Progress 03/01/16 to 02/28/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project includeproducers, certified crop advisors, agricultural service providers, and researchers.The results of the modeling S availability modeling effortand the web based sulfur availabilitytool were shared with stakeholdersat several research and extension meetings. The meetings include the Farm Science Review organized by the Ohio State University on September 18th-20th, 2019 , Ohio Conservation Tillage Conference held between March 5th-9th, 2019, NCERA-13 soil and plant analysts workgroup meeting February, 26-27th, 2019, and the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm association annual conference February14-16th, 2019, The project goals and outcomes were also shared with local community groups in the Great and Little Miami Watershed operating with sustainable agriculture goals, including community solutions, Tecumseh Land Trust, and Xylem. Changes/Problems:We'd like to request that a Co-PE be added to this project: Sakthi Kumaran Subburayalu. Dr. Subburayalu was the original project PD and led the majority of activities of the project. He took a position at Central State University and made the decision at that time to transfer PD responsibilty to Dr. Steve Culman. Dr. Subburayalu's contact information is below: Research Assistant Professor,1400 Brush Row Road, Wilberforce, Ohio 45384 What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Three undergraduate students were trained in collecting soil and plant samples from plot and field sulfur nutrition studies, and in the analysis of these samples for soil fertility and plant nutrient uptake. A postdoctoral researcher was put to work on the project goals involving geospatial processing of the data, model projections for future climate change scenarios and summarization of the sulfur availability data for the twelve midwestern states and the eighty-eight counties in Ohio. The project provided opportunities to build relationships with researchers working on sulfur nutrition for crops, producers interested in knowing sulfur availability in their fields, agricultural service providers, crop advisors, commodity groups, NGOs in , governmental agency staff in the region. The project provided support for travel to various conferences and stakeholder meetings including Farm Science Review, Conservation Tillage Conference, NCERA-13 meetings, and Tri-societies (Agronomy, Soil Science and Crop Science) annual meetings. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of theS availability modeling effortand the web based sulfur availabilitytool were shared with stakeholders including producers, crop advisors, commodity group organization members, agricultural service providers, andresearchersat several research and extension meetings during the current reporting period. The meetings include the Farm Science Review organized by the Ohio State University on (September 18-20th 2018), Ohio Conservation Tillage Conference (March 5-6th, 2019), NCERA-13 soil and plant analysts workgroup meeting (February 26-27, 2019), and the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm association annual conference (February 14-15, 2019), The project goals and outcomes were also shared with local community groups in the Great and Little Miami Watershed operating with sustainable agriculture goals, including community solutions, Tecumseh Land Trust, and Xylem. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Sulfur is increasingly becoming a limiting nutrient in parts of the U.S. farmlands. Farmers lack a reliable way by which they can make informed decisions about sulfur fertilization for their crops. The existing diagnostic soil or plant testing methods vary in their effectiveness of predicting any potential sulfur deficiency that the crops might be facing during the growing season. Besides, these laboratory methods are generally cost prohibitive, time consuming and spatially variable. For rapid assessment of sulfur availability, across the varying agricultural landscapes in the US, we developed a model-based sulfur availability assessment in a Geographic Information System framework. We utilized the freely available geodatabases at the national scale as model inputs. We developed a GIS based web tool that the farmers and other stakeholders could use to identify the probability of observing a response to sulfur fertilization on farms and to investigate the visual relationships between low yielding areas on a farm and sulfur availability. 