Progress 03/01/07 to 06/30/11
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences for the project have been primarily agricultural producers and professionals. Personnel in state and federal agencies addressing agricultural management and environmental impacts have also been targeted. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has allowed for the training of M.S. and Ph.D. graduate students and also provided some undergraduate students to get research experience as research assistants. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Primary dissemination has been through peer-reviewed journals, presentations and proceedings for workshops and conferences, field day presentations and reports, and invited talks at national professional meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Overall, the project achieved its goals. First, we assessed the use of enhanced efficiency fertilizer and strip tillage with deep banding as practices to increase nitrogen use efficiency in crop production. We also determined potential soil greenhouse gas emissions as a result of these practices. We examined the use of an automated system to measure changes in soil properties under flooded conditions and determined the effects of flooding in combination with residue management on soil nitrogen and seed germination. This project assisted us in developing a new management practice which we call "variable source" nitrogen management to increase N use efficiency and crop production based on measured variability in soil properties across fields. Finally, we assessed the use of foliar potassium fertilizer applications in combination with fungicide in order to facilitate in-season management of potassium deficiency.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2011
Citation:
Udawatta, R.P., S.H. Anderson, P.P. Motavalli, and H.E. Garrett. 2011. Clay and temperature influences on sensor measured volumetric soil water content. Agroforest. Syst. 82: 61-75.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2011
Citation:
Veum, K.S., K.W. Goyne, S.H. Holan, and P.P. Motavalli. 2011. Assessment of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen under conservation management practices in the Central Claypan Region, Missouri, USA. Geoderma. 167:188-196.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2011
Citation:
Pengthamkeerati, P., P.P. Motavalli, and R.J. Kremer. 2011. Soil microbial activity and functional diversity changed by compaction, poultry litter and cropping in a claypan soil. Applied Soil Ecology. 48:71-80.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2011
Citation:
Pengthamkeerati, P., P.P. Motavalli, and R.J. Kremer. 2011. Soil microbial biomass nitrogen and ?-glucosaminidase activity response to surface compaction and poultry-litter application in a claypan soil. Applied Soil Ecology 51:79-86.
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Several outputs have been completed or are in process related to this research project. First, we completed a study examining the effects of flooding and residue addition on soil nitrogen availability and production of polyphenolics in floodplains in Missouri. This study also examined potential production of phytotoxic compounds and changes in microbial diversity with flooding. Second, we are continuing to develop a set of software and management recommendations for an innovative practice using enhanced efficiency fertilizers to reduce fertilizer nitrogen loss which we call "variable source" nitrogen management. We are also examining use of different fertilizer placement/tillage practices (e.g. strip till)in combination with use of enhanced efficiency fertilizer to increase agricultural production and reduce nitrous oxide loss. Third, we are continuing to develop practices for use of foliar potassium fertilizers to overcome potassium deficiencies that are often observed in Missouri. Our research in 2009 focused on use of foliar potassium fertilizer (e.g., KCl) mixed with fungicides applied to corn during the growing season. Information from these studies have been disseminated to national and regional groups through conference presentations and field days. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals: Dr. Kelly Nelson, Dr. Gene Stevens, Dr. Rose-Marie Muzika, Dr. Ranjith Udawatta, Dr. Keith Goyne Partner organizations: ARS/USDA, Agrium Inc. Training or professional development: Five M.S. graduate students and two Ph.D. students TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences have been agricultural producers and professionals. Efforts included giving talks at field days and using materials from research in academic instruction related to soil fertility and environmental management. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Several important outcomes have come from these studies. First, the recommendations and software we are developing for enhanced efficiency fertilizers will provide growers with a cost-effective method to utilize enhanced efficiency fertilizers so they will increase agricultural yields and reduce environmental pollution. Second, initial results indicated that use of strip tillage and deep banding of N fertilizer, including urea and polymer-coated urea, may also increase corn yields. Cumulative losses of nitrous oxide in 2009 under strip till and no-till ranged from 1.8 to 3.5% of the fertilizer N applied during a relatively wet cropping season in a poorly-drained claypan soil. Second, our studies of floodplain soils indicate that further study is needed of these soils to determine greenhouse gas production under different flooding and land management practices. Significant increases in production of polyphenolics which can bind nitrogen were observed under flooding and residue addition under controlled conditions, but these compounds were not detected after further sampling in a transect in the floodplain in Missouri. Finally, initial results of foliar application of pyraclostrobin (Headline)fungicide to corn resulted in significant corn yield increases at some sites in Missouri but no effect of the foliar fertilizer application was observed in 2009. Further investigation of the mechanism by which the fungicide is increasing yields even in the absence of disease pressure is needed.
