NC174: Management of Eroded Soils for Enhancement of Productivity and Environmental Quality

(Multistate Research Project)

Status: Inactive/Terminating

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SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[12/20/2002]

Date of Annual Report: 12/20/2002

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 07/17/2002 - 07/18/2002
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2001 - 09/01/2002

Participants

Tom Fenton - Iowa State University

Rattan Lal - Ohio State University

Birl Lowery - University of Wisconsin

Randy Miles - University of Missouri

Del Mokma - Michigan State University

John Moncrief - University of Minnesota

Ken Olson - University of Illinois

Tom Schumacher - South Dakota State University

Gary Steinhardt - Purdue University

Kevin McSweeny(Administrative Advisor) - University of Wisconsin

Absent:

Larry Cihacek - North Dakota State University

Tom Kaspar - ARS-Soil Tilth Lab

Additional Meeting Date: November 10, 2002, Indianapolis IN

Participants

Tom Fenton - Iowa State University

Tom Kaspar - ARS-Soil Tilth Lab

Rattan Lal - Ohio State University

Birl Lowery - University of Wisconsin

Randy Miles - University of Missouri

Ken Olson - University of Illinois

Tom Schumacher - South Dakota State University

Kevin McSweeny(Administrative Advisor) - University of Wisconsin

Brief Summary of Minutes

The meeting was held in Indianapolis on 17 and 18 July, 2002. Minutes may be viewed at http://plantsci.sdstate.edu/nc174/

Minutes Attachment:

Attachment

Accomplishments

Illinois In 1989, a 13-year conservation tillage system project was initiated at the Dixon Springs Agricultural Center. A corn-soybean rotation under 3 treatments (no-till, chisel plow (conservation tillage), and moldboard plow) was established on a backslope with an average gradient of 6%. Tillage accelerates the erosion of sloping lands and decreases soil productivity. Surface crop residue levels were significantly higher in the NT system compared to CP and MP systems, which provided better protection against water erosion. The annual estimated soil loss during the thirteen-year period was 7.9, 21.1, and 29.5Mg/ha in NT, CP and MP systems, respectively. Based on 13-years of crop yield measurements (7 years com and 6 years soybean), the NT system appears to result in improved long-term productivity compared to MP and CP systems by reducing soil erosion Indiana This is the third data year of a cover crop experiment on Rawson loam on the Northeast Purdue Agricultural Center. It has moderate to severe erosion over the entire site from previous farming. Cover crops have not been typically used in this part of Indiana because of cool and wet conditions in the spring. This study will allow us to see the potential and the limitations for cover crops on well drained soil as an erosion or soil building practice. Continuous corn is the cropping system. Iowa A statewide index of organic carbon content to a depth of 1 meter for the major soil map units in the state is being developed. Existing organic carbon data will be used. Bulk density (1/3 bar) values will be calculated based on limited existing data and a prediction model utilizing particle size and soil strength. Analyses of soil properties influencing EM-38 readings are continuing. Michigan The study continued on Marlette soils (fine-loamy, mixed, mesic, Glossoboric Hapludalf). Three plots on each erosion class (slight, moderate and severe) were split to study the use of mulch to maintain and/or increase corn yields on severe and moderately eroded soils. Wheat straw mulch was applied annually at the rate of 2.5 tons per acre after planting. Grain yields and stand counts tended to be less for the mulched plots than for the unmulched plots Animal damage occurred on some mulched plots. Stover yields were slightly less for the mulched plots than for the respective unmulched plots. Precipitation was below normal in 1999 and above normal in 2000 and 2001. Minnesota Gravel inlets were installed at three sites being cropped in a corn-soybean rotation. to evaluate the effect of the gravel on flow and contaminant losses into the drainage system. As in 2001 snowmelt concentrations of contaminants associated with sediment were similar above and below the gravel. During the five major rainfall events sediment concentrations in runoff delivered to the inlets were much higher than during snowmelt but decreased as the corn and soybean crops developed. The concentrations of particulate contaminants in runoff were reduced by the gravel. Soluble contaminants