1. Develop a model to predict sulfur deficiency in US landscapes under current and future climate scenarios: The sulfur availability model for Ohio (Kost et al. 2008) was adapted to extend the model to the entire conterminous US. We carried out geoprocessing of the gSSURGO data to retrieve soil factors that determine the sulfur availability in soils, including organic matter content, pH, soil texture (clay, sand and silt percent), and hydrologic soil group. A weighted average (weighted both by horizon depth and the component soil series) of the attribute data of interest was computed for the entire soil profile within each soil map unit. The project database also includes the PRISM 30-year climate normal precipitation data and National Atmospheric Deposition Program's total sulfur deposition data (averaged for 2013, 2014 and 2015). Using these layers, additional indexed layers were created and a final sulfur (S) availability index layer was created by adapting the additive model developed previously by Kost et al. (2008).We modified the model to accommodate hydrologic soil group as one of the predictive factors in determining sulfur availability in soils. The sulfur availability index was computed for low and high sulfur requirement crops under the current (past and present trends) and future climate change scenarios. Sulfur availability under future climate change scenarios were modeled using the WorldClim data sets. We chose the Hadley Centre Global Environment Model version 2 Earth System (HadGEM2) and two greenhouse gas trajectories (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) to model sulfur availability for two future time periods (2050 and 2070). The annual precipitation data under projected climate was used in place of the current precipitation data to model change in sulfur availability index. Spatial summaries of sulfur availability under current and future climate for the eighty-eight counties in Ohio and for twelve midwestern states dominated by row crop agriculture in the US 2. Validate the predicted model through university and on-farm field trials: We conducted extensive on-farm strip trials evaluating crop response to S fertilization across Ohio in 2016-2018. A total of 46 trials were conducted in 20 difference counties, including 38 on-farm strip trials. Crops included corn, soybean, wheat and alfalfa. Gypsum was the primary S source, but ammonium sulfate or thiosulfate was also used in some trials. Only 2 of the 46 trials demonstrated a yield response to S application, demonstrating that yield responses are somewhat infrequent. In addition to these trials, we have compiled, additional research studies (28 site-years) conducted in Ohio where S was applied and yield responses were measured. Crop response to sulfur application was rare and variable across different fields and soil types. The compiled data will be used to validate the model as we continue to develop and refine the tool and to produce an Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet on sulfur nutrition for crops and crop response to sulfur fertilization, which should be completed by the end of 2019. 3. Develop a web-based tool that would assist the farmers in making informed sulfur fertilization decisions in their fields: A GIS web application to host the sulfur availability map and to serve it to farmers, certified crop advisors and other stakeholders was created (http://sam.asc.ohio-state.edu). We achieved this objective working with the Center for Regional and Urban Analysis at The Ohio State University. The web tool has sulfur availability model for low S requirement crop (15 Kg S/ha, for example corn) and for high S requirement crops (30 Kg S/ha for example Alfalfa). The web tool was expanded to include the data for the 48 contiguous states with added functionalities including the requisition and configuration of a new virtual machine, web server, firewall and users, creation and optimization of raster image services, creation of PDF export function with additional text, table and map, query function - by state, county, city or address, query by uploaded spatial data from user - e.g. shapefile, geojson, and modified user interface to use context menus. The new version of the web service runs on a dedicated virtual machine. This is a quad-core Xeon E5-2680 processor with 16GB of RAM, and 2TB of replicated storage. The new version adds functionality, stability and speed to the web service. The interface has GIS tools to draw boundaries around the area of interest (farm fields), generate a report containing the data table, sulfur availability index map, recommendation concerning sulfur fertilization and crop response.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Current and future sulfur availability for production agriculture in the Midwestern USA. To be submitted to Agronomy Journal.
