NCERA59: Soil Organic Matter: Formation, Function and Management

(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)

Status: Active

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SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[01/23/2022] [02/06/2023] [12/27/2023]

Date of Annual Report: 01/23/2022

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 12/17/2021 - 12/17/2021
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2020 - 09/30/2021

Participants

Present:
Sindhu Jagadamma – Univ. of Tennessee
Will Horwath – Univ. of California-Davis
Ron Turco – Purdue Univ. – Administrative Advisor
Larry Cihacek - North Dakota State Univ.
Ann-Marie Fortuna – USDA-ARS, Oklahoma
Sandeep Kumar – USDA-NIFA Advisor
Stephen Machado – Oregon State Univ.
Rhae Djriber – Univ. of Nebraska
Michelle Wander – Univ. of Illinois
Ray Weil – Univ of Maryland
Dan Olk - USDA-ARS, Iowa

Visitors:
Rashad Alghamdi – North Dakota State Univ. - Post-Doc Associate (L. Cihacek)
Maria Batool – North Dakota State Univ. – Graduate Student (L. Cihacek)

Not Present (but submitting reports):
Thea Whitmann – Univ. of Wisconsin
Matt Ruark – Univ. of Wisconsin
Anna Cates – Univ. of Minnesota
Julie Grossman – Univ. of Minnesota
Jessica Gutknecht – Univ. of Minnesota
Carmen Ugarte – Univ. of Illinois
Jehangir Bhadha – Univ. of Florida
Mark Coyne – Univ. of Kentucky
Hannah Poffenberger – Univ. of Kentucky

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes Attachment:

Minutes of the December 17.docx

Accomplishments

Although COVID-19 restrictions were still in place in many areas the committee and its members moved forward in research, extension and outreach activities related to the committee’s objectives: Objective 1:  (a) FL KY, MN, ND and OR evaluated practices and methodologies that improve nutrient cycling and use efficiency in cropping systems; (b) FL, IL, KY, MN, OR TN, and WI contributed to determination of C storage potential of soils; (c) Fl, IL, and OR assessed the relationships between soil C and soil resilience under different cropping systems; (d) IL, ND, OR, and WI evaluate potential C and N pools as indicators of nutrient release; (e) IL evaluated practices to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions: and, (f) FL, KY, ND and OR evaluated practices to improve productivity on degraded soils. Objective 2:  IL, OR and WI evaluated assessment methods for characterization of soil C fractions and interactions between soil, microorganisms, plants and SOM. Objective 3: All reporting states were involved in extension and outreach activities regarding recommendation of practices to improve soil C, soil regeneration and sustainability in managed and undisturbed systems. Objective 4: All reporting states are involved in training the next generation of scientists by advising graduate students and postdoctoral associates. Some states (IL, OR) are collaborating with the Soil Health Institute while others are collaborating with USDA-ARS (FL, TN) or USDA-NRCS (MN, ND) as well as commodity groups or state agencies. All states reporting have been involved in various state, regional and national/international meetings, workshops and conferences.

Publications

Impact Statements

Wisconsin: The short-term outcome of this research and numerous user oriented presentations are focused on increasing user (farmer) state of knowledge regarding soil organic matter and management practices that will increase quantity and quality of soil organic matter.

Date of Annual Report: 02/06/2023

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 11/06/2022 - 11/09/2022
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2021 - 09/30/2022

Participants

Brief Summary of Minutes

Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

In Attendance: Larry Cihacek, Anna Cates, Dan Olk, Michael Castel, Julie Grossman, Jango Bhadha, Carmen Ugarte

1) Topics/proposals of interest to the committee

Potential ideas to work on a review paper (i) that deals with carbon related research, past, present, and future directions; (ii) a methods paper that highlights the strengths and weaknesses of carbon metrics; (iii) critique on methods and approaches used for quantification and enrollment in C markets.

Proposals to organize a symposium at the 2023 tri-societies meeting. Topics to consider relate to C markets, sequestration, and the metrics that the private and public sectors are using.
There are concerns that the proposed symposium might overlap with sessions on this topic that were available at the 2022 tri societies program: 1) 135 - Symposium--CrossDiv--the Future of Carbon and Ecosystem Services Markets: Gaining Perspective from Producers, Policymakers, Industry Members, Scientists, and Non-Profit Groups. 2) 325 - Putting Carbon Back Where It Came from Oral I. 3) 211 - Symposium--Special Session--Complex Science of Soil Health, Food and Nutritional Security, and Climate Change

Proposal to promote student interaction by sponsoring two sessions that would look like a symposium in the morning and lighting talks + poster session in the afternoon. This creates networking opportunities for students.

2) Proposals to re-engage and recruit new members

Onboarding new members is a priority. Some state reps have retired or as less active. There are suggestions to involve members from disciplines that overlap with foundational work on soil organic matter.

Challenge - Some of the current members are on numerous committees and so difficult to commit time to NCERA 59.

3) Format for the 2023 meeting

For 2023, the committee is eager to (i) return to in-person meetings (w virtual option) in Belle Glade, Florida; (ii) organize a symposium at the tri-societies conference.
A proposal for dates will be sent out for voting.

State reports need to be submitted in the next 60 days. Please use the attached template to prepare your state reports and send them to Carmen by December 5^th.

Accomplishments

<h3> </h3> FL:   Cultivating flooded rice in the summer as a rotation crop has shown to reduce phosphorus loads in farm canals, and also shown to improve soil quality. We have been successful in taking our research and findings beyond peer-review publications and reporting. Over the year we highlight our findings at extension events, such as field days, and open-houses, and public social events such as state fairs so that we can engage our clientele in topics related to soil health and sustainability within the region. IL:   We have maintained field and laboratory research in collaboration with researchers at other land grant institutions, Argonne National Lab, the USDA ARS, and NRCS Soil Survey Lab.  The first Organic Research Plots on the University of Illinois campus were certified in 2022. MN: The Cates lab collected on-farm soil health and soil organic and inorganic carbon data related to four graduate student projects, which they are in the midst of analyzing and writing up. Relative to assessments of soil organic matter, one student in Cates’ lab plans to study extraction efficiency of ACE protein protocol in high pH high clay soils. The Grossman lab continues two ongoing projects, one to better understand the nutrient cycling and soil health impacts of summer-planted cover crops in rotation with cool season vegetables such as broccoli and lettuce, and a second to optimize planting and termination dates for cover crop legumes in high tunnels in rotation with high value summer crops such as sweet peppers. Results of the summer cover cropping project are showing cover crops play a valuable role in capturing nitrogen that may otherwise be lost to the environment in fallow periods when no crops are present, and then later contribute this nitrogen when vegetable crops might be able to better utilize it. We are also learning that in high tunnel environments, earlier planted fall cover crops may contribute more to spring soil N, despite the trade off with pepper productivity. The Gutknecht lab began one project (see leveraged funding) and continues multiple other projects to understand how perennial and continuous living cover cropping systems may improve the ecological functioning of agricultural ecosystems. Three graduate students on related projects are completing thesis revisions, with manuscripts in final preparation or submission. In 2022 the first year of climate change treatments were implemented in a large trial including multiple annual and perennial cropping systems, with the second year of treatment in 2023. Gutknecht, Grossman, and Cates also collaborate by being on each other’s student committees, and through collaborative research projects, creating regular conversation about soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics in agricultural systems. ND:   We have demonstrated that in the cooler, drier climate of the Northern Great Plains, post-harvest crop residue left in the field tends to accumulate due to slow decomposition. We have also demonstrated that the wide C:N ratio of the residues contain low amounts of N so that during the decomposition process microbes responsible for the decomposition immobilize the N in the residue as well as soil N to effect the decomposition. We are now trying to utilize residues of potential low C:N cover crops, especially with shorter season grain crops, to offset the effects of the N immobilization and reducing the N fertilizer requirements for subsequent crops. This can reduce production costs for the farmer and also reduce the environmental impacts of the added fertilizers. Although we are early in the study, increasing the pH of very acid soils can reduce the effects of soluble Al3+ on crop root development and growth thereby improving plant productivity and more efficient use of soil nutrients and water in a semi-arid environment. Low-rate liming appears to show promise for mitigating very acid soils in order to allow the farmer to more actively manage soil acidity using other means (crop/variety selection, fertilizer type and rate adjustments, etc.). this work is continuing through 2022 and into 2023. TN: Published 7 peer-reviewed scientific articles; Delivered 7 conference and outreach presentations; Trained 2 postdocs, 3 Ph.D. students, and 2 undergraduate students in project-related areas; Leveraged 4 grants in project related areas; Participated in knowledge transfer from lab to farm