increased during rainfall runoff events that resulted in ponding above the inlets. Missouri Soybean cyst nematode populations on historical Sanborn Field are larger in soil/cropping systems that have soybeans more often in the rotation, have smaller available K levels, and tend to have greater erosion. A summary a corn-soybean-wheat-red clover rotation on Sanborn Field for the past 12 years in which the "new rotation" was initiated at the start of the second century of Sanborn Field. Soybean yields have decreased over this 12-year period . North Dakota A cooperative project utilizing historical soil test and soil survey data to estimate soil carbon storage for the MLRAs in North Dakota. was completed. Data were compiled for three 5-year periods from 1985 through 2000. Annual C storage and average C storage in each 5-year period was determined by county. Only the C stored in upper 15 cm of the soil was estimated. Changes in C storage were variable among MLRAs.The greatest increases were in MLRA‘s 54 and 58C due to a significant decrease in crop-fallow culture and an increase in continuous cropping practices. The decreases in MLRAs 55A and 55B are most likely due to several years of excessive rainfall in spring. Ohio Experiments on effects of amendments on restoration of eroded/scalped soils were continued at two locations in central Ohio. At Columbus, the effects of three topsoil depths and two fertilizer treatments on corn grain and stover were studied. The effect of fertility treatments on corn grain yield was not significant. Conclusions are: (i) severe soil erosion leading to the truncation/complete removal of topsoil has drastic adverse impact on crop grain yield, (ii) the loss in yield due to topsoil removal cannot be compensated by addition of either inorganic or organic fertilizers. At South Charleston there was no effect of TSD on corn grain or stover yields. Conclusions are: (i) severe soil erosion leading to truncation/complete removal of topsoil has no effect on corn grain or stover yield, and (ii) crop response to inorganic fertilizers is more than that to organic manure. South Dakota Terrain patterns were measured near Cyrus MN using landscape, plant, and integrated soil property approaches. Yield measurements were taken in a 10 m x 10 m grid in the 4 ha study site located in a 16 ha field. A relatively strong association of tillage and water erosion patterns with spring wheat yields was attributed to: a direct relationship of past erosion and regions of varying topsoil depth. Indirect relationships were those of tillage erosion tending to occur where there is thinner topsoil and therefore reduced depth to dense subsoils and areas of high erosion potential tending to be associated with runoff and therefore with regions of less water recharge. USDA-ARS-National Soil Tilth Laboratory Factor analysis was used to characterize the relationship between soil and terrain properties of a 16 ha field in central Iowa. Based on the factor loadings of the 20 variables included in the analysis, four factors were characterized as the soil texture and organic matter factor, the pH and Fe factor, the shoulder position factor, and the closed depression factor. These factors were then used in a stepwise regression analysis to describe corn and soybean yields in wet and dry years. The analysis showed that closed depressions and pH were more important in the wet years and that soil texture and shoulder landscape positions were more important in the dry years. Additionally, the soil pH factor was relatively more important for soybean yields than for corn yields. Wisconsin Soil erosion has played a significant role in reshaping the landscape of Southwestern Wisconsin. For more than 15 years the impact of erosion on soil productivity has been studied. The productivity of soils on this landscape is closely linked to loess thickness. With detailed records of yield and water availability the results can be extended from research plots to other parts of the landscape. A system of mapping soils at the landscape scale using a soil penetrometer was developed. Penetrometers readings were taken for up to 1.3 m depth on 10 m intervals. Using spatial statistical techniques a three-dimensional representation was constructed and compared to other areas to predict the impact of erosion on soil productivity at a landscape scale. The three-dimensional (3-D) soil map data was used to display soil carbon distribution. The impact of erosion on this landscape is much greater than previously anticipated. We have used the3-D map to evaluate carbon distribution.