|
Progress 03/01/17 to 02/28/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The outcomes of the current project were presented as a conference talk and a poster presentation at The American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America International Annual Meeting that hosted more than 4,000 scientists, professionals, educators, and students from across the globe on Oct. 22-25, 2017, in Tampa, Florida. Following the presentation, the project personnel received emails from researchers and industry people from multiple states expressing interest in using the model to identify sulfur availability in their respective areas of interest. The model and the results of sulfur field trials were also presented at The Conservation Tillage & Technology Conference, in Ada, Ohio on March 6-7. The Conservation Tillage & Technology Conference attracted a total of 875 participant farmers, ag professionals, commodity groups and several other stakeholders including AgCredit, Ohio Soybean Council, OSU Farm Science Review, and Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers, Wingfield Crop Insurance Service, and Seed Consultants. The results were also presented during the Central State University's Second Annual Minority, Women & Small Farmers' Conference held on April 6th and 7th, 2018. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?An undergraduate student was trained in collecting soil and plant samples from plot and field sulfur nutrition studies, and in the analysis of these samples for soil fertility and plant nutrient uptake. For professional development, the PIs participated in research and extension talks. A post - doctoral student was put to work on the project the goals involving geospatial processing and summarization of the sulfur availability data for the 48 contiguous states. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During the current reporting period, the project goals, the education about sulfur nutrition for crops and the invitations to participate in on-farm sulfur trials have been communicated to target audience through newsletters, email list serves, personal communications and extension talks. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will present our research work and products at national and regional conferences and publish the work in peer reviewed journals. Training on the use of the web tool will be provided to growers. A fact sheet on S nutrition for crops will be prepared and will be distributed to growers, certified crop advisors and other stakeholders.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Sulfur is increasingly becoming a limiting nutrient in parts of the U.S. farmlands. Farmers lack a reliable way by which they can make informed decisions about sulfur fertilization for their crops. The existing diagnostic soil or plant testing methods vary in their effectiveness of predicting any potential sulfur deficiency that the crops might be facing during the growing season. Besides, these laboratory methods are generally cost prohibitive, time consuming and spatially variable. For rapid assessment of sulfur availability, across the varying agricultural landscapes in the US, we are developing a model-based sulfur availability assessment in a Geographic Information System framework. This we would achieve by utilizing the freely available geodatabases at the national scale. The project will produce a GIS based web tool that the farmers can use to identify the probability of observing a response to sulfur fertilization on their farm fields and to investigate the visual relationships between low yielding areas on their farm fields and sulfur availability. Develop a model to predict sulfur deficiency in US landscapes under current and future climate scenarios: The sulfur availability model developed by our team for Ohio (Kost et al. 2008) was adapted for the purpose of extending the model to the entire conterminous US. Geoprocessing of the gSSURGO data, to retrieve soil factors that determine the sulfur availability in soils, including organic matter content, pH, soil texture (clay, sand and silt percent), and hydrologic soil group was completed. A weighted average (weighted both by horizon depth and the component soil series) of the attribute data of interest was computed for the entire soil profile within each soil map unit. Data gaps in the gSSURGO database, especially in the western part of the United States, were filled using the STATSGO data. The database also includes the PRISM 30 year climate normal precipitation data and National Atmospheric Deposition Program's total sulfur deposition data (averaged for 2013, 2014 and 2015). Using these layers, additional indexed layers were created and a final sulfur (S) availability index layer was created by adapting the additive model developed previously by our team (Kost et al. 2008). We modified the model to accommodate hydrologic soil group as one of the predictive factors in determining sulfur availability in soils. The sulfur availability index was computed for low and high sulfur requirement crops under the current (past and present trends) climate scenario. In addition, sulfur availability under future climate change scenarios were modeled using the WorldClim data sets. We chose the Hadley Centre Global Environment Model version 2?Earth System (HadGEM2?ES) and two greenhouse gas trajectories (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) to model sulfur availability for two future time periods (2041 to 2060 and 2061 to 2080). The annual precipitation data under projected climate was used in place of the current precipitation