Pathogens Pathways – Riparian Management III
3. The generation and faecal contamination of surface runoff upon artificially drained dairy pasture
This component of objective 9 was conducted in collaboration with Massey University using the Dairy Farm Number 4 experimental plots. Details of this work, and findings from the closely aligned drainage studies are provided in the integrated final report (Hedley et al. 2005). Three key findings arose from the surface runoff research and are summarised below:
- Despite the presence of subsurface drains, appreciable surface runoff can be generated upon dairy pasture. For example, 46mm and 179mm of surface runoff were generated upon one study plot during 2003 and 2004, respectively. This compared with 258mm and 388mm of subsurface drainage from the same plots over the same periods.
- The surface runoff generated is contaminated by faecal microbes, with concentrations of E. coli and Campylobacter peaking at > 105 MPN 100 mL-1 and > 103 MPN 100 mL-1, respectively, immediately following grazing. Peak Campylobacter concentrations in surface runoff, generated following the application of effluent, were also > 103 MPN 100 mL-1.
- Information derived from the Ruakura experimental studies (Collins et al. 2004) suggests that riparian buffer strips would be effective at trapping most of the faecal microbes entrained within the surface runoff generated upon the Massey plots.
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