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1. Soil Health Changes Following Transition from an Annual Cropping to Perennial Management-Intensive Grazing AgroecosystemManagement-intensive Grazing (MiG) on irrigated, perennial pastures has steadily increased in the western US due to pressure for reducing public lands grazing, overall declining land available for pasture, and decreasing commodity prices. However, there are still many unknowns regarding MiG and its environmental impact, especially with regards to soil health. Over a two-year period, we studied changes in soil health under a full-scale, 82 ha pivot-irrigated perennial pasture system grazed with... J. Ippolito, C. Shawver, J. Brummer, J. Ahola, R. Rhoades |
2. Does Post-harvest Nitrogen Application Affect Blueberry Yield or Cold Hardiness?In central Washington, nitrogen (N) management in blueberries typically consists of all N being applied prior to harvest. For early cultivars, such as Duke, this means all fertilizer is applied before the end of June, leaving a long period of growth with no supplemental N. To evaluate the potential for splitting N fertilizer applications into pre- and post-harvest timings, we conducted an experiment in a randomized complete block design with four replicates on a commercial ‘Duke’... J.R. Davenport, G.A. Hoheisel, L.W. Devetter |
3. Dairy Manure and Fertilizer Effects on Microbial Activity of an Idaho SoilDairy manure applications that have occurred in the past can have long-term lingering effects on crop production. Understanding the cause is important for current and future management practices. This study was conducted to assess selected microbial activity among past manure application rates. In a past study (2014-2016) in Kimberly Idaho, historic manure applications have been shown to have significant positive and negative effects on sugar beet production. The manure treatment history... D.D. Tarkalson, R. Dungan, D. Bjorneberg |
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. Soil SodicitySoil sodicity refers to the amount of sodium held on soil cation exchange sites. It is typically expressed either as the percentage of the soil cation exchange capacity filled with sodium ions (exchangeable sodium percentage or ESP), or as a ratio comparing exchangeable sodium to exchangeable calcium plus magnesium (sodium adsorption ratio or SAR). Our primary interest in soil sodium is its impact on soil structure. Sodium, like all soil cations, can flocculate clay particles if present in adequate... J. Walworth |
6. Water and Nitrogen Interactions in Kentucky BluegrassPressure is increasing in arid regions to conserve water, especially during drought. Turfgrass is the irrigated crop of greatest acreage in the United States and is coming under scrutiny in urban ecosystems. The purpose of this study was evaluating water use by Kentucky bluegrass (​Poa pratensis​ L.) under various irrigation and nitrogen (N) regimes. A study was conducted in an established stand of Kentucky bluegrass in Provo, UT, USA. The turfgrass was split equally into 27 plots (11... A. Hopkins, C. Campbell, B. Hopkins, N. Hansen |
7. Soil Water and Plant Canopy Sensor Technologies to Optimize Water and Nutrient UseIn many respects, agricultural technology is doing things now that were only imagined 20 to 30 years ago. Yet, grower tools that provide information and actionable knowledge on water and nutrient availability still remain a challenge. Clearly, rapid development of data transfer and processing platforms to date has provided rich maps of grower fields with overlays of location-specific information but their utility is still limited by our ability to accurately measure the parameters that are the... C. Campbell, N. Hansen, B. Hopkins, S. Evans, E. Campbell, A. Campbell, L. Rivera, D. Cobos |
8. Nitrogen and Water Interactions: Crop Production Systems Case StudiesFarmers and urban land managers have to strike a tenuous balance between achieving plant growth goals while responsibly managing natural resources. Water quality and scarcity issues are prominent concerns, along with soil quality preservation and conservation of fuel and fertilizer resources. The purpose of this presentation will be to highlight case studies where water and crop management practices were considered together to improve the efficiency of resource use. Evidences of water scarcity... B. Hopkins, N. Hansen |