data to model change in sulfur availability. Spatial summaries of sulfur availability under current and future climate were created for each State in the contiguous US and for each county in Ohio. Validate the predicted model through university and on-farm field trials: We conducted extensive on-farm strip trials evaluating crop response to S fertilization across Ohio in 2017. A total of 36 trials were conducted, including 20 on-farm strip trials in corn, 8 on-farm strip trials in soybean, 5 on-farm trials in alfalfa and 3 on-farm strip trials in wheat. Gypsum was the primary S source, but ammonium sulfate was also used in some trials. In addition to these trials, we have compiled, additional research studies (28 site years) conducted in Ohio where S was applied and yield responses were measured. As expected crop response to sulfur application was rare and variable across different fields and soil types. The compiled data will be used to validate the model and to produce an Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet on sulfur nutrition for crops. Develop a web-based tool that would assist the farmers in making informed sulfur fertilization decisions in their fields: A prototype GIS web application to host the sulfur availability map and to serve it to farmers, certified crop advisors and other stakeholders has been created (http://cura-gis-web.asc.ohio-state.edu/sam.htm). This was achieved in partnership with Center for Regional and Urban Analysis at The Ohio State University. This GIS template at present holds the sulfur availability map for corn and alfalfa. The interface will permit the users of the tool to draw boundaries around the area of interest (farm fields) and generate a report containing the data table, sulfur availability index map, recommendation concerning sulfur fertilization and crop response. With the knowledge and academic experience involving sulfur nutrition for crops and through experienced research and extension faculty, institutional support, and trained student assistant the existing sulfur availability model (Kost et al. 2008) was adapted to predict crop response to sulfur fertilization. On farm trials have been initiated to assess crop response to sulfur fertilization and for model validation. Outreach and education about the importance of sulfur nutrition for crops and invitations to participate in sulfur trials have been extended to growers through research and extension talks. An easy to use GIS web tool for disseminating the model results that would aid in sulfur fertilization decisions has been initiated and is under construction. The prototype web tool was expanded to include the data for the 48 contiguous states with added functionalities including the requisition and configuration of a new virtual machine, web server, firewall and users, creation and optimization of raster image services, creation of PDF export function with additional text, table and map, query function - by state, county, city or address, query by uploaded spatial data from user - e.g. shapefile, geojson, and modified user interface to use context menus. The new version of the web service runs on a dedicated virtual machine. This is a quad-core Xeon E5-2680 processor with 16GB of RAM, and 2TB of replicated storage. The new version adds functionality, stability and speed to the web service.
Publications
|
Progress 03/01/16 to 02/28/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audiences are farmers, crop advisors, extension personnel and other stakeholders who make management decisions on farm fields. The project goals, the project development and an invitation to participate in the on-farm sulfur trials to validate the sulfur availability model and to revise the Tri-State fertilizer recommendations including sulfur (Ohio, Indiana and Michigan) were presented to growers and other stakeholders in Ohio at several extension and outreach meetings during the reporting period. These include the agronomy in-service days organized by Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Ohio Corn Board Meeting, Ohio Soybean Council Board Meeting and Concentrated Animal Feeding Facilities Regulator Meeting. In addition to these in-person outreach activities, newsletters communicating the request for participation in the on-farm research trials were posted on to websites that farmers in Ohio generally subscribe including the C.O.R.N newsletter email list of Ohio growers with currently over 3,000 subscribers. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?An undergraduate student was trained in collecting soil and plant samples from plot and field sulfur nutrition studies, and in the analysis of these samples for soil fertility and plant nutrient uptake. For professional development, the PIs participated in several research and extension talks. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During the current reporting period, the project goals, the education about sulfur nutrition for crops and the invitations to participate in on-farm sulfur trials have been communicated to target audience through newsletters, email list serves, personal communications and extension talks. