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1. Soil Health and Ecological Resilience on the PalouseHealthy soil is critical for global food security and other essential ecosystem services but is threatened by processes of soil degradation, with at least 33% of global croplands estimated to be moderately or highly degraded. Current soil health assessments provide insight into soil functional performance but often lack diagnostic criteria that assess management effects on soil function over time. We integrate soil health assessments with ecological resilience theory to better understand management... A.G. Davis, D.R. Huggins, J.P. Reganold |
2. Refining Nitrogen Management for Organic Broccoli ProductionSpecialty organic fertilizers used in organic vegetable production are expensive. So, from environmental and economic perspectives, growers want to maximize nitrogen (N) fertilizer use efficiency by the crop. This research was conducted to (1) determine sufficient N fertilizer rates for organic broccoli, (2) evaluate the efficacy of a specialty organic fertilizer (feather meal; 12-0-0), and (3) confirm the effectiveness of midseason soil nitrate analyses (0-30 cm) in determining appropriate sidedress... D. Sullivan, R.E. Peachey, A. Donaldson |
3. Dryland Organic Winter Wheat Improvement by the Inclusion of Composted Cattle Manure and Cover CropsOrganic agriculture in semi-arid environments can face several challenges in order to produce a successful crop. These include nitrogen and phosphorus deficiencies, moisture limitations, and high weed competition. Organic winter wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.)-fallow systems can be amended with composted cattle manure and with green manure from cover crops grown in the fallow phase to help increase wheat yields and quality. Cattle manure can improve soil health with the... C. Helseth, U. Norton |
4. 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 |
5. Effectiveness of Soil-applied Zinc for PecansPecan trees [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] are very sensitive to Zn deficiency when grown in alkaline soils due to the formation of insoluble Zn hydroxides and carbonates which have low availability to pecan roots. We tested the efficacy of soil applied Zn-EDTA, Zn-Avail®, and ZnSO4 plus animal manure for supplying Zn to young pecans. Zn-EDTA supplied adequate Zn to potted pecan trees for one season only. The other soil Zn treatments had no appreciable effect. A soil sorption... J. Walworth, H. Nunez Moreno, K. Stevens |
6. Advancing Nitrogen and Irrigation Management for Row Crops and Biofuel Crops in the Western USNitrogen, irrigation and N by irrigation studies from West Texas and central Arizona are discussed. In the first study with surface drip, deficit irrigation, N fertilizer rate response was observed with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in 50 and 75 % ET replacement, but not with dryland or 25 % ET. Irrigation level response was evident with LEPA in two of three years in Lamesa Texas, but not in a wet, third year. Variable-rate N showed a more consistent response than blanket-rate N in that... K. Bronson, J. Mon, D. Hunsaker, G. Wang |
7. Effects of Commercial Organic and Cyanobacterial Fertilizers on Instantaneous Water Use Efficiency in Drip Irrigated Organic Sweet CornWater and fertilizers are applied to maintain crop growth, yield, and quality. Nitrogen (N) fertilizer plays a crucial role in crop growth and yield development of sweet corn (Zea mays). Organic growers often use commercial organic animal- based fertilizers which vary in nutrient composition, forms of available N (NH4+- N and NO3--N), and have high transportation costs. Alternatively, cyanobacteria can be grown on-site as a source of N. Cyanobacteria haves unique dual properties because they... J. G. Davis, A. Sukor, C. Ramsey |
8. Effects of Enhanced Mixing and Minimal Co2 Supplementation on Biomass and Nitrogen Concentration in a Nitrogen-fixing Anabaena Sp. Cyanobacteria Biofertilizer Production CultureNitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria are attractive as a nitrogen fertilizer because they are ubiquitous in nature and have minimal nutrient requirements. Our lab is scaling up production of a local strain of the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. in on-farm open raceways to determine its exonomic ppotential as a nitrogen fertilizer for horticultural crops. Our goal is to increase productivity in an organically certifiable growth medium above the current two week batch production levels... J. G. Davis, J. Wenz, H. Storteboom |
9. Phosphorus Efficiencies of Liquid P Fertilizers as Evidenced by P Adsorption Isotherms of Western Calcareous SoilsThe high levels of free lime or calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in arid Western U.S.A. soils reacts with phosphorus (P) fertilizers to form Ca-P minerals that are not available to plants through P fixation. Enhanced efficiency P fertilizers may potential decrease P fixation. The objective of this study was to identify P fixations levels associated with several enhanced efficiency P fertilizers on a basic soil (pH 8.03) over a 1-, 3-, and 7-day time period, and to use that data to adjust P fertilizer... J. Williams, S. Davis, K. Dabbs |
