Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - RIVER FALLS
410 SOUTH THIRD STREET
RIVER FALLS,WI 54022-5010
Performing Department
College of Agriculture
Non Technical Summary
Given the importance of sustainable forage crop production, increasing soil health, and growing demand for qualified new professionals prepared in these areas, the development of professionals in Forages, Grazing management, and Soil health assessments have become more essential than ever.Improving crop alternative options is critical for a strong agricultural economy (Marques et al., 2020). With increasing extreme climate events leading to drought and forage crop winter-kill, well-informed adjustments to crop production management are needed.This proposal is a synergy between student training, extension efforts, and education and outreach to watershed producers interested in applied field research on alternative forage crops and summer annual forages using field instrumentation for monitoring forages (canopy analyzer) and soil health (handheld time domain reflectometers). These portable instruments will also allow instructors to conduct field-laboratory exercises, and extension training in the area of plant-soil interface with applications in forage and crop production, grazing management, and soil health. Results on forage and soil testing will also be made available to farmers to demonstrate sustainable production methods that have minimum impact on the environment.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
0%
Applied
100%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
The over-arching goal of the project is to develop and train professionals in forages, grazing management, and soil health assessments.The project's focused objectives will be:1) to use forage and soil techniques and instrumentation as educational tools in academia to foster student leadership skills as they actively participate in outreach efforts.2) to use trainings and outreach programs in a two-fold manner: to augment producers' knowledge, educating on sustainable and profitable production practices through informed decision making, and to use these trainings to increase student leadership skills by having them develop individual projects to help communicate sustainable production practices to local communities.These goals will be reach through the following activities and objectives:1. Evaluation of Alternative Forages to Manage mid-season slump in grazing systems.Acquisition of equipment to canopy and soil sensors to support field measurements with a focus on forage management (canopy analyzer)and soil health(handheld time domain reflectometers).Objectives:i) To evaluate quantity and quality characteristics of above ground herbage of forage species.ii) To characterize canopy for cover crop above biomass production that would meet livestock nutritional needs in mid-summer.iii) To monitor soil physical, hydrological, and chemical characteristics2. To provide training sessions for student leadership development through educational events
Project Methods
This proposal presents two set of activities described below. The first (Activity I) will be evaluation of alternative crops referred to as 'applied research'; the second (Activity II) will be student leadership training through educational events, competitions, workshops, and field tours.Activity I.Evaluation of Alternative Forages to Managed Mid-season Slump in Grazing Systems (applied research).Location: The study will be conducted at two locations. The first location will be Black Creek Bison ranch near Hertel, WI. (larger plots will be planted, grazed, and evaluated at this location), and the Spooner Research Station (smaller plots will be planted here and agronomic conditions will be assessed).Study Design and Statistical Analyses:The study would be conducted for a minimum of 3 years with a goal of five years at the two locations. Three replicates will be established at Spooner Agricultural Research Station, while three replicates on larger plots will be established atcooperators' field.Independent Variable:The factor of study is Forage Species; with five levels:1. Warm-season annual grasses (large crabgrass and teffgrass)2. Forage cover crop mix3. Sorghum species (sorghum sudan, sorghum x sudangrass, millet)4. Perennial native mix (Big bluestem, little bluestem, switch grass)5. Orchardgrass (used as control)Response Variables:Plant measurements: Forage aboveground biomass; forage nutritive value [crude protein (CP), dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), total fiber (NDF), and lignin]; canopy evaluation for soil cover, and cost of production over time.Soil measurements: Soil physical and chemical properties will be evaluated at the start and end of the study to determine impacts alternative systems had on soil development. Soil moisture and temperature will be monitored throughout the growing season using one soil monitoring station on each of the alternative forage types (Levels).Field Methodology:All plots will have soil assessments made prior to establishment. Forages to be evaluated include annual crops; large crabgrass and teffgrass, sorghum species, perennial crop of mixed warm season grasses (big bluestem, little bluestem, switchgrass), forage cover crop mix (crimson clover, rye), and a control perennial crop of orchardgrass. Cool-season forage plots would be established in early May, and warm-season forages in early to