Publications

FL: Naba R. Amgain, Nan Xu, Abul Rabbany, Yuchuan Fan, Jehangir H. Bhadha. 2022. Developing soil health scoring indices based on a comprehensive database under different land management practices in Florida. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20304">https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20304</a> Naba R. Amgain, Yuchuan Fan, Matthew T. VanWeelden, Abul Rabbany, Jehangir H. Bhadha. 2022. From ground to grain: Tracing phosphorus and potassium in flooded rice cultivar grown on Histosols. Agriculture. 12, 1250.https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12081250 Naba R. Amgain, Willm Martens-Habbena, Jehangir H. Bhadha. 2022. Effect of dry and flooded rice as cover crops on soil health and microbial community on Histosols. Sustainable Agriculture Research Journal. 11: 40-49. <a href="https://doi:10.5539">https://doi:10.5539/sar.v11n4p40</a> Mohsen Tootoonchi, Lyn A. Gettys, Jason A. Ferrell, John E. Erickson, Jehangir H. Bhadha. 2022. Salt-tolerance assessment of aquatic and wetland plants: Increased salinity can reshape aquatic vegetation communities. Hydrobiologia. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-022-04934-5">https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-022-04934-5</a> Kelly Percivall, Naba R. Amgain, Kanika Inglett, Sarah L. Strauss, and Jehangir H. Bhadha. 2022. Phosphorous remediation using alginate/glomalin biobeads: Examining structural cohesivity, nutrient retention, and reapplication viability. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 10:889940. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.889940 Nan Xu, Jehangir H. Bhadha, Abul Rabbany, Stewart Swanson, James M. McCray, Yuncong C. Li, Sarah L. Strauss, and Rao Mylavarapu. 2022. Sugarcane bagasse amendments mitigate nutrient leaching from mineral soils under tropical humid conditions. Pedosphere. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedsph.2022.06.020 Chengxue Ma, Ziyu Li, Patteson Chula Mwagona, Abul Rabbany, and Jehangir H. Bhadha. 2022. Spatial and seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton groups and its relationship with environmental variables in Lake Okeechobee, USA. Journal of Freshwater Ecology. 37: 173-187. https://doi.org/10.1080/02705060.2022.2032852 Gustavo F. Kreutz, Jehangir H. Bhadha, and Germán V. Sandoya. 2022. Examining phosphorus use efficiency across different lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) accessions. Euphytica. 218, 28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-022-02973-6 Nan Xu, Naba R. Amgain, Abul Rabbany, Jay Capasso(G), Kevin Korus, Stewart Swanson, and Jehangir H. Bhadha. 2022. Interaction of soil health indicators to different regenerative farming practices on mineral soils. Agrosystems, Geosciences& Environment. 5:e20243. https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20243 Young G. Her, Tara Wade, Sawssan Boufous, Jehangir H. Bhadha, and Michael Andreu. 2022. Florida’s Agricultural Carbon Economy as Climate Action: The Potential Role of Farmers and Ranchers. University of Florida IFAS EDIS Publication. AE573. doi.org/ 10.32473/edis-AE573-2022 Gustavo F. Kreutz, Jehangir H. Bhadha, Guodong D. Liu, Marcio F. R. Resende, Alan L. Wright, D. Calvin Odero, and Germán V. Sandoya. 2021. Strategies for Improving Phosphorus Use Efficiency in Lettuce Grown on Histosols. University of Florida IFAS EDIS Publication. HS1423. doi.org/10.32473/edis-HS1423-2021 IL: Wander, M.M., and C.M. Ugarte. 2022. CH 28. Improving and understanding use of C centric practices on farms. In: Rumpel, C. Ed. Understanding and Fostering Soil Carbon Sequestration. Burleigh Dodds. Wander, M. 2022. CH 2. Soil health: definitions, history, key concepts and hurdles. In: Horwath, W. Ed. Improving Soil Health. Burleigh Dodds. Snapp, S. Ugarte, C., Hunter, D. and M. Wander. 2022. CH11 - Assessing the effects of cover crops on soil health. In: Horwath, W. Ed. Improving Soil Health. Burleigh Dodds. Xia, Y., Wander, M. M., Kwon, H., Quiring, S. M., & Yuan, S. 2022. Process-based Modeling of Soil Nitrous Oxide Emission from US Corn Fields Under Different Management and Climate Scenarios Coupled with Evaluation using Meta-summary Data and Regional Soil Moisture Estimates. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 1469. Xia, Y. and M.M. Wander, 2022. Evaluation of Indirect and Direct Scoring Methods to Relate Biochemical Soil Quality to Ecosystem Services. Soil Science Society of America. doi:10.1002/saj2.20370. Xia, Y. and M.M. Wander. 2022. Management Zone-based Estimation of Positive and Negative Nitrous Oxide Flux in Organic Corn Fields. Soil Science Society of America. 86:1043-1057. Berthelin, J., Laba, M., Lemaire, G., Powlson, D., Tessier, D., Wander, M., & Baveye, P. C. 2022. Soil Carbon Sequestration for Climate Change Mitigation: Mineralization Kinetics of Organic Inputs as an Overlooked Limitation. European Journal of Soil Science, 73(1), e13221. Wang, M., Wander, M*., Mueller, S., Martin, N., & Dunn, J. B. 2022. Evaluation of Survey and Remote Sensing Data Products used to Estimate Land Use Change in the United States: Evolving Issues and Emerging Opportunities. Environmental Science Policy, 129, 68-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2021.12.021 MN: Gutknecht, J., Journey, A., Peterson, H., Blair, H., & Cates, A. (2022). Cover crop management practices to promote soil health and climate adaptation: Grappling with varied success from farmer and researcher observations. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20383"> </a><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20383">doi: 10.1002/jeq2.20383</a> Cates, A. M., Jilling, A., Tfaily, M. M., & Jackson, R. D. (2022). Temperature and moisture alter organic matter composition across soil fractions. GEODERMA, 409. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115628"> </a><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115628">doi: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115628</a> Lewandowski*, A. M., & Cates*, A. M. (2022). Connecting soil health and water quality in agricultural landscapes. Journal of Environmental Quality. <a href="https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jeq2.20390"> </a><a href="https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jeq2.20390">https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jeq2.20390</a> Thurston, Grossman, J. (Corresponding Author), Fudge, R., Maul, J., Mirsky, S., & Weiring.  (2022) Cold stress reduces nodulation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation in winter annual legume cover crops. Plant and Soil. Perrone*, S., Grossman, J. (Corresponding Author), Liebman*, Wells, S., Sooksa-nguan, T., & Jordan, N. (2022). Effect of legume incorporation on soil organic matter dynamics in Upper Midwest row-cropping agroecosystems. Frontiers Food Systems, Special Issue: Ecological Nutrient Management as a Pathway to Zero Hunger.  Bloszies, S., Reberg-Horton, C., Heitman, J., Woodley, A., Grossman, J.M. (Corresponding Author), & Hu, S. (2022). Legume Cover Crop Type and Termination Method Effects on Labile Soil Carbon and Nitrogen and Aggregation.Agronomy Journal.   Rakkar M., J. Grossman, F. Li, G. Bergquist, J. Jungers, C. Sheaffer, J. Gutknecht. 2022. Soil health improvements from using a novel perennial grain during the transition to organic production. Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment. Reilly, EC, Gutknecht JLM, Tautges NE, Sheaffer CC, Jungers JM. 2022. Nitrogen transfer and yield effects of legumes intercropped with the perennial grain crop intermediate wheatgrass, Field Crops Research 286:108627. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2022.108627">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2022.108627</a>. ND: Alghamdi, R., and L. Cihacek.  2021. Do post-harvest crop residues in no-till systems provide for nitrogen needs of following crops? Agron. J. 2021:1-18. doi: 10.1002/agj2.20885. Alghamdi, R., L. Cihacek, A. Daigh and S. Rahman. 