Researchers at Kansas State University are changing the way that they study the effects of fertiliser on crop yields, and asking if agrichem companies shouldn’t be doing the same.

For now, the research is still in its infancy, but it has been common knowledge that millions of dollars worth of fertiliser and acres of land is wasted every year by the damage caused by surface run off. The researchers hope that by having a better understanding of what causes this erosion and water flow, land management systems could be improved. As Aleksey Sheshukov, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering says, “We are trying to learn about what causes ephemeral gullies [the tracts of land that look like small river beds] and how to prevent them.”

But as Sheshukov admits, the hardest part of the study is the great differences from one field to the next. “We are beginning to assess those practices, but because of the differences in geography and soil and other factors, we haven’t developed complete strategies yet.”

Work is progressing however, as the study analyses water movement and its affect on soil particles. Various methods of restricting water flow, such as making the sides of the gully less steep, double-cropping in the gully, or creating artificial swales have so far been tested. Computer models are then constructed to see which reduce sediment loads the most and which practises are more effective.

But there is still much work to be done, as Sheshukov explains, “Overall, there has been a lot more exposure recently to this problem, so I think we are gaining a better understanding of the issue. I hope in a few years we will be able to predict with more certainty the reduction rates for a given practice.”

Perhaps most surprising of all, is with so many farmers losing fertiliser from surface run off and losing money from lost growing space, why isn’t more research being done to solve the problem?