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Conservation buffers
are an effective tool to reduce losses of pesticides to water when
used in conjunction with other BMPs. Trapping of pesticides is most
efficient when sheet flow rather than concentrated flow occurs across
buffers. Sheet flow can be encouraged by proper buffer design, including
innovations such as level spreaders, water bars, and stiff grass
hedges. As sediment is trapped, water flow patterns are changed.
Thus, maintenance of buffers will be critical. Sediment will need
to be periodically removed and buffers reshaped to maintain effectiveness.
This problem illustrates that other soil conservation practices
will need to be used in conjunction with buffers to prolong the
effective buffer life.
Conservation buffers
provide many other benefits, including trapping sediment and nutrients,
providing wildlife habitat, streambank protection, and farming safety.
By varying buffer width along irregular streams or field borders,
cropped areas can be "squared up", reducing sprayer overlaps
and making fields more compatible with Global Positioning Systems
controls used in Precision Farming. There are many buffer types
which can be selected to match site conditions and desired benefits.
Appropriate buffer species should be selected to match local conditions.
Research into buffer effectiveness in pesticide trapping is a relatively
new field. As research continues, buffer designs and maintenance
procedures will undoubtedly be refined to maximize effectiveness.
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