2021. Post-harvest crop residue contribution to soil N availability or unavailability in North Dakota. Agrosys. Geosci. Environ.2021(4):e20221. doi: 10.1002/agg2.20221 Cihacek, L., and R. Alghamdi. 2021. Some thoughts on nutrient mineralization and cycling in no-till systems. pp 33-37. Proceedings of the 51st North Central Extension-Industry Soil fertility Conference, November 17-18,2021. Des Moines, IA. Alghamdi, R., L. Cihacek and Q. Wen. 2022. Simulated cropping season effects on N mineralization from accumulated no-till crop residues. Nitrogen 3(2):149-160. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen3020011">https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen3020011</a>. TN: Patra, R., Saha, D., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Winter wheat cover crop increased subsoil organic carbon in a long-term cotton cropping system in Tennessee. Soil and Tillage Research. 224: 105521. Neupane, A., Lazicki, P., Mayes, M.A., Lee, J., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. The use of stable carbon isotopes to decipher global change effects on soil organic carbon: present status, limitations, and future prospects. Biogeochemistry. 160(3): 315-354. Wooliver, R., Kivlin, S.N., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Links among crop diversification, microbial diversity, and soil organic carbon: Mini review and case studies. Frontiers in Microbiology. 13: 854247. Singh, S., Jagadamma, S., Yoder, D., Yin, X., and Walker, F. 2021. Cropping system management responses to Cornell and Alabama soil health assessment methods in the southeastern United States. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 86 (1): 106-117. Yoder, D., Jagadamma, S., Singh, S., Nouri, A., Xu, S., Saha, D., Schaeffer, S., Adotey, N., Walker, F., Lee, J., and Budipradigdo, M. 2021. Soil health: Meaning, measurement, and value through a critical zone lens. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. Bansal, S., Yin, X., Sykes, V., Lee, J., and Jagadamma, S. 2021. Soil aggregate-associated organic carbon and nitrogen response to long-term no-till crop rotation, cover crop, and manure application. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 85 (6): 2169-2184. Nouri, A., Yoder, D.C., Raji, M., Ceylan, S., Jagadamma, S., Lee, J., Walker, F.R., Yin, X., Fitzpatrick, J., Trexler, B., Arelli, P., and Saxton, A.M. 2021. Conservation agriculture increases the soil resilience and cotton yield stability in climate extremes of the southeast US. Communications Earth & Environment 2: 155. USDA-ARS: Olk, D.C., D.L. Dinnes, and C.R. Callaway. 2022. Maize growth responses to a humic product in Iowa production fields: An extensive approach. Frontiers in Plant Science 12: Article 778603. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.7787603. Xu, Y., K.Liu, S. Yao, Y. Zhang, X. Zhang, H. He, W. Feng, G.M. Nzana, C. Chenu, D.C. Olk, J. Mao, and B. Zhang. 2022. Formation efficiency of soil organic matter from plant litter is governed by clay mineral type more than plant litter quality. Geoderma 412: Article 115727. doi.org/10.1016.geoderma.2022.115727.   Activities (Outreach and Presentations): FL: Jehangir H. Bhadha. Seminar. Everglades Agricultural Area CEAP Watershed Assessment Study. 2nd Interagency Freshwater Harmful Algal Bloom R&D Workshop. Clewiston, FL. Mar 29-31, 2022. Jehangir H. Bhadha. Seminar. Soil Sustainability: Assisting specialty crop growers. Annual Lettuce Advisory Committee Meeting. Belle Glade, FL. Mar 22, 2022. Xue Bai, Yuchuan Fan, Trista Brophy, Young Gu Her, Jehangir H. Bhadha, and Samuel Smidt. Poster. Soil depth impacts on crop production in the Everglades Agricultural Area, Florida, USA. Frontiers in Hydrology Meeting 2022 – AGU. Puerto Rico. June 19 - 24, 2022. IL: Wander, M. What is your stake in the soil health gold rush?’ Recorded presentation for the Illinois Crop Management Conference. U of I Extension at multiple locations. Jan-Feb 2022. Wander, M. Making Sense of Soil Health Metrics’ Healthy Farms, Healthy Communities, Geosim agricultural solutions. Crawfordsville IN. March 23, 2022. Ugarte, C. M., Bohn, M., Wander, M., Endres, B., Goldstein, W., Andrade, J., Mujjabi, C., Ghimire, B., & Nunez, M.  Using Systems-Based Research and Participatory Methods to Understand Management for Ecosystem Services. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD. November 8, 2022 MN: Tangen, B. (Author & Presenter) (Graduate Student), Cates, A. M. (Author), Vetsch, J. (Author), Johnson, G. (Author), Soils, Agronomy and Crops Societies of America Annual Meeting, "Assessing the effects of agricultural management on soil architecture and soil moisture in southern Minnesota," Soils, Agronomy and Crops Societies of America, Baltimore, Maryland. (November 9, 2022). Stedillie, A., Hidrobo, G., Grossman J. Soil Microbial Enzyme Activity in Organic Vegetable Rotations, University of Minnesota Undergraduate Research Symposium, Minneapolis, MN, April 13, 2022. Hidrobo, G., Grossman, J. M., Mohamed, B., Moses, E., Fernandez, A. Microbial Decomposition and Nitrogen Dynamics in Organic Vegetable Summer Cover Crop Rotations, MOSES Organic Farming Conference, Organic Research Symposium, LaCrosse, Wisconsin. (February 24, 2022). Awarded 3rd Place Conference Poster Moses, E., Fernandez, A., Hidrobo, G., and Grossman, J. (2022, November). SINful Consequences of Cover Cropping: Soil Inorganic Nitrogen (SIN) Provision and Retention by Warm-season Cover Crops in the Upper Midwest. [Oral presentation] ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MA, United States. Hidrobo, G., Moses, E., Fernandez, A., Sooksa-nguan, T. & Grossman, J. (2022, November 7-10). Microbial Biomass Dynamics during Warm-Season Cover Crop Decomposition [Poster presentation]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland. Awarded 2nd Place Conference Poster Hoffman, O., Hidrobo, G., Moses, E., Fernandez, A., Mohamed, B. & Grossman, J. (2022, November 7-10). Effect of Warm Season Cover Crop Decomposition on Soil Enzyme Activity in an Organic Vegetable System [Poster presentation]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MA, United States. Cates, A. M. (Author & Presenter), Lefebvre, M. (Author & Presenter), Soil Management Summit, "Soil carbon and ecosystem service markets," UMN Extension and MOSH, Mankato, Minnesota, United States. (December 14, 2022). Cates, A. M., CPM Short Course, "What changes to expect with reduced tillage and cover crops," UMN Extension and Minnesota Crop Production Retailers, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. (December 8, 2022). Cates, A. M., Minnesota Association of Professional Soil Scientists Annual Meeting, "Soil health: can we nudge soil formation processes?," Minnesota Association of Professional Soil Scientists, Bloomington, Minnesota. (December 2, 2022). Blair, H. (Author & Presenter) (Graduate Student), Cates, A. M. (Author), Soils, Agronomy and Crops Societies of America Annaul Meeting, "Soil Health Up North: quantifying the benefits," Soils, Agronomy and Crops Societies of America, Baltimore, Maryland. (November 7, 2022). Cates, A. M. (Author & Presenter), Blair, H. (Author) (Graduate Student), Tangen, B. (Author) (Graduate Student), Digital Cafe, "Soil Health Up North: quantifying the benefits," Soil Health Nexus, online. (September 21, 2022). Vogel, M. (Author & Presenter) (Graduate Student), Cates, A. M. (Author), Sharma, V. (Author), "Soil health and infiltration," Scott Lightly, Austin, Minnesota, United States. (September 12, 2022). Cates, A. M. (Author & Presenter), Jackson, R. (Author & Presenter), Whitefish Area Property Owners Annual Meeting, "Soil health," Whitefish Area Property Owners, Crosslake, Minnesota. (August 20, 2022). Cates, A. M. (Author & Presenter), Blair, H. (Author) (Graduate Student), Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Meeting, "Soil Health Up North: quantifying the benefits," Soil and Water Conseration Society, Denver, Colorado. (August 3, 2022). Cates, A. M. (Author & Presenter), Lewandowski, A. M. (Author & Presenter), BWSR Regional Operations Staff meeting, "MOSH Update," MN Board of Water and Soil