BOUYOUCOS CONFERENCE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF GEOPHYSICAL METHODS APPLIED TO SOIL CHARACTERIZATION WITHIN AGROECOSYSTEMS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0219515
• Grant No.: 2009-65107-05814
• Proposal No.: 2009-02610
• Project Start Date: Sep 1, 2009
• Project End Date: Feb 28, 2010
• Grant Year: 2009
• Program Code: [94440]- Soil Processes

Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
G022 MCCARTY HALL
GAINESVILLE,FL 32611

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
This proposed trans-disciplinary conference will bring together between 30 and 60 scientists/engineers from academic/government research institutions and industry. The scientists/engineers attending the conference will be focused on furthering the use of geophysical techniques for agroecosystem applications beyond the current practice. To ensure success of the conference, the attendees will be geophysical specialists, which include those with agricultural backgrounds (soil science, agronomy, agricultural ecology, and agricultural engineering) as well as others from relevant disciplines such as geological sciences, civil engineering, and environmental engineering.

Animal Health Component

50%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

25%

Applied

50%

Developmental

25%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
404	7210	2020	100%

Knowledge Area
404 - Instrumentation and Control Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
7210 - Remote sensing equipment and technology;

Field Of Science
2020 - Engineering;

Keywords

ground-penetrating radar

remote sensing

exploratory geology

remote sensors

remote survey

Goals / Objectives
Potential future trends in agricultural geophysics serve as an initial guide for how the conference is to be organized. The conference itself will have three main objectives. 1) Further scientific knowledge with respect to geophysics as applied to agroecosystems. 2) Delineate promising areas for research development in agricultural geophysics, specifically regarding sensing equipment, field procedures, data analysis methods, and applications. 3) Initiate the formation of specialized cutting-edge research topic groups and regional project teams, both of which focus on funding opportunities and collaborative research. Two additional working groups are also to be organized. One of these working groups will communicate with other scientific societies having interests in near-surface geophysics (Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society, American Geophysical Union, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and Soil Science Society of Amaerica-S01-Soil Physics Division) with the overall purpose of securing an appropriate home(s) for the agricultural geophysics community. The second working group will lay the groundwork for an Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) conference that promotes international agricultural geophysics collaborations.

Project Methods
In order to achieve the objectives, the conference will be organized into four half-day sessions spread out over a period of three days. Each of the first three half day sessions is to be four hours in length, and the fourth session will last four and a half hours. The first three sessions will have the same basic schedule with one of the conference organizers serving as moderator. These sessions will start off with specific topic presentations given by three to four invited panel members. The panel member presentations will last approximately 1 hour 15 min. total, followed by 45 min. of panel discussions with audience participation. Next, there will a 30 min. break giving conference participants the opportunity to view posters on agricultural geophysics research. Upon returning from the break, 1 hour is to be devoted to focus group break-out sessions covering specific developments needed in the most promising areas for agricultural geophysics advancement. The individual focus groups formed will then report back to the overall conference during the last 30 min. of the session. The first session (afternoon of 1st day) covers past developments and present status for the geophysical techniques now employed for agricultural purposes along with new applications for these techniques. For the second session (morning of 2nd day), topics will include potential uses of geophysical techniques not at present significantly employed in agriculture and new field survey procedures. The third session (afternoon of 2nd day) will concentrate on new data analysis methods. The fourth session (morning of 3rd day) is to be a wrap-up led by conference organizers, which will provide 45 minutes each for consecutive discussions on a draft white paper, an agricultural geophysics web site, and formation of teams that include specialized research topic groups, regional project teams, a workgroup devoted to establishing ties with other scientific societies, and a workgroup to begin writing an OECD grant proposal (see Conference Outcomes/Products).

