Evaluation of Agricultural BMPs’ Impact on Water Quality and Crop Production Using SWAT+ Model

Subsurface (or tile) drainage improves land productivity by enhancing soil aeration and preventing water-logged conditions. However, the continuous expansion of drained agricultural lands reliance on synthetic fertilizer in Midwestern United States have increasingly facilitated nitrate transport from fields to surface water bodies. Hence, there is a need implement various best management practices (BMPs) order reduce adverse quality impacts resulting excess nitrate, such as eutrophication formation hypoxic zones. In this study, we used SWAT+ model assess overall riverine load crop yield corn–soybean cropping system based combination different practices. The corn soybean yields simulated with were found be good agreement observed for both calibration validation periods. long-term simulation over period 30 years showed reduction up 32% without impacting yield. results suggest that reducing current N application rate 20% using 40:60 split between spring pre-plant side-dressing applications combined cereal rye cover rotation, one can potentially losses yields. This study will help researchers, stakeholders, farmers explore adopt alternative beneficial offsetting environmental productions watershed scale.