Resources, St. Cloud, Minnesota. (July 13, 2022). Tangen, B. (Author & Presenter) (Graduate Student), Cates, A. M. (Author), Vetsch, J. (Author), Johnson, G. (Author), Southern Research and Outreach Center Crops Day, "Assessing the effects of agricultural management on soil architecture and soil moisture in southern Minnesota," Southern Research and Outreach Center, Waseca, Minnesota. (June 21, 2022). Cates, A. M. (Panelist), Jackson, R. (Panelist), Castellano, M. (Panelist), Is storing carbon in soil the answer to cutting agriculture’s contribution to climate change?, "Is storing carbon in soil the answer to cutting agriculture’s contribution to climate change?," Environmental Working Group, webinar. (June 3, 2022). Cates, A. M., North American Farm and Power Show, "Soil Health and Cover Crops," UMN Extension, Owatonna, Minnesota. (March 17, 2022). Cates, A. M. (Author & Presenter), DeJong-Hughes, J. (Author), Genex Annual Meeting, "Carbon Smart," Pipestone, Bloomington, Minnesota. (March 16, 2022). Cates, A. M. (Author & Presenter), DeJong-Hughes, J. (Author & Presenter), Strategic Farming, "Can we store C in a Production Ag system (and to what benefit?)," UMN Extension, online, Minnesota. (March 16, 2022). Cates, A. M., Understanding Soil Health, "Understanding Soil Health," Dodge, Olmsted, Mower Soil and Water Conservation District, St. Charles and Dodge Center, MN (2 in one day), Minnesota. (March 10, 2022). Cates, A. M. (Author & Presenter), Tangen, B. L. (Author) (Graduate Student), Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference, "Soil health and soil water," Ohio State University Extension, Ada, Ohio. (March 8, 2022). Cates, A. M. (Author & Presenter), DeJong-Hughes, J. (Author), Pipestone GreenStone meeting, "Carbon Smart," Pipestone, Des Moines, Iowa. (February 22, 2022). Cates, A. M. (Author & Presenter), Garcia y Garcia, A. (Author & Presenter), Strategic Farming, "Soil Health and Cover Crops," UMN Extension, online, Minnesota. (February 9, 2022). Cates, A. M. (Author & Presenter), DeJong-Hughes, J. (Author & Presenter), Lefebvre, M. (Author & Presenter), Advanced Crop Advisors Worksho, "Carbon Smart," North Dakota State University Extension, Fargo, North Dakota. (February 8, 2022). Cates, A. M., Back2Basics, "What is soil and how to protect it," Happy Dancing Turtle, Pine River, Minnesota. (January 27, 2022). Cates, A. M., Wilkin Co Cover Crop Day, "Soil health and cover crops," Wilkin Soil and Water Conservation District, Wahpeton, North Dakota. (January 20, 2022). Cates, A. M., East Otter Tail Cover Crop Day, "Soil Health and Cover Crops," East Otter Tail Soil and Water Conservation District, New York Mills, Minnesota. (January 12, 2022). Fernandez, A., Moses, E., Hidrobo, G., Grossman, J. (2022, September 21). Warm-season cover crops SARE-CIG project updates [Field day presentation]. White Earth Nation, Mahnomen, Minnesota. Paige, Z., Fernandez, A., Moses, E., and Hidrobo, G., Grossman, J. (2022, September). Cover Cropping, High Tunnels, and Soil Health 101. Workshop hosted by the White Earth Nation Food Sovereignty Initiative, Mahnohmen, MN (12 participants). Candelaria, N., Grossman, J., Fernandez, A. Rogers, M. 2022. Pollinator-Friendly Cover Cropping for Vegetable Producers in the North Central Region, a multi-page fact sheet co-branded by the Xerces Foundation and University of Minnesota. "Stories of Food: Good, Clean and Fair for All”. Grossman was featured in a 15-minute documentary discussing my research at the University of Minnesota. Produced by Slow Food Minnesota, and aired at film festivals nationally. Presented at panel to 40 individuals during United Way Green Week April 20, 2022. <a href="https://slowfoodusa.org/sf-minnesota/">https://slowfoodusa.org/sf-minnesota/</a> March 22, 2022.Fernandez, A.L., Hidrobo, G., Grossman J.  Field tour: “Cover Crop Research in Organic Vegetable Systems.” Harding High School CFANS campus visit, April 26, 2022 (25 students) Fernandez, A.L. Online presentation: “How and Why we Study Soil Health.” White Earth Tribal and Community College (course: Ecology; instructor: Allen Derks). June 16, 2022. Gutknecht, J.M. Perennial grain systems as a pathway to improved soil functioning and climate resiliency. Seminar for Pacific Northwest National Laboratories Environmental and Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL). Virtual. September 29, 2022. ND: Alghamdi, R., L. Cihacek, C. Augustin, R. Buetow, D. Landblom, and S. Senturklu. 2021. Soil acidity and aluminum toxicity in calcareous soils in semi-arid western North Dakota. 2021 ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual International Meetings, November 9, 2021. Salt Lake City, UT. Oral presentation. Cihacek L., and R. Alghamdi. 2021. Nitrogen dynamics of soybeans and soybean residues in long-term no-till production systems. 2021 ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual International Meetings, November 10, 2021. Salt Lake City, UT. Poster presentation. Cihacek, L., and R. Alghamdi. 2021. Some thoughts on nutrient mineralization and cycling in no-till systems. 51st North Central Extension-Industry Soil fertility Conference, November 18, 2021. Des Moines, IA. Oral presentation. Algamdi, R., L. Cihacek, and M. Batool. 2022. Nitrogen mineralization for no-till and tilled systems with varying rates of cover crop residues. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD. November 6-9, 2022. Poster presentation. Cihacek, L. 2022. Effects of integrated crop-grazing on soil nutrient levels. Integrated Systems, Intercropping, and Organic Matter Management Workshop. NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center, Dickinson, ND. September 14, 2022. Oral Presentation. Cihacek, L. 2022. Phosphorus mineral supplementation addition to soil phosphorus content. Integrated Systems, Intercropping, and Organic Matter Management Workshop. NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center, Dickinson, ND. September 14, 2022. Oral presentation. Berti, M, S. Cabello-Leiva, D. Franzen, L. Cihacek, T. Peters, and A. Wick. 2022. Do fall-seeded cover crops cycle nitrogen to the following cash crop? World Congress of Soil Science, Glasgow, Scotland. August 2, 2022. Poster presentation. Alghamdi, R. and L. Cihacek. 2022.  Customizing Cover Crop Species Mixes for Acid Soils. 77th SWCS International Annual Conference, Denver CO. July 31-August 3, 2022. Poster presentation. TN: Wooliver, R., Kivlin, S., McClure, A., and Jagadamma, S. 2021. Outcomes of crop diversification for soil microbial communities, soil health, and crop yields in west Tennessee. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting (Oral), November 7-10. Salt Lake City, UT. Patra, R., Saha, D., and Jagadamma, S. 2021. Long-term conservation management practices on depth distribution of soil organic carbon in croplands. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting (Oral), November 7-10. Salt Lake City, UT. Patra, R., Saha, D., and Jagadamma, S. 2021. Microbial biomass and enzymatic efficiencies as moderators of soil carbon accumulation in croplands. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting (Poster), November 7-10. Salt Lake City, UT. Lazicki, P., Lee, J., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Soil carbon storage: contributing drivers in agricultural lands in major Tennessee MLRAs. Tennessee NRCS Annual Soil Planning Meeting (Invited oral - virtual), June 2. Jagadamma, S. 2022. Climate-smart agriculture and subsoil carbon storage in the southeast US. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Seminar (Invited Oral). Lazicki, P., Lee, J., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Deep C diving: exploring how climate-smart management affects subsurface carbon in Tennessee soils. Milan No-Till Field Day, July 28, Milan, TN.  Neelipally, RTKR., Chhetri, A., Saha, D., Hawkins, S.A., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Conservation tillage in organic grain systems: challenges and opportunities. Organic Crops Unit-East Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center Field Day, April 28, Knoxville, TN.