9. Canola Roots of Water and Nitrogen Use Efficiency: New Lessons for PNW Wheat GrowersThe semi-arid inland Pacific Northwest (iPNW) has primarily produced wheat for 125 years due to favorable climate, soils, economics and policy drivers. Shifting drivers over the past decade related to energy, climate change, regional and global markets have created new opportunities for the integration of canola into iPNW wheat-dominated rotations. Traditional wheat grower mindsets required an agronomic reboot, forged by an understanding of canola vs. wheat physio morphology, an explosion of variety... W. Pan, T. Maaz, I. Madsen, W. Hammac, M. Reese |
10. Soil Biological Indicators of Soil Health for Soil Health AssessmentsSoil is one of our nation's most valuable resources that provides life-sustaining functions. Billions of organisms live belowground and perform critical soil processes to support plant, animal, and human health aboveground. By shifting our view of soils from an inert growing material to a biologically diverse and active ecosystem, we can help create more sustainable farms, ranches, and forests to provide the food and fiber for our rapidly growing population while protecting land, air and water... J. Moore kucera |
11. Creating Prescription Variable Rate Irrigation and Fertilization Zones: Water and Nutrient Management InteractionsVariable rate irrigation (VRI) and variable rate fertilization (VRF) technologies allow irrigation and fertilization rates to be spatially customized. VRF is widely adopted, but VRI is an emerging technology with minimal adoption. As water is often the driving force in nutrient cycling, our overall objectives are to evaluate VRI influences on VRF and vice versa; and to combine these technologies to significantly increase crop yield and quality, conserve water, and minimize environmental impacts... J. Svedin, N. Hansen, R. Kerry, R. Christensen, B. Hopkins |
12. Nitrogen and Irrigation Water Interactions in Drought Stressed Kentucky BluegrassThere is increasing pressure in arid regions to conserve water, especially during drought. Turfgrass is the irrigated crop of greatest acreage in the United States and water use for irrigating turf is coming under scrutiny in urban ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate water use and growth of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) under various irrigation and nitrogen (N) regimes. A study was conducted in an environmentally controlled growth chamber with established Kentucky... K. Russell, A. Hopkins, N. Hansen, B. Hopkins |
13. Nitrogen Management and Water Productivity of Grain Crops Under Drought or Limited IrrigationThe interactions of nitrogen management and water have been the subject of many studies that have improved crop management practices. Water scarcity however, has become a pressing contemporary challenge for agricultural and food sustainability, especially in many arid and semi-arid regions of the world. As the amount of available water for irrigation decreases, more studies must shift their focus to how nitrogen fertilizers influences water use efficiency. Numerous strategies are currently employed... S. Evans, N. Hansen, A. Blaylock |
14. Drought and Nitrogen Stress Effects on Maize Canopy TemperatureWater scarcity is a major threat to the sustainability of irrigated agriculture. Management practices, such as limited irrigation, that seek to maximize the productivity of a limited water supply are critical. Remote sensing of crop canopy temperature is a useful tool for assessing crop water status and for more precise irrigation management. However, there is potential that nutrient deficiencies could compound the interpretation of water status from leaf temperature by altering leaf color and... A. Carroll, C. Lindsey, J. Baker, B. Hopkins, N. Hansen |
15. Pecan Response to Foliar Nickel ApplicationsNew Mexico’s pecan industry is one of the state’s most important agricultural assets. In 2010, pecan growers in Dona Ana County produced 19,504 kg of pecans, on over 10,000 ha and was worth over $123 million dollars, making Dona Ana county the number one pecan producing county in the nation. Nickel (Ni) is a component of the enzyme urease which is critical for the mobilization of nitrogen within the pecan tree. Deficiency symptoms are often expressed in pecan as a “mouse-ear”... R. Flynn, R. Heerema, S. Moran duran |
16. Salt and Sediment Balances in an Irrigated Watershed in Southern IdahoThe quality of irrigation return flow in a 205,000 acre southern Idaho watershed has changed since 1970. Converting from furrow irrigation to sprinkler irrigation and installation of wetlands and sediment ponds have greatly reduced sediment loss. There is now more sediment in the irrigation water diverted into the watershed than returns to the Snake River (>100 lb a-1) compared to a net loss of 410 lb a-1 of sediment in 1971. There is also more soluble salt flowing into the watershed than... D. Bjorneberg, A. Koehn, J. Ippolito |
