FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky State University (KSU)’s Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm soil erosion research plots are offering a foundation for future conservation science, according to researchers.

Established by George Antonious, KSU professor of agriculture, the soil erosion research plots were designed to study how slope, land cover and management practices affect runoff, sediment loss and soil health.

More than two decades later, he said, the site remains a distinctive research asset with renewed potential for student learning, agricultural research and Cooperative Extension outreach: “I wanted students to see soil and water conservation in the field, not only in the classroom. These plots help demonstrate how rainfall, slope, land cover and management decisions can affect erosion and runoff. That kind of applied learning is central to the land-grant mission.”

He told Farm World the runoff water collection from the erosion research plots started from using manual glass bottle collection to an automated tipping-bucket system through a step-by-step process driven by the need for more efficient and accurate data.

He said the first step was to establish the physical research plots at the farm in Frankfort. “Each plot was set up with a defined slope gradient (steepness or incline) to study its effect on land erosion. A gutter was installed at the lower end of each of 18 runoff plots to channel all surface runoff into a single surface collection point. 

“At the collection point, large glass bottles (five gallons) were placed to catch the runoff water and sediment from each rainfall event,” he added. “After a storm, researchers go to the field to collect the bottles that contain the first flush. The volume of water in each bottle was measured manually, using graduated cylinders. The sediments were separated, dried, and weighed to quantify soil loss per liter of runoff.”

As the research continued for over two decades, he said the manual system was developed through significant challenges: the original bottle system required significant personnel time to retrieve and process samples after every rainfall event; and during intense storms, bottles could overflow, leading to data loss.

“Heavy bottles were also cumbersome to transport, and collecting samples only after an event provided a single volume, making it impossible to study how runoff rates fluctuated during a storm,” he added.

He said these challenges prompted the search for a more efficient and automated system: “A tipping-bucket runoff gauge, a concept adapted from standard rain gauges, was identified as a promising solution.

“We built a tipping-bucket runoff metering apparatus, designed in collaboration with the University of Kentucky’s Department of Agriculture Engineering in 1992,” he added. “This apparatus is essentially a larger, more robust version of a tipping-bucket rain gauge.”

He said each tipping bucket was carefully calibrated to ensure it provided a precise and consistent volume of runoff per tip, such as exactly three liters: “This calibration is critical for translating the number of tips into an accurate total volume of runoff.

“A small mechanical counter or switch was attached to the tipping mechanism,” he said. “Every time a bucket is tipped, it triggers the switch, advancing the counter by one. This allowed for the automatic recording of the total number of tips throughout a storm event.”

He added that runoff water collection apparatus and water sample collection were installed down the field slope to be used for monitoring pesticides, ammonia, nitrates, and heavy metals arising from organic and inorganic fertilizers and pesticides at the research farm.

He said the ability to record total runoff volume for each rainfall event automatically, freeing researchers from the need to collect and measure runoff after every single storm, as well as the ability to potentially track runoff intensity over the course of a storm by noting the frequency of tips.

He said measuring edge-of-field runoff transforms invisible losses into visible data: “It shifts farm management from guesswork to precision, allowing farmers to keep costly inputs on their land, preserve their most asset (the topsoil), stabilize long-term yields, and monetize their conservation efforts.”

He said farmers would also reap direct financial benefits such as saving money on fertilizers; better irrigation and drainage; environmental compliance and credits; and long-term sustainability in soil health. He said farmers would also save on input costs such as fertilizer and pesticide, as well as helping to prevent topsoil loss.

He added that excessive sediment and nutrient loss often coincide with stand loss, crusting, and uneven crop emergence: “By mitigating these issues through data-driven practices, farmers create a more resilient rooting environment. 

“This leads to more consistent year-over-year yields and higher grain quality as crops face fewer environmental stresses during the growing season,” he said. “Furthermore, it serves as a legal safeguard against downstream liability claims regarding water pollution.”

The erosion research plots also function as an outdoor classroom for students in agriculture, environmental science and related fields, he said. By engaging directly in fieldwork, students gain practical experience in analyzing erosion, assessing management practices, and collecting meaningful data.

He added that training Kentucky’s next-generation farmers in this erosion technology is a powerful investment: “It tackles critical environmental issues such as water pollution and soil degradation, enhances farm profitability through higher yields and lower costs, and empowers a new generation of farmers with the skills needed for a sustainable, resilient agricultural future.”