Impact Statements

TN: Conduct research to help producers understand the best ways to manage cropping systems for increased productivity, soil health, and climate resiliency.

Date of Annual Report: 12/27/2023

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 10/30/2023 - 10/30/2023
Period the Report Covers: 01/01/2023 - 12/31/2023

Participants

Jagadamma Sindhu (sjagada1@utk.edu); Machado Stephen (stephen.machado@oregonstate.edu); Cates Anna (catesa@umn.edu); Ugarte Carmen (cugarte@illinois.edu); Wander Michelle (mwander@illinois.edu); Fortuna Ann-Marie (ann-marie.fortuna@usda.gov); Cihacek Larry (Larry. Cihacek@ndsu.edu); Olk Dan (dan.olk@usda.org); Weil Ray (rweil@umd.edu), Oztury Mehnet; Tangen Bailey (tange049@umn.edu); Jesmin Tanjila (tjesmin@ufl.edu); Batool Maria (maria.batool@ndsu.edu); Bhadha Jehangir (jango@ufl.edu)

Brief Summary of Minutes

North Dakota-Larry Cihacek: Carbon survey from E. Montana to Iowa. Nutrient cycling from crop residues. Field environment simulated no-till systems. Long-term changes in carbon from undisturbed grasslands.

Tennessee-Sindhu Jagadamma: carbon quantification, characterization, and fractionation and stability. Also assessing microbial activity. Soils are shallow Ultisols with poor fertility. Working on USDA project understanding the mechanism of deep subsurface carbon storage. Using C¹³ label carbon substrates. Subsurface carbon storage is driven by microbial activity.

Illinois-Michelle Wander & Carmen Ugarte: Does not have development of material for woody crops. Discussion related to polyculture. Conservation/control drainage impact with local farmers. Protocols for soil sampling and soil organic matter. Scaling up the number of sampling cores. Plant soil interactions in corn systems. Biomedical instrumentation to understand soil structure in soil cores.

Minnesota- Anna Cates: Working on croplands, row crops, and on the policy side related to conservation. Working on more inorganic carbon where it exists. Where mineralization of carbon in some plots lost more than 50% of carbon. Adoption of cover crops is increasing in the state.

Oregan-Steven Machado: ecosystems agronomist working on topics related to carbon sequestration, organic matter accumulation. Cover crop adoption is helping.

Iowa-Dan Olk: using extractions, and humic products to assess how it impacts plant growth. Looking at carbohydrates in plants. Also working in fragipans systems in southern Illinois.

Maryland-Ray Weil: Working on projects related to the root zone of cover crops for carbon sequestration.

Florida-Jango Bhadha: Primarily the soils are sandy, low organic matter (<2%). Adoption of cover crops is growing. Within the everglades Agricultural Area of south Florida, the soils are highly organic Histosols, and concerns about soil and carbon loss due to oxidation. Cover crops, crop rotation and cultivation of flooded rice helps to slow down oxidation.