17. Applying a Phosphorus Risk Index in a Mixed-use Mountain WatershedSurface waters in the Wallsburg, UT watershed have been identified as a relatively high contributor of phosphorus (P) to nearby Deer Creek Reservoir. Identifying the major contributors of P is critical for developing effective management practices. Phosphorus Risk Indices have been widely developed as a tool to identify areas with high risk of P movement, but these tools have mostly been applied to watersheds dominated by agricultural land use. While agriculture is often a source of nutrient pollution,... A.W. Pearce, J. Johns, D. Robinson, N. Hansen |
18. Nitrogen Management in BlueberriesThree field trials were conducted in Corvallis, OR from 2006 to 2011 to evaluate nitrogen (N) fertilizer practices for establishment of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.). In the first trial, planted in April 2006, we compared the effects of N fertigation (injection of fertilizer through a drip system) to conventional granular fertilizer application in ‘Bluecrop’ blueberry and found that fertigation produced more growth and less salt injury in young plants than granular... D. Bryla, O. Vargas |
19. Soil Phosphorus Availability Differences Between Sprinkler and Furrow IrrigationWater flowing in irrigation furrows detaches and transports soil particles and subsequently nutrients such as phosphorus (P). To reduce the risk of erosion and offsite P transport, producers in south-central Idaho have been converting from furrow to sprinkler irrigation. We completed research on soil P dynamics in furrow versus sprinkler irrigated soils from four paired-fields in the region. Surface soils (0-2.5 inches) were obtained from fields in September following barley harvest. Furrow irrigated... J. Ippolito, D. Bjorneberg |
20. Effect of Nitrogen Rate and Cropping System on Soil Nutrient Levels in a Long-term StudyDiversified continuous cropping systems in semi-arid regions of the northern Great Plains may enhance sustainability. A study initiated in 2000 in southwest Montana was designed to evaluate crop productivity and economic returns for no- till and organic rotations that included small grains, pulses, and oilseeds. Our specific objective presented here was to compare soil nutrient differences from 2004 to 2012, to learn if economically superior rotations were building or depleting soil nutrients.... C. Jones, P. Miller, T. Rick, A. Mccauley |
21. Nutrient Efficiency Concepts for Phosphorus and PotassiumTwo measures of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) efficiency that are of interest to producers are agronomic efficiency (AE) and partial nutrient balance (PNB). Agronomic efficiency considers crop response to a nutrient addition while PNBmeasures nutrient removal to nutrient use. Proper evaluation of AE requires long term monitoring. A single, large application of P or K can, over many years, result in an AE similar to smaller, annual applications. A larger initial dose will increase... T. Murrell |
22. On-farm Trials and StatisticsNew technologies have made on-farm research easier to do. On-farm research networks exist in several states and are also being run by some national programs. These networks are becoming more common. University and/or government agency scientists and educators typically provide statistical expertise. Historical guidance for experimental design has focused on the randomized complete block design (RCBD). Statistical analyses that can be run easily are for an RCBD conducted in one site and one year.... T. Murrell |
23. Polymer Coated Urea (Duration) in Turfgrass: Impacts on Mowing, Visual, and Loss to EnvironmentFall and spring applied N fertilizer trials were conducted over two years in an effort to determine if various slow and controlled release N fertilizers were equivalent to traditional urea and to determine if a reduced rate of controlled release N could be used for improved N use efficiency. An unfertilized control was compared to sulfur coated urea (SCU), polymer and sulfur coated urea (XCU), polymer coated urea (Duration 75 or 125; DR) at 50, 75, and 100% (full) rate, and urea either applied... B. Hopkins, L. Sutton, C. Ransom, T. Blair, J. Moody, K. Manning, S. Bergsten |
24. Highbush Blueberry Response to Compost and SulfurHighbush blueberry is adapted to soils with high organic matter and acidic pH, and it is often grown in Oregon with coniferous sawdust as a soil amendment or mulch. Composts could provide an alternative to sawdust, but acidification is needed to overcome high pH. Our objectives were to (i) predict the quantity of acidity needed to reduce compost pH to 4.8 (ideal for blueberry), (ii) determine compost characteristics suited for blueberry, and (iii) evaluate plant growth response and soil pH response... D. Sullivan, R. Costello, D. Bryla, B. Strik, J. Owens |