10. Nitrogen Management in Small Grains After AlfalfaSmall grains are commonly grown following alfalfa in Utah and the Intermountain West, especially during drought years as small grains require less irrigation than corn. Several studies across the country have shown that corn following alfalfa rarely needs N fertilizer, yet relatively few have evaluated the N needs of small grains. Furthermore, research on the N needs of small grains grown as forage vs. grain are even more sparse. The objectives of this research are to quantify the... C. Pound, M. Yost, E. Creech, G. Cardon, K. Russell, D. Despain, J. Gale, K. Heaton, B. Kitchen, M. Pace, S. Price, C. Reid, M. Palmer, M. Nelson |
11. Barley Yield and Protein Response to Nitrogen and Sulfur Rates and Application TimingThe introduction of new barley varieties, as well as changes in management practices, necessitate a re-evaluation of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) nutrient management guidelines. Nitrogen has a significant impact on barley grain quality and yield. Overapplication of N can result in lodging, groundwater pollution, and high protein content, resulting in lower end-use quality of barley, while underapplication of N results in reduced grain quality and yield. Sulfur promotes N utilization in barley plant... O. Adeyemi, J. Spackman, J. Sagers, J. Marshall, Z. Hong, R. Findlay, J. Bevan |
12. Optimizing Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates for Annual Cereal Forage ProductionNitrogen fertilizer provides one of the greatest returns on investment but also one of the highest operating expenses for annual cereal forage production. It is important to know the total nitrogen required by a crop to optimize yield and quality and to minimize nitrogen losses to the environment. It is also possible that annual cereal forage species and cultivars will have varying responses to nitrogen availability. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal nitrogen fertilizer... J. Spackman, R. Findlay, J. Sagers, J. Pandey |
13. Polymer Coated Urea: Microplastics in the Urban LandscapePolymer Coated Urea (PCU) in urban landscapes has recently become a controversial practice as some fear the repercussions of the polymer coatings left behind in soils and the environment to potentially be detrimental to land and water ecosystem health. The use of PCU has been beneficial in effectively supplying nitrogen (N) to plants with less leaching, denitrification, and volatilization losses to the environment. However, the pollution of microplastics may outweigh these benefits. The purpose... C. Seely , B. Hopkins |
14. Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate and Timing Implications for Malt, Food, and Feed Barley Production in Southern IdahoNitrogen is an essential nutrient required to produce high-yielding barley. Nitrogen strongly impacts barley yield, grain protein, tillering, and lodging potential. Unlike other crops such as corn, available nitrogen must be carefully managed for producers to achieve both optimal yield and grain quality for malt, food, and feed barley. Exessive nitrogen availability increases grain protein concentration that may be unsuitable for malting but may be ideal for feed or food barley. The objective... J. Spackman, O. Walsh, A. Adjesiwor, O. Adeyemi, J. Sagers, R. Findlay, J. Bevan |
15. Non-dormant Alfalfa and Small Grain Rotations- Tillage and Fertility EffectsTo study the use of non-dormant and high nitrogen fixing alfalfa cultivars as a possible source of nitrogen for spring and fall-seeded wheat and barley grown under tilled and no-tilled conditions. Hi-Nitro, a non-dormant, high-nitrogen fixing alfalfa variety, and RoundUp Ready Stratica, a traditional dormant alfalfa cultivars were clear seeded in Aberdeen in 2023 and 2024. Forage was harvested 4 times. Fall or spring tillage was done approximately 3-14 days before planting fall or spring... R. Findlay, J. Spackman, J. Hatch, T. Jacobsen, J. Gibbons, J. Sagers, D. Callister |
16. Micronutrient Management to Optimize Yellow, Brown and Oriental Mustard Production in Southern IdahoOilseed crops hold a significant position in global agriculture, serving as vital sources of essential oils and as raw materials for numerous industries. Among these, yellow, brown, and oriental mustard are prominent for their multifaceted uses, particularly in the culinary and industrial sectors. However, these mustard varieties face challenges in achieving their maximum yield potential, largely due to suboptimal nutrient management practices. Fertilizer programs, though essential for productivity,... H. Ali, J. Spackman, J. Pandey |
17. Hydrothermal Carbonization of Dairy Manure for Phosphorus Recovery and Runoff Risk Mitigation: Effect of Temperature and CaO AdditionDairy manure contains a significant amount of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N), which are essential for soil fertility and crop productivity, but are currently underutilized due to ammonia emissions, P runoff and leaching, and manure N to P ratios do not match crop nutrient needs. Meanwhile, there is a growing concern about P depletion as a non-renewable resource. To address both the excessive use of synthetic P fertilizers and inefficiently direct use of dairy manure, a logical strategy is to... M. Islam, B. He, L. Chen |
18. Spectral Response of Pulse Crops to Soil Acidity for Soil pH MappingIn this work, we explore the observable differences in the spectral reflectance of pulse crops in acidified and non-acidified soil regions of multiple Montana fields. Satellite observations are collected throughout the growing season using Landsat 8 & 9 and Sentinel 2 A & B. The variations of crop reflectance in acidified (pH < 5) and non-acidified (pH 6.0 to 7.0) are analyzed and used to support why both multi-temporal regression and machine learning models are... P. Nugent, S. Feleghari |