Progress 09/01/09 to 02/28/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Funding provided by USDA-CSREES-AFRI was used to organize the first ever workshop - conference devoted specifically to the use of near-surface geophysical methods as tools for various agricultural applications. The workshop - conference was held September 8 - 10, 2009 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. One important purpose of this workshop - conference was bringing together a diverse group of people interested in agricultural geophysics, who typically do not all attend the same meetings or conferences. This workshop - conference had 45 attendees that included: geophysical specialists from within the geological sciences, civil engineering, and environmental engineering fields; agricultural researchers presently using near-surface geophysical methods for soil science, agronomic, ecological, and agricultural engineering applications; agricultural scientists without a geophysics background but interested geophysical methods as potential agricultural tools; and geophysical equipment manufacturers. The workshop - conference program included three half-day sessions with oral presentations (twelve total) focused on: (1) present geophysical methods used in agriculture; (2) geophysical methods not substantially used in agriculture at present, but having significant future potential; and (3) data analysis and interpretation considerations. A fourth half-day wrap-up session involved discussion of future plans for the agricultural geophysics community. Poster displays of ongoing research (fourteen total) and equipment manufacturer exhibits (six total) were also key components of the overall program. The conference - workshop provided an objective assessment of agricultural geophysics regarding past successes, present status, and future potential. The workshop - teleconference had its greatest success in strengthening the agricultural geophysics community. There is now an informal group of approximately 40 participants that have semi-regular teleconferences (3 to 4 times per year) to discuss research collaboration/dissemination and outreach activities. PARTICIPANTS: The 45 workshop - conference participants included: geophysical specialists from within the geological sciences, civil engineering, and environmental engineering fields; agricultural researchers presently using near-surface geophysical methods for soil science, agronomic, ecological, and agricultural engineering applications; agricultural scientists without a geophysics background but interested geophysical methods as potential agricultural tools; and geophysical equipment manufacturers. TARGET AUDIENCES: Individuals or groups that presently use or are considering the use of geophysical methods for agricultural applications. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
The workshop - short course held in Albuquerque, New Mexico on September 8 - 10, 2009 was a springboard that greatly strengthened the agricultural geophysics community. There is now an informal group of approximately 40 participants that have semi-regular teleconferences (3 to 4 times per year) to discuss research collaboration/dissemination and outreach activities. This group has been very active since the Albuquerque workshop - short course. In particular, the agricultural geophysics group has recently focused most heavily on the annual Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering & Environmental Problems (SAGEEP) as an appropriate venue for agricultural geophysics research dissemination, research collaboration development, and outreach efforts. Participation of the agricultural geophysics group at SAGEEP, since the Albuquerque workshop - short course, has included the following. 1) 2010 SAGEEP (April 11 - 15, Keystone, Colorado): One technical session of agricultural geophysics research presentations. One of the research presentations, "Agricultural Geophysics: Past, Present, and Future" - Barry J. Allred, Robert S. Freeland, Hamid J. Farahani, and Mary E. Collins, summarized general information presented and research discussions from the Albuquerque workshop - short course. 2) 2011 SAGEEP (April 10 - 14, Charleston, South Carolina) - Three technical sessions of agricultural geophysics research presentations and the organization of a one-day workshop on agricultural geophysics titled, "Application of Geophysical Technologies to Agroecosystems". 3) 2012 SAGEEP (March 25 - 29, Tucson, Arizona) - Two technical sessions of agricultural geophysics research presentations. 4) 2013 SAGEEP (March 17 - 21, Denver, Colorado) - Three technical sessions of agricultural geophysics research presentations and the organization of a one-day short course on agricultural geophysics titled, "Agricultural Geophysics: Methods Employed and Recent Applications ".

Publications

• The following publication was heavily influenced by general information presented and research discussions from the agricultural geophysics workshop - short course held on September 8 - 10, 2009 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
• Allred, B. J. and R. S. Freeland. 2010. Application of Geophysical Methods to Agriculture: An Overview. FastTIMES. v. 15, no. 4, pp. 13-25.
• The agricultural geophysics community that was strengthened by the USDA-CSREES-AFRI supported Albuquerque workshop - short course also collaborated in organizing a special agricultural geophysics issue for the Journal of Environmental & Engineering Geophysics (2010, Volume 15, Number 3). This special issue contained eight peer-reviewed articles covering a variety of agricultural geophysics topics.