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period we intend to add more on-farm trials to assess crop response to sulfur fertilization and to validate the final sulfur availability model. The sulfur availability model will be extended to future climate scenarios using the NASA NEX-DCP30 (NASA Earth Exchange Downscaled Climate Projections) dataset projected across the two greenhouse gas emissions scenarios (Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 and 8.5). We will project the changes in sulfur availability as influenced by changes in climate variables for three time periods (next 25 years- current through 2040; mid century- 2041 through 2060 and end of century -2061 through 2099). We will deploy the generated sulfur availability layers onto the web server to be used by growers via the easy to use web application interface. We will present our research work and products at national and regional conferences and publish the work in peer reviewed journals. Training on the use of the web tool will be provided to growers. A fact sheet on S nutrition for crops will be prepared and will be distributed to growers, certified crop advisors and other stakeholders.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Sulfur is increasingly becoming a limiting nutrient in parts of the U.S. farmlands. Farmers lack a reliable way by which they can make informed decisions about sulfur fertilization for their crops. The existing diagnostic soil or plant testing methods vary in their effectiveness of predicting any potential sulfur deficiency that the crops might be facing during the growing season. Besides, these laboratory methods are generally cost prohibitive, time consuming and spatially variable. For rapid assessment of sulfur availability, across the varying agricultural landscapes in the US, we are developing a model-based sulfur availability assessment in a Geographic Information System framework. This we would achieve by utilizing the freely available geodatabases at the national scale. The project will produce a GIS based web tool that the farmers can use to identify the probability of observing a response to sulfur fertilization on their farm fields and to investigate the visual relationships between low yielding areas on their farm fields and sulfur availability. 1. Develop a model to predict sulfur deficiency in US landscapes under current and future climate scenarios: The sulfur availability model developed by our team for Ohio (Kost et al. 2008) was adapted for the purpose of extending the model to the entire conterminous US. Geoprocessing of the gSSURGO data, to retrieve soil factors that determine the sulfur availability in soils, including organic matter content, pH, soil texture (clay, sand and silt percent), and hydrologic soil group was completed. A weighted average (weighted both by horizon depth and the component soil series) of the attribute data of interest was computed for the entire soil profile within each soil map unit. Data gaps in the gSSURGO database, especially in the western part of the United States, were filled using the STATSGO data. The database also includes the PRISM 30 year climate normal precipitation data and National Atmospheric Deposition Program's total sulfur deposition data (averaged for 2013, 2014 and 2015). Using these layers, additional indexed layers were created and a final sulfur (S) availability index layer was created by adapting the additive model developed previously by our team (Kost et al. 2008). We modified the model to accommodate hydrologic soil group as one of the predictive factors in determining sulfur availability in soils. The sulfur availability index was computed for low and high sulfur requirement crops under the current (past and present trends) climate scenario. 2.Validate the predicted model through university and on-farm field trials: We have collected data from 3 plot scale studies and 3 on-farm trials for corn and soybeans that make up a total of 12 site years of data. More fields will be added in year two of the project. In addition to these, we have also compiled data from additional research studies (16 site years) conducted in Ohio where S was applied and yields have been monitored. As expected crop response to sulfur application in the form of Gypsum, foliar spray, and as a starter fertilizer is variable across the different soil types. The compiled data will be used to validate the model and to produce an Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet on sulfur nutrition for crops. 3. Develop a web-based tool that would assist the farmers in making informed sulfur fertilization decisions in their fields: A prototype GIS web application to host the sulfur availability map and to serve it to farmers, certified crop advisors and other stakeholders has been created (http://cura-gis-web.asc.ohio-state.edu/sam.htm). This was achieved in partnership with Center for Regional and Urban Analysis at The Ohio State University. This GIS template at present holds the sulfur availability map for corn and alfalfa. The interface will permit the users of the tool to draw boundaries around the area of interest (farm fields) and generate a report containing the data table, sulfur availability index map, recommendation concerning sulfur fertilization and crop response. With the knowledge and academic experience involving sulfur nutrition for crops and through experienced research and extension faculty, institutional support, and trained student assistant the existing sulfur availability model (Kost et al. 2008) was adapted to predict crop response to sulfur fertilization. On farm trials have been initiated to assess crop response to sulfur fertilization and for model validation. Outreach and education about the importance of sulfur nutrition for crops and invitations to participate in sulfur trials have been extended to growers through research and extension talks. An easy to use GIS web tool for disseminating the model results that would aid in sulfur fertilization decisions has been initiated and is under construction.
Publications
|