mid-June. Harvest would occur in early August based on maturity. Annual crops will have field preparation using herbicide prior to planting, while all planting will be completed using no-till practices.Grasses will be fertilized one week after emergence (2 inches of growth), following soil test recommendations and fertilized to optimum levels, no further fertilization would occur during the study except nitrogen application at time of planting on the annual forages. Likely, this fertilization will likely be 60 lb N, 180 lb Potash, 25 lb Sulfur, 10 lb Boron.Working with student researchers and local conservationists we will monitor several aspects of soil health on experimental summer crop treatments under grazing near Spooner, WI. Annually, students will collect soil samples from the field and use lab analysis techniques to monitor how physical properties such as texture, structure, stability, biodiversity, pH, and organic matter changes over time, and compare the relative changes amongst the treatment variables. Installed in each field treatment will be a datalogger that continuously collects soil moisture, water potential, and temperature at several depths. Students will collect and analyze this data to make seasonal and annual interpretations relating to temperature fluctuations and water availability on each treatment site.Management of plots at Spooner Agricultural Research Station will be the responsibility of the Station Manager, management of plots at Black Creek Bison will be the responsibility of the owner, Mr. David Fogerty. Yoana Newman (Associate professor of forages, Extension Specialist at U.W. River Falls) and Kelly Wilhelm (Assistant professor of soils) will have overall responsibility for the study including training, oversight, and coordination with project evaluation team for evaluation and compilation/publication of results. Additionally, this project will provide trainings for local conservationists and demonstrations for landowners to promote beneficial aspects of applying soil health-focused practices on the sandy soils commonly found in northwest Wisconsin. Trainings will focus on using field methods and tools to quickly identify soil health indicators, including: using handheld time domain reflectometers to determine soil water content and digging soil pits to observe soil indicator features.Instrumentation required:1. Plant Canopy analyzer (requested)..2. Soil instrumentation (soil moisture probes and data loggers, handheld time domain reflectometer, soil penetrometer; requested). 3. Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR), Wiley mill for forage analysis (existing equipment).4. Tractor and harvester with self-catch (existing equipment).Activity II - Training sessionsProducers and students will not only be educated in the characterization of soils and the use of soil moisture and temperature probes, but will also learn how soil canopy cover affects critical soil health parameters such as temperature, organic matter, and moisture content, keys for forage crop decision for long term sustainability.Instrumentation and applied research will provide opportunities that:Allow students to be trained in the use canopy and soil sensor technology as part of their training in crop and watershed management to determine the benefits of using forage crops to improve soil cover, accumulation of organic matter, with the concomitant benefits for soil health and sustainability.Provide a non-destructive method of cover and leaf area index determination that allows comparison of canopies from different forage cropping plantings, allowing farmers to gain first-hand view of the benefits from alternative forage crops.Educate farmers in how to determine contributions from summer annual crops, and use these experiences to make adequate crop management decisions.Training Sessions for student leadership development through educational events, workshops and field tours.The project will provide UWRF students and extension faculty with opportunities to improve management of their soils, pastures and crops. Farmers, in turn, will provide insight into their current production issues. This project will provide a set of trainings:TimeTrainingLocationTargetSummer 20212-day Inservice Training (Grazing Meeting & Tour)Spooner Station & Cooperators fieldCounty educators, NRCS, local conservationistsFall 2021NW Graziers Winter ConferenceWITC or similar venueProducers, students, county educators, local conservationistsSpring 2022NW Graziers Spring conferenceWITC or similar venueProducers, students, county educators, local conservationistsFall 2022NW Graziers Winter ConferenceWITC or similar venueProducers, students, county educators, local conservationistsSpring 2023NW Graziers Winter ConferenceWITC or similar venueProducers, students, county educators, local conservationistsFall2021,2022,2023Forage Crop class field tripCooperators' field & Spooner stationStudents2021, 2022, 2023Competitions at SASES (students of Agronomy Soils and Env. Sciences)Salt Lake City (2021)Baltimore (2022)St. Louis (2023)Students (competitions)In summary, introducing student/participants to these trainings and outreach programs will have the following two-fold effect: 1) augment producers' knowledge to increase sustainable and profitable production practices through informed decision making, and 2) increase student's leadership skills through presentations and explanation of their projects to producers.