Publications
- Bailey, N.J., P.P. Motavalli, R.P. Udawatta and K.A. Nelson. 2009. Soil CO2 emissions in agricultural watersheds with agroforestry and grass contour buffer strips. Agroforestry Systems 77:143-158.
- Noellsch, A.J., P.P. Motavalli, K.A. Nelson, and N.R. Kitchen. 2009. Corn response to conventional and slow-release nitrogen fertilizers across a claypan landscape. Agron. J. 101:607-614.
- Nelson, K.A., S.M. Paniagua, and P.P. Motavalli. 2009. Effect of polymer coated urea, irrigation, and drainage on nitrogen utilization and yield of corn in a claypan soil. Agron. J. 101:681-687.
- Nelson, K.A., P.P. Motavalli, and R.L. Smoot. 2009. Utility of dried distillers grain as a fertilizer source for corn. J. Agric. Sci. 1:3-12.
- Veum, K.S., K.W. Goyne, P.P. Motavalli, and R.P. Udawatta. 2009. Runoff and dissolved organic carbon loss from a paired-watershed study of three adjacent agricultural watersheds. Agric. Ecosys. and Environ. 130:115-122.
- Unger, I.M., P.P. Motavalli, and R.M. Muzika. 2009. Changes in soil chemical properties with flooding: A field laboratory approach. Agric. Ecosys. and Environ. 131:105-110.
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Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Several outputs have been completed or are in process related to this research project. First, I organized a national symposium on use of enhanced efficiency fertilizers and reported on the environmental impacts of these fertilizers. I also organized a joint publication from the symposium that will be published in the online journal, Crop Management, that has agricultural practioners and professionals as target audiences. Second, we are developing a set of software and management recommendations for an innovative practice to reduce fertilizer nitrogen loss which we call "variable source" nitrogen management. We are testing whether we can delineate and map areas in agricultural fields that have a high potential for nitrogen loss and then apply a specialized nitrogen fertilizer (e.g., slow release fertilizer) to that high risk area. Conventional nitrogen fertilizer would be applied to the low-risk areas. Third, we are continuing to develop practices for use of foliar potassium fertilizers to overcome potassium deficiencies that are often observed in Missouri in soybeans during the growing season. We have among the first researchers to examine combining these potassium fertilizers with herbicide applications and most recently with fungicides to make it cost-effective for Missouri growers to apply these potassium fertilizers. This research has drawn the attention of regional and national groups that are looking for innovative and cost-effective fertilization practices that provide more flexibility for producers to respond to in-season soil fertility problems. This information has been disseminated to national and regional groups through conference presentations and field days. PARTICIPANTS: Partner organizations: ARS/USDA, Agrium Inc. Training or professional development: Two M.S. graduate students and one undergraduate student doing research. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences have been agricultural producers and professionals. Efforts included giving talks at field days and using materials from research in academic instruction related to soil fertility and environmental management. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Several activities were conducted during the reporting period to produce project outputs. Two-year field trials were conducted in central, northeast and southeast Missouri to test the use of enhanced efficiency and foliar fertilizers. For the testing of enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizers, yield response, soil water content and the fate of applied nitrogen were monitored across different landscape positions and different cropping systems. Different timing of nitrogen fertilizer application was also tested for wheat produciton. These responses were mapped using GIS and statistically analyzed. An economic analysis was conducted to determine the relative economic benefits of use of enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizer versus conventional nitrogen fertilizer, such as urea and anhydrous ammonia. For the foliar potassium research, similar field trials were conducted to examine use of foliar potassium plus fungicide for improving nutrient status and reducing the incidence of fungal diseases. An economic analysis was also conducted for this research.
Publications
- Nelson, K.A., and P.P. Motavalli. 2007. Foliar potassium fertilizer sources affect weed control in soybean with glyphosate. Online. Crop Management doi:10.1094/CM-2007-0724-01-RS.
- Noellsch, A.J., P. P. Motavalli, K.A. Nelson, N. Kitchen, S.H. Anderson, P. Scharf, and P. Tracy. 2007. Optimizing crop N use efficiency using a variable source N fertilizer application strategy. Agron. Abstr., American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI. [non-paginated CD-ROM].
- Nelson, K.A., and P.P. Motavalli. 2007. Fall-applied polymer coated urea for wheat. Agron. Abstr., American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI. [non-paginated CD-ROM].
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