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1. Is Cover Crop Species Mixture and Diversity More Important at Building Soil Health than Shoot Biomass in a Semi-arid Region?Cover crop mixtures (CCMs) as partial fallow replacements have the potential to increase soil health, yet long-term studies on CCMs, especially in semi-arid environments are relatively rare. An eight-year study at two locations in semi-arid Montana sought to evaluate the effect of functional group (N fixer, tap roots, fibrous roots, brassicacae) and species richness (2, 6, and 8 species in a mix) on a range of biological, physical and chemical soil parameters. Although several soil health... P. Miller, C. Jones, C. Zabinski, K. D'agati, M. Housman, S. Tallman |
2. Developing a Soil Health Assessment Framework for Specialty Crop Systems and Soils of Washington StateTo ensure productive soils, agricultural sustainability, and food security, it is vital to maintain and improve soil health. However, over the decades, intensive agricultural practices have led to a decline in soil health. While most of these intensive agricultural practices negatively affect soil health, research has shown that it is possible to resuscitate soils with practices such as over cropping, and crop rotation. Much of the research on soil health in the US has been done in agronomic systems... K.A. Sarpong, M. Mcilquham, L. Michel, D. Griffin |
3. Evaluating Cover Crops for Nitrogen Management in a Walnut OrchardCover crops provide numerous benefits in agricultural systems. From increasing soil water storage to reducing fertilizer inputs, quantifying cover crops benefits is crucial in nutrient management, crop productivity, environmental sustainability, and growers' adoption. The goal of this study was to quantify nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) inputs in a walnut (Juglans regia L. 'Chandler') orchard that implemented three cover crop mixtures. The study site was a 5-year-old walnut... D. Zapata, X. Zhu-barker, K. Steenwerth, W. Horwath |
4. Managing Soils for CO2 Drawdown: Boon or Boondoggle?Consensus is growing that meeting the goal of a two degree or less global warming will not only require aggressive greenhouse gas emission reductions across all sectors of the global economy, but also active measures to remove CO2from the atmosphere. Among the broader suite of CO2 removal (CDR) strategies, soil C sink approaches have been deemed as being among the most ready for early deployment and having the greatest net environmental benefits. A variety of existing... K. Paustian |
5. Soil Management Assessment Framework Use for Identifying Soil Quality Changes in Irrigated AgricultureThe 820 km2 Twin Falls (Idaho) irrigation tract is part of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) - Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). Furrow irrigation was initiated in the early 1900s but, since the 1990s, the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and other specialty projects have resulted in conversion of approximately 40% of the irrigation tract area to sprinkler irrigation. Most past CEAP research has focused on water quantity and quality, effects... J. Ippolito, D. Bjorneberg, D. Stott, D. Karlen |
6. Cover Cropping in the Semi-arid West: Effects of Termination Timing, Species, and Mixtures on Nitrogen Uptake, Yield, Soil Quality, and Economic ReturnSummer fallow still dominates some areas of the northern Great Plains (NGP), providing an opportunity to grow a partial season cover crop for increased soil health or nutrient availability. Over 12 years of research on single species cover crops in semi-arid Montana have revealed the benefits of early termination and multiple cover crop cycles on N availability, subsequent crop yield, soil health, and economic return. Due to high N fixation, pea cover crops have fairly consistently increased subsequent... C. Jones, P. Miller, S. Tallman, M. Housman, C. Zabinski, M. Burgess, J. O'dea, A. Bekkerman |
7. Inhibitors, Method and Time of Nitrogen Application for Improved Winter Wheat Production in Central MontanaThe contribution of nitrogen (N) fertilizer to boost yield and improve quality is unquestionable. Inefficient use of applied N is economically significant and environmentally unsafe. Ammonia loss can exceed 40% of applied N. Nitrogen leaching is polluting wells. Use of urease and nitrification inhibitors along with appropriate timing and method of nitrogen application can reduce nitrogen loss, improve yield and quality of wheat. This experiment investigated the effect of timing and method of N... Y. Mohammed, T. Jensen, J. Heser, C. Chen |
8. Exploring Controlled Release Nitrogen Fertilizers for Vegetable and Melon Crop Production in California and ArizonaVarious forms of polymer coated urea (PCU) were examined as sources of controlled release nitrogen for production of cauliflower, watermelon, carrot, and spinach in Arizona or California. Studies were designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of PCU for supplying 100 percent of the fertilizer nitrogen needed for an entire growing season in a single pre-plant application. In each study, two or more N rates were tested. PCU having an appropriate release time for a given set of growing conditions... R. Smith, A. Blaylock, E. Ellison, C. Sanchez |
9. Best Management Practices (Bmps) for Ammonia Emissions Reduction from Animal Feeding Operations: a Colorado Case StudyAmmonia emissions from agriculture are a growing concern, in particular, in Colorado where nitrogen deposition in Rocky Mountain National Park has highlighted public concerns. Due to the high level of political pressure on agriculture to reduce its emissions, the agricultural community in Colorado has recently developed a Rocky Mountain National Park Ag Strategy for decreasing ammonia emissions from agriculture and nitrogen deposition in the park. The strategy includes the completion of a thorough... J. G. davis, A. Elliott, N. Marcillac, J. Pritchett, C. Stewart, A. Mink |
10. The Effects of Calcium Source and Placement on Soil Factors and Wheat Performace FactorsWheat production is a critical component of U.S. Pacific Northwest agriculture, with approximately 80% of the global soft white wheat grain supply originating from this region. Ammonium-based nitrogen fertilizers are widely used on typically alkaline soils in Eastern Oregon dryland production areas by wheat growers. However the nitrification process that biologically converts ammonium to nitrate increases the soil concentration of H+. This process ultimately creates acidic soil conditions, which... S. Ellickson, A. Moore, R. Zemetra, C. Hagerty |
11. ManureDB: Creating a Nationwide Manure Test DatabaseManure nutrients serve an important role in crop production, however compared with commercial fertilizers there is a lack of standardized information. When exact manure values are not known, manure book values have been referenced. Recent data from midwestern United States (US) labs indicates manure nutrient levels have changed from book values published by Midwest Plan Service (2004) and American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (2005). Manure laboratory analysis has improved... N.L. Bohl bormann, M.L. Wilson, E.L. Cortus, K. Janni, K. Silverstein, L. Gunderson |
12. Flushed Liquid Dairy Manure Solid Particle and Nutrient DistributionsLarge dairies often use liquid manure handling systems because of their ease of mechanization and low labor requirements. Some of Idaho Magic Valley dairies use flushing systems that result in large amounts of liquid dairy manure that are applied via irrigation systems to adjacent cropland during the growing season. Solids and nutrients found in liquid dairy manure pose challenges to manure handling processes and cause environmental concerns. Separating solids and nutrients from liquid dairy manure... L. Chen, K. Kruger |