25. Emissions of Ammonia and Greenhouse Gasses from Dairy Production Facilities in Southern IdahoIdaho is one of the top three milk producing states in the United States. While this commodity group is a very valuable part of the economy, there is concern over the impact of these production facilities on the generation of ammonia (NH3) and greenhouse gases (methane, CH4 and nitrous oxide, N2O) which are linked to air quality degradation and global warming. To gain a better understanding of the on-farm emissions from these production facilities, we monitored both cattle housing and manure... A.B. Leytem, D. Bjorneberg, R.S. Dungan |
26. Phytosiderophore Exudation from the Roots of Iron Stressed Kentucky BluegrassSome Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L., KBG) cultivars are susceptible to iron (Fe) deficiency chlorosis when grown on calcareous soils and are routinely treated with Fe fertilizers. Aesthetics could be improved and this costly practice could potentially be eliminated with the use of cultivars resistant to Fe deficiency. Grasses are known to release phytosiderophore into the rhizosphere to dissolve Fe for plant use, and this characteristic has been used to screen for resistant... B. Hopkins, E. Buxton, V. Jolley, R. Christensen |
27. Biofuel Byproducts As Nitrogen Sources for CropsThe new development of ethanol and biodiesel plants in the United States is creating a large, and potentially excessive, quantity of byproducts in the forms of distillers grains and oilseed meals. The organic nitrogen (N) compounds in these byproducts rapidly mineralize in soils, showing the potential to be used as a N fertilizer source to plants. The objective of this research is to evaluate the application of biofuel byproducts on yield, size distribution, and nutrient uptake for Russet Umatilla... A. Moore, A. Alva, H. Collins, R. Boydston |
28. Irrigated Small Grain Residue Management Effects on Soil Properties and Nutrient CyclingThe effects of straw removal from irrigated wheat and barley fields on soil properties and nutrient cycling is a concern due to its potential impact on the sustainability of agricultural production. The demand for animal bedding and the potential development of cellulosic ethanol production will likely increase straw demand in the future. Previous reviews addressing changes in soil properties when crop residues are removed focused primarily on rain-fed systems. This paper reviews published research... D. Tarkalson, B. Brown, D. Bjorneberg, H. Kok |
29. Cover Crops and Compost Amendments for Organic Grape ProductionIncreased costs of fertilizers that rely on petroleum products coupled with increased pest control and transportation costs has prompted more management practices that can make use of local waste products and utilize cover crops to reduce purchased inputs. A burgeoning wine industry could benefit from organic production techniques; however, their effects on vine growth and grape quality have not been explored in New Mexico. Alternative vineyard floor management systems were evaluated for organic... A. Ulery, R. Flynn, R. Walser, M. Weiss, S. Guldan |
30. How Variable is Variable for Production Fields in Southern Idaho?Idaho ranks in the top 10 in the US for dairy, potato, barley, hay, sugar beet, corn silage, and dry bean production. The highest producing areas in the state for these commodities are in Southern Idaho. Agricultural producers in this region, just like many other regions, are tasked with managing irrigation water and soil fertility on large fields with spatial heterogeneity in a way that results in homogeneous crop production. Management... L. Schott, C. Robison, E. Brooks, D. Bjorneberg, K. Nouwakpo |
31. Soil Greenhouse Gas Dynamics in Response to Dairy Manure Compost in an Almond OrchardApplication of dairy manure compost in soils under almond production may confer benefits such as increased carbon sequestration, improved crop nutrient use efficiency, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Elucidating the mechanisms of greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation is a primary concern in the management of agricultural soils and it is directly linked to nutrient management. Presently, agricultural soils account for 11.2% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Of particular concern is... A. Coyotl, J. Murch, S.S. Khalsa, W.R. Horwath |