: indicator bacteria, pathogens, parasites and nutrients between treatments. Microbial source tracking indicated that livestock was the main source of fecal contamination in the stream. Greater bacteria and nutrient loads were observed in the unrestricted pasture system than the excluding pasture. Moreover, parasite and indicator bacteria concentrations increased after cattle introduction in both systems.;The second part compares nitrogen mass balance between managed and conventional subsurface tile drainage. Over two years, nitrogen loads in groundwater, in tile flow, in plants, in soil and denitrification were compared between treatments. Nitrogen was mostly removed from managed tile drainage fields through plant uptake. Compared to nitrogen plant uptake, denitrification, the second greatest nitrogen removing process was 10 times smaller. The denitrification was greater in the unmanaged tile drainage fields. Generally, managed subsurface tile drainage reduces nitrogen mass loads to surface waters and increases nitrogen uptake by plant, which resulted in greater yields. |