Update on co-creation of publication (Anna-Marie Fortuna and Dan Olk)

Seeking ad hoc reviewers for monograph and subject matter guest editors. The book is becoming a Soil Science Society of America Journal special section.

Student participation within NCERA 59

We encourage student and postdoctoral participation in NCERA 59. We had three graduate students and one postdoc attend the meeting in St. Louis, MO.

Other items

We discussed the possibility of coinciding next year’s annual meeting with the Soil Ecology Society to be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Encourage new, junior faculty to join the group so that we can continue the momentum of working on the topic of soil organic matter.

Consider submitting a proposal for a session on the topic of soil organic matter/root zone interactions for next year ASA-CSA-SSSA meeting.

Accomplishments

Short-term Outcomes: North Dakota – (i) Slow residue decomposition in Northern Great Plains no-till production reduces N cycling from post-harvest residues and favors N immobilization and reduced N availability to subsequent crops. (ii) Soil acidification in Northern Great Plains soils is increasing due to shifting cropping patterns, increased fertilizer usage and reduced tillage or no-tillage. However, low rates of lime (2-4 T/A) appear to slowly mitigate the acidification. Tennessee - Conduct research to advance fundamental and applied knowledge on the best ways to manage cropping systems for increased productivity, soil health, and climate resiliency. Florida - The goal of the cover crop project is to shadow the regenerative farming practices of individual growers and assess changes in soil health indicators pre- and post-treatment. For example, soil samples are collected before cover crops are planted, and right after the cover crop is either harvested or pressed. Soil health indicators measured include, pH, bulk density, maximum water holding capacity, organic matter, active carbon, cation exchange capacity, soil protein, and nutrients (total and mehlich-3 extractable). The adoption of cover crops such as sunn hemp and cow peas during summer (fallow period) in south Florida has shown to increase soil organic matter, and maximum water holding capacity. The application of organic amendments such as bagasse as a soil amendment is proving to be a good practice for local growers planting sugarcane particularly on sandy mineral soils with very low organic matter (<2%). Number of growers indicating adoption of cover crop - 7. Number of growers reporting reduction in pesticide, fertilizer use – 2. Land area under cover crop ranges from 240 – 3800 Acreage. Land under cover cropping for individual growers ranges from 10-80%. Outputs: Tennessee – (a) Soil organic carbon storage in topsoil and subsoil are controlled by different microbial functional traits. In the topsoil, microbial biomass carbon and particulate organic carbon are the major drivers and, in the subsoil, mineral-associated organic carbon was the major driver for the total soil organic carbon storage. (b) By conducting a global meta-analysis, we have shown that cover cropping can improve both particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon in an average of about five years. © We also found that manganese and nitrogen enrichment accelerated decomposition and loss of carbon from plant residues and increased the recovery of the decomposed carbon in mineral-associated soil fraction.  Activities: Minnesota – (a) The Cates lab collected on-farm soil health and soil organic and inorganic carbon data related to four graduate student projects. One paper on using the Haney soil health test to discern differences in soil drainage status was published. Two papers related to on-farm soil health analyses led by PhD graduate Blair were just submitted. (b) The Gutknecht lab continues multiple projects to understand how perennial and continuous living cover cropping systems may improve the ecological functioning of agricultural ecosystems. Four graduate students on related projects have successfully defended their theses, with manuscripts in final preparation or submission. In 2023 the second year of climate change treatments were implemented in a large trial including multiple annual and perennial cropping systems, with analysis underway and a postdoc to be hired soon to develop proposals. © Gutknecht and Cates also collaborate by being on each other’s student committees, and through collaborative research projects, creating regular conversation about soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics in agricultural systems. Milestones: Tennessee – (a) Published 7 peer-reviewed scientific articles. (b) Delivered 11 conference and outreach presentations. (c) Trained 3 postdocs, 2 Ph.D. students, 1 research associate, and 4 undergraduate students in project-related areas. (d) Leveraged 4 grants in project related areas. (e) Participated in knowledge transfer from lab to scientific community and stakeholders