Publications

Brevik, Eric C., Thomas E. Fenton, and Robert Horton. 2002. Effect of Daily Soil Temperature Fluctuations on Soil Electrical Conductivity as Measured with the Geonics. EM-38. Precision Agriculture. accepted pending revision.</DIR> </DIR> Brevik, Eric C., Thomas E. Fenton, and Andreas Lazari. 2002 Differences in EM-38 Readings Taken Above Crop Residues Versus Readings Taken With Instrument-Ground Contact. Precision Agriculture. In press. Brevik, Eric C., Thomas E. Fenton, and Dan B. Jaynes. Evaluation of the Accuracy of a Central Iowa Soil Survey and Implications for Precision Soil Management. Precision Agriculture. 2002. In press. Brevik, Eric C., Thomas E. Fenton, and Louis P. Moran. 2002. Effect of Soil Compaction on Organic Carbon Amounts and Distribution, South-Central Iowa. Environmental Pollution 116: S137-S141. Gennadiyev, A.N., K.R. Olson, R.L. Jones and S. Chernyanskii. 2002. Quantitative assessment of erosion-accumulation phenomenon in soils using a technogenic magnetic marker. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 35:17-29. Hadley, C.I., K.R. Olson, G. Bollero, and G.E. Pepper. 2002. Predicting forage yields using properties of Illinois soils. Pakistan Journal of Agronomy 1(1):1-8. Hopkins, J., R. Lal, and K. Wiebe. 2001. Dynamic economic management of soil erosion, nutrient depletion, and productivity in the North Central USA. Land Degradation & Development 12: 305-318. Jacinthe, P.A. and R. Lal. 2001. A mass balance approach to assess carbon dioxide evolution during erosional events. Land Degradation & Development 12: 329-339. Jacinthe, P.A., R. Lal and J. Kimble. 2002. Carbon budget and seasonal carbon dioxide emission from a central Ohio Luvisol as influenced by wheat residue amendment. Soil & Tillage Research 67: 147-157. Jacinthe, P.-A., R. Lal and J.M. Kimble. 2002. Carbon dioxide evolution in runoff from simulated rainfall on long-term no till and plowed soils in southwestern Ohio. Soil & Tillage Research 66: 23-33. Kaspar, T.C., T.S. Colvin, D.B. Jaynes, D.L. Karlen, D.E. James, D.W. Meek, D. Pulido, and H. Butler. 2003. Relationship between six years of corn yields and terrain attributes. Prec. Agric. 4:87-101 Olson, K.R., A.N. Gennadiyev, R.L. Jones and S. Chernyanskii. 2002. Erosion patterns on cultivated and reforested hillslopes in Moscow region, Russia. Soil Science Society of America Journal 66:193-201. Olson, K.R, R.L. Jones, A.N. Gennadiyev,, S. Chernyanskii, W. I. Woods and J.M. Lang. 2002. Accelerated erosion of a Mississippian Mound at Cahokia Site in Illinois. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 66:1911-1921. Olson, K.R., R.L. Jones, A.N. Gennadiyev, S. Chernyanskii, and W.I. Woods. 2002. Soil formation on a Mississippian mound in Illinois, USA., 17th World Congress Soil Science. Symposium 18. Bangkok, Thailand. p. 265.1- 265.11. Pikul J.L., Jr., L. Carpenter-Boggs, M. Vigil, T.E. Schumacher, M.J. Lindstrom, W.E. Riedell. 2001. Crop yield and soil condition under ridge and chisel-plow tillage in the northern Corn Belt, USA. Soil Tillage Research 60:21-33. Woolery, M. E., K. R. Olson, J. Dawson, and G. Bollero. 2002. Using soil properties to predict forest productivity in southern Illinois. J Soil Water Conservation 57:37-45. Proceedings Arriaga , F.J., D.J. Reinert, B. Lowery, and K. McSweeney. 2002. Development of three dimensional maps of eroded soil with data from a profile cone penetrometer. International Union of Soil Science, 17th World Congress of Soil Science, Bangkok, Thailand. Arriaga, F.J., and B. Lowery. 2002. A three-dimensional representation of soil profile depth and crop yield over and eroded landscape. International Soil Conservation Organization, 12th Conference, Beijing, China. Kaspar, T.C., T.S. Colvin, D.B. Jaynes, D.L. Karlen, D.E. James, D.W. Meek, D. Pulido, and H. Butler. Estimating corn yield using six years of yield data and terrain attributes. In P.C. Robert et al. (ed.) Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Precision Agriculture and Other Resource Management, Bloomington, MN. 16-19 July 2000. [CD-ROM] Moncrief, J.F. and N.C. Hansen. 2002. Managing Soil and Water for Crop Production and Meeting Water Quality Challenges. Proceedings of the 1st annual Agricultural Drainage and Water Quality Field Day, College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN pg 18-29. Olson K.R. and R. L Jones. 2001. Use of fly ash as time marker in soil erosion and sedimentation studies. p. 1059-1061 In. D.E. Stott, R.H. Mohtar and G.C. Pikul, J.L., Jr., T.E. Schumacher, M. Vigil. 2001. Nitrogen use and carbon sequestered by corn rotations in the northern corn belt, U.S. In Optimizing Nitrogen Management in Food and Energy Production and Environmental Protection: Proceedings of the International Nitrogen Conference on Science and Policy. The Scientific World 1 (S2), 707-713. Steinhardt (eds). Sustaining the Global Farm. Proceedings of 10th International Conservation Society Organization. West Lafayette, Indiana. Book Chapters Biggelar, C. den, R. Lal, K. Wiebe and V. Breneman. 