Publications

Singh, S., Jagadamma, S., Yoder, D., Yin, X., and Walker, F. 2023. A weighted soil health index approach for refined assessment of soil health in cropping systems. Frontiers in Soil Science, 3:1118526. Lazicki, P., Lee, J., Mengistu, A., and Jagadamma, S. 2023. Drought, heat, and management interact to affect soil carbon and nitrogen losses in a temperate, humid climate. Applied Soil Ecology, 189: 104947. Wooliver, R., and Jagadamma, S. 2023. Response of soil organic carbon fractions to cover cropping: A meta-analysis of agroecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 351: 108497. Li, X., Lazicki, P., Neelipally, R.T., Walker, F.R., and Jagadamma, S. 2023. Can surface-applied biochar improve soil health and plant performance in a perennial cool-season grass forage system? Soil Science Society of America Journal, 87: 656-668. Singh, S., Mayes, M.A., Kivlin, S.N., and Jagadamma, S. 2023. How the Birch effect differs in mechanisms and magnitude due to soil texture. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 179: 108973. Neupane, A., Herndon, E.M., Whitman, T., Faiia, A.M., and Jagadamma, S. 2023. Manganese effects on plant residue decomposition and carbon distribution in soil fractions depend on soil nitrogen availability. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 178: 108964. Xu, S., Jagadamma, S., Cui, S., Oakes, R.N., and Kubesch, J.O.C. 2023. Forage species composition influenced soil health in organic forage transitioning systems. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 342: 108228. Woeltjen, S., J. Gutknecht, and J. Jungers. 2024. Age-related changes in root dynamics of a novel perennial grain crop. Grassland Research, accepted. Dobbratz, M., J. Jungers, J. Gutknecht. 2023. Seasonal Plant Nitrogen Use and Soil N pools in Intermediate Wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium). Agriculture. 13, 468 Batool, M., L. J. Cihacek and R. Alghamdi, 2023 Carbon dynamics in three land managements in the northern Great Plains. Submitted to the 2023 NCSS National Conference, July 8-14, 2023. Bismarck, ND  Batool, M., L. Cihacek, and R. Alghamdi. 2023. Carbon dynamics in three land management systems in the northern Great Plains. Paper # 161. 2023 SWCS International Annual Conference. August 3-6, 2023. Des Moines IA. Miller, R. O., Cihacek, L. J., & Sawyer, D. (2023) Uncertainty in Soil Carbon Capture: Why Results Reporting Matters [Abstract]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. <a href="https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/153993">https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/153993</a> (Oral) Batool, M., Cihacek, L. J., & Alghamdi, R. (2023) Variation of Organic and Inorganic Carbon Stocks with Depth Under Three Land Management Systems in North-Central South Dakota [Abstract]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. <a href="https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/149743">https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/149743</a> (Oral) Cihacek, L. J., Malimbayeva, A., Batyrbek, M. (2023) Effects of Soil Management on Phosphatase Activity in Maize in Long-Term Crop Rotations [Abstract]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. <a href="https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/151861">https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/151861</a>(Poster) Alghamdi, R., Senturklu, S., Landblom, D., Cihacek, L. J. (2023) Soil Health Using Haney Biological Analysis in Calcareous Soils in Semi-Arid Environments [Abstract]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. <a href="https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/153051">https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/153051</a> (Poster) Fan, Y., Zhuang, J., Essington, M., Zhang, X., Hua, G., Bhadha, J.H., Xia, S., Lu, X., Lee, J. 2023. Characterizing the role of hydraulic retention time on nitrate removal indices in denitrifying bioreactors by nonlinear models. Environmental Technology & Innovation. 32: 103431. <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.1016%2Fj.eti.2023.103431&data=05%7C01%7Cmmburrus%40ufl.edu%7C336ad73f431849ad143308dbe6148671%7C0d4da0f84a314d76ace60a62331e1b84%7C0%7C0%7C638356748052729562%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=dWAPSfV9d4ovs4OFhwgpWc1SXIj2tPGjtoTxg4CBQlI%3D&reserved=0">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2023.103431</a> Yuchuan, F., Essington, M., Zhuang, J., Zhang, X., Jagadamma, S., Schwartz, J., Huang, J., Bhadha, J.H., Lee, J. 2023. Recycling silage leachate and biochar for improving nitrate removal by woodchip bioreactor. Journal of Environmental Management. <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.1016%2Fj.jenvman.2023.118735&data=05%7C01%7Cmmburrus%40ufl.edu%7C74e484d459a3446ed50608db9f3d3cd4%7C0d4da0f84a314d76ace60a62331e1b84%7C0%7C0%7C638278857577644210%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2BeFQd4EZutohPqURhxwwRWFwy3hrwwXvShpX0QZgsmQ%3D&reserved=0">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118735</a> Vieira-Filho, L.O., Silveira, M.L., Kohmann, M.M., Sales, C.A.R., Sollenberger, L.E., Bhadha, J.H., Strauss, S.L., Moriel, P. 2023. Water table effect on phosphorus solubility in biosolids-amended soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal. <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.1002%2Fsaj2.20568&data=05%7C01%7Cmmburrus%40ufl.edu%7C74e484d459a3446ed50608db9f3d3cd4%7C0d4da0f84a314d76ace60a62331e1b84%7C0%7C0%7C638278857577644210%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=fuMiqsWBU%2B1JtMJM9ochEGW0Qo8G0FKBCEP152N9aFQ%3D&reserved=0">https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20568</a> Xu, N., Amgain, N.R., Rabbany, A., McCray, J.M., Li, Y., Strauss, S.L., Mylavarapu, R., Bhadha, J.H. 2023. Field incubation studies on nutrient mineralization of bagasse on Spodosols and Histosols in Florida. Agriculture. 13:975. <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.3390%2Fagriculture13050975&data=05%7C01%7Cdstevens55%40ufl.edu%7Cc54bd5e6f0cf403bc29a08db47f00dda%7C0d4da0f84a314d76ace60a62331e1b84%7C0%7C0%7C638182868591864832%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qNdeTYxeRBwsIx6QhU9Owf5hjPOlJQSFpcOLWuS%2BgrM%3D&reserved=0">https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13050975</a> Bhadha, J.H., Xu, N., Amgain, N.R., Rbbany, A., Swanson, S. 2023. Utilization of bagasse as a soil amendment in sugarcane production on mineral soils in Florida. International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists. 31: 130–137.  Kreutz, G.F. Bhadha, J.H., Liu, G.D., Sandoya, G.V. 2023. Identifying lettuce accessions for efficient use of phosphorus in hydroponics. HortScience. 58: 467-474. <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.21273%2FHORTSCI17040-22&data=05%7C01%7Cdstevens55%40ufl.edu%7Ceee29311b59540c8fb0308db2a111e75%7C0d4da0f84a314d76ace60a62331e1b84%7C0%7C0%7C638150025228327527%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=M6MVGlI5e9%2FSH6flRZbMDmlp0LKpYfK2W%2F9N%2Bz9icY4%3D&reserved=0">https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI17040-22</a>  Bhadha, J.H., Clark, M., Andreu M., Fan, Y., Wade, T., Her, Y-G. 2023. Capitalizing on carbon. University of Florida IFAS EDIS Publication. #AE582. <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.32473%2Fedis-AE582-2023&data=05%7C01%7Cdstevens55%40ufl.edu%7Cd6f2d1367ce641233ae308db24b12671%7C0d4da0f84a314d76ace60a62331e1b84%7C0%7C0%7C638144115485683059%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=sKI6ttcjQbU5ra7yhIM4U3a8zvf4nmccOAiuWRHfhK0%3D&reserved=0">doi.org/10.32473/edis-AE582-2023</a> McLamore, E., Duckworth, O., Boyer, T.H., Marshall, A-M., Call, D.F., Bhadha, J.H. Guzman, S. 2023. Perspective: Phosphorus monitoring must be rooted in sustainability frameworks spanning material scale to human scale. Water Research X. 19: 100168. <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.1016%2Fj.wroa.2023.100168&data=05%7C01%7Cdstevens55%40ufl.edu%7C281607ff0d9449192fa108db05f5a952%7C0d4da0f84a314d76ace60a62331e1b84%7C0%7C0%7C638110324883537947%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MtskviknOKoWYb4UIhaLHtNCfTp2L3Nuoz9ZeCCPxxI%3D&reserved=0">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wroa.2023.100168</a>   Presentations: Jagadamma, S. 2023. Deep soil carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change. Notre Dame's-Environmental Change Initiative 2023 Virtual Spring Seminar Series. February 1 (Invited, Virtual). Wooliver, R., Kivlin, S.N., McClure, A., Lee, J., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Soil microbial communities, soil carbon, and crop yields after two years of crop diversification in Tennessee. ASA-CSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting (Poster), November 6-9, Baltimore, MD. Neupane, A., Herndon, E.M., Whitman, T., Faiia, A.M., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Manganese and nitrogen coupled interaction on plant residue decomposition and soil carbon cycling. ASA-CSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting (Oral), November 6-9, Baltimore, MD. Lazicki, P., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Deep C Diving: Exploring how soil health management affects subsurface carbon in Tennessee soils. ASA-CSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting (Poster), November 6-9, Baltimore, MD. Neelipally, RTKR., Saha, D., Cui, S., Hawkins, S.A., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Organic grain rotational systems for agronomic and soil health outcomes. ASA-CSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting (Poster), November 6-9, Baltimore, MD. Patra, R., Saha, D., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Microbial functional traits regulating subsoil organic carbon distribution under long term no tillage and cover cropping practices. ASA-CSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting (Poster), November 6-9, Baltimore, MD. Jagadamma, S. 2022. Climate-smart agriculture and subsoil carbon storage in the southeast US, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, September 9 (Invited). Patra, R., Saha, D., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Do subsoil organic carbon under deep-rooted cover cropping systems increases from microbial community composition associated with C cycling? ESA and CSEE Annual Meeting (Oral), August 14-19, Montreal, Canada.   Osmond, D.L., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. What does soil health mean in the southern United States: challenges and opportunities. ASA-CSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting (Invited Oral), November 6-9, Baltimore, MD. Osmond, D.L., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. What does soil health mean in the southern United States: challenges and opportunities. Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference (Invited Oral), July 31-August 3, Denver, CO. Neelipally, RTKR., Saha, D., Cui, S., Hawkins, S.A., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Designing efficient organic grain rotation systems for soil health and crop productivity in Tennessee. American Society of Agronomy Southern Branch Annual Meeting (Poster), February 12-14, New Orleans, LA. Tangen, B. (Author & Presenter) (Graduate Student), Cates, A. M. (Author), Vetsch, J. (Author), Johnson, G. (Author), Soils, Agronomy and Crops Societies of America Annual Meeting, "Assessing the effects of agricultural management on soil architecture and soil moisture in southern Minnesota," Soils, Agronomy and Crops Societies of America, St Louis, MO (October 29 2023). Gutknecht, J. (Presenter), Link. E., and Jungers J. Perennial crops to improve soil health and sustain yields for climate extremes. Oral presentation to the Agronomy Society of America annual conference. October 29-November 1, Saint Louis MO. Gutknecht, J., and A.M. Cates (Presenters). Soil Microbes and Organic Matter Formation. Outreach presentation to the MN Board of Water and Soil Resources fall “Academy”, Brainerd, MN, U.S.A. (October 24, 2023). Cihacek, L. 2022. Effects of integrated crop-grazing on soil nutrient levels. Integrated Systems, Intercropping, and Organic Matter Management Workshop. NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center, Dickinson, ND. September 14, 2022. ( Invited Oral) Cihacek, L. 2022. Update on soil acidity as a soil health issue. 2022 NDSU Extension Fall Conference, November 2, 2022.  Holiday Inn, Fargo, ND. (Oral). Alghamdi, R., L. Cihacek, C. Augustin, R. Buetow, D. Landblom, and S. Senturklu. 2022. Soil acidity and liming of traditionally calcareous soils in the Northern Great Plains. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD. November 6-9, 2022. (Poster) Algamdi, R., L. Cihacek, and M. Batool. 2022. Nitrogen mineralization for no-till and tilled systems with varying rates of cover crop residues. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD. November 6-9, 2022. (Poster) Cihacek, L. 2022. Linkages between soils, plants, animal and human health. 2022 ND Chapter SWCS Annual Workshop and Business Meeting. December 7, 2022. Carrington, ND. (Invited oral). Batool, M., L. J. Cihacek and R. Alghamdi, 2023 Carbon dynamics in three land managements in the northern Great Plains. Submitted to the 2023 NCSS National Conference, July 8-14, 2023. Bismarck, ND. Batool, M., L. Cihacek, and R. Alghamdi. 2023. Carbon dynamics in three land management systems in the northern Great Plains. Paper # 161. 2023 SWCS International Annual Conference. August 3-6, 2023. Des Moines IA. Miller, R. O., Cihacek, L. J., & Sawyer, D. (2023) Uncertainty in Soil Carbon Capture: Why Results Reporting Matters. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. <a href="https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/153993">https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/153993</a> (Oral) Batool, M., Cihacek, L. J., & Alghamdi, R. (2023) Variation of Organic and Inorganic Carbon Stocks with Depth Under Three Land Management Systems in North-Central South Dakota [Abstract]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. <a href="https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/149743">https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/149743</a> (Oral) Cihacek, L. J., Malimbayeva, A., Batyrbek, M. (2023) Effects of Soil Management on Phosphatase Activity in Maize in Long-Term Crop Rotations [Abstract]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. <a href="https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/151861">https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/151861</a>(Poster) Alghamdi, R., Senturklu, S., Landblom, D., Cihacek, L. J. (2023) Soil Health Using Haney Biological Analysis in Calcareous Soils in Semi-Arid Environments [Abstract]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. <a href="https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/153051">https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/153051</a> (Poster) Cihacek, L. 2023. Linkages between soil, plant animal and human health. Mekong One Health Innovation Program (MOHIP) Webinar No. 9. Michigan State University. October 19, 2023. (Zoom) Lunch and Learn with the Ag Teachers. Presentation related to soil sustainability and nutrient management at the subsidence post. December 15, 2023. (23 attendees) Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation personnel tour of south Florida. Presentation related to soil sustainability and nutrient management at the subsidence post. November 20, 2023. (14 attendees)

Impact Statements

Activities: Minnesota – (a) Cates et al. research focused on soil organic matter and aggregate dynamics in MN cropping systems, with an emphasis on water behavior as an item of interest for farmers considering soil health practices. (b) The Gutknecht lab identified site specific changes in soil physical and biological properties in perennial grain versus annual cropping systems in MN, and collaborated with Cates in on farm soil health analysis. These projects continue to have a strong focus on climate change adaptation (simulating severe weather conditions) or mitigation of greenhouse gases. (c) Gutknecht and Cates presented at the BWSR academy (see below) to a very engaged audience about practices that can improve soil microbial life and soil organic matter formation. Florida - Conduct research and outreach efforts in the field of soil health and sustainability within the state of Florida. Assisting growers adapt and adopt regenerative farming practices such as cover cropping, crop rotation, and application of organic amendments, that increases soil organic matter and improves overall soil quality. Milestones: North Dakota – (i) We have demonstrated that in the cooler, drier climate of the Northern Great Plains, post-harvest crop residue left in the field tends to accumulate due to slow decomposition. We have also demonstrated that the wide C:N ratio of the residues contain low amounts of N so that during the decomposition process microbes responsible for the decomposition immobilize the N in the residue as well as soil N to effect the decomposition. We are now in the third season of utilizing residues of potential low C:N cover crops, especially with shorter season grain crops, to offset the effects of the N immobilization and reducing the N fertilizer requirements for subsequent crops in a controlled field environment. This can reduce production costs for the farmer and also reduce the environmental impacts of the added fertilizers. (ii) Although we are early in the study, increasing the pH of very acid soils can reduce the effects of soluble Al3+ on crop root development and growth thereby improving plant productivity and more efficient use of soil nutrients and water in a semi-arid environment. Low-rate liming appears to show promise for mitigating very acid soils in order to allow the farmer to more actively manage soil acidity using other means (crop/variety selection, fertilizer type and rate adjustments, etc.). This work is continuing through 2023. This work has also leveraged a “hula-hoop” study by another research group utilizing replicated “hula-hoops” to delineate the study units with each unit being characterized for acidity in detail and differing rates of lime being applied to each unit. This study is being carried out at 15 different sites across North Dakota. Indicators: North Dakota – (a) Heavy crop residue accumulation in cooler climates can cause a greater need for N fertilizers because of soil N immobilization during decomposition. (b) Utilizing cover crop residues for their low C:N ratios can potentially mitigate soil N immobilization while reducing the need of additional fertilizer applications in No-till systems. (c) Utilization of low rate liming can be an economical means to manage soil acidity and maintaining or improving crop productivity as agricultural production practices intensify. Florida - Cultivating flooded rice in the summer as a rotation crop has shown to reduce phosphorus loads in farm canals, and also shown to improve soil quality. We have been successful in taking our research and findings beyond peer-review publications and reporting. Over the year we highlight our findings at extension events, such as field days, and open-houses, and public social events such as state fairs so that we can engage our clientele in topics related to soil health and sustainability within the region.