2001. Impact of soil erosion on crop yields in North America. Advances in Agronomy 72: 1-52. Fenton, T.E. . 2002. Land Capability Classification.. In. R. Lal ed. Encyclopedia of Soil Science. Marcel Dekker, Inc. Fenton, T. E. 2002. Rendiza In. R. Lal ed. Encyclopedia of Soil Science. Marcel Dekker, Inc. Gennadiyev, A.N., K.R. Olson, Chernyanskii, S.S., R.L. Jones, J.M. Lang and W.I. Woods. 2002. The use of the fly ash for the quantitative- chronological assessment of soil matter mechanical migration (by the example of Cahokia mounds, USA). p. 370-388. In. N. S. Kasimov and M.I. Gerasimova (eds). Landscape Geochemistry and Soil Geography. Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University Press. Olson, K.R. 2002. Soils and Geology. p. 604-606. In. R. Lal ed. Encyclopedia of Soil Science. Marcel Dekker, Inc. Olson, K.R. 2002. Soils and Modern Civilization. p. 840-843. In. R. Lal ed. Encyclopedia of Soil Science. Marcel Dekker, Inc. Bulletins</DIR> </DIR> Carlson, C.G., D.E. Clay, D.D. Malo, and T.E. Schumacher. 2001. The Issues in Carbon Sequestration. ABS 5-01. College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences. South Dakota State University. Brookings SD 5007. Hansen, N.C., Moncrief, J.F., Bloom, P.R., Mulla, D.J., Bierman, P. and Mozafarri, M. , 2002. A Phosphorus Index Developed For Water Quality Risk Assessment in Minnesota. Proceedings of Minnesota Water 2002. University of Minnesota, Water Resources Research Center, St. Paul, MN. Ranaivoson, A.Z.H., S.C. Gupta, and J.F. Moncrief. 2002. WEPP Simulated Tillage Effects on Runoff and Sediment Losses in a Corn-Soybean Rotation. In: Sustaining the Global Farm. Edited by Diane E. Stott, Rabi H. Mohtar, and Gary C. Steinhardt. Published by the International Soil Conservation Organization in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory and Purdue University. Pg. 877-881 Non-refereed Publications</DIR> </DIR> Brevik, Eric C., and Thomas E. Fenton. 2002. The Relative Influence of Soil Water Content, Clay, Temperature, and Carbonate Minerals on Soil Electrical Conductivity Readings Taken With an EM-38 Along a Mollisol Catena in Central Iowa. Soil Survey Horizons 43(1): 9-13.</DIR> </DIR> Brevik, Eric C. and Thomas E. Fenton. Use of the Geonics. EM-38 to Delineate Soils in a Loess Over Till Landscape, Southwestern Iowa. Soil Survey Horizons. in press. Olson, K. R. and J. M. Lang. 2002. Average Crop Productivity Index Ratings for Illinois Soils. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Soil Survey Horizons 43:22-30. Olson, K.R. J. D. Garcia-Paredes, R. N. Majchrzak and J. M. Lang. 2001. Equations for predicting corn, soybean, and wheat yields of Illinois soils using soil properties Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Soil Survey Horizons. 42: 52-64. Dissertations Brevik, E.C. 2001. Evaluation of selected factors that may influence the application of electromagnetic induction technology to soil science investigations in Iowa. Ph.D. dissertation. Library. Iowa State University Eynard, A. 2001. Structural Stability in Agricultural Soils in the Upper Missouri River Basin. Doctoral Dissertation. South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota. Abstracts</DIR> </DIR> Brevik, E.C., I. Kovda, and T.E. Fenton. 2002. Soil Changes Beneath White Pines Over 75 Years in Central Iowa. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting Abstracts. Published on CD-ROM. Brevik, E.C., and T.E. Fenton. 2002. The Influence of Water, Clay, Temperature, and Carbonate Minerals on Soil Electrical Conductivity Readings Taken with an EM-38 in Central Iowa. Georgia Journal of Science 60(1): 43. Carlson, C.G., D.D. Malo, D.K. Lee, J.H. Lee, D.E. Clay, T.E. Schumacher, S.A. Clay, and C.L. Reese. 2001. Soil Moisture, Bulk Density, Soil Temperature, and Soil Sensor Relationships in Eastern SD Soils. 2001. 2001 Annual Meetings Abstracts (s05-malo145639-P). American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America, and Crop Science Society of America. Charlotte, NC. Oct 21-25, 2001 (abstr). Doolittle, J.J., J.H. Lee, D.K. Lee, V.N. Owens, D.L. Otto, D.D. Malo, and T.E. Schumacher. 2001. Evaluation of Soil Organic Carbon and Physical Properties in Switchgrass Land. 2001 Annual Meetings Abstracts (s03-doolittle102851-P). American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America, and Crop Science Society of America. Charlotte, NC. Oct 21-25, 2001 (abstr). Eynard, A., T.E. Schumacher, M.J. Lindstrom, and D.D. Malo. 2001. Soil Organic Carbon in Aggregate Fractions from Grass and Crop Lands. 2001 Annual Meetings Abstracts (s06-schumacher114244-P). American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America, and Crop Science Society of America. Charlotte, NC. Oct 21-25, 2001 (abstr). Eynard, A., T.E. Schumacher, M.J. Lindstrom, and D.D. Malo. 2001. Management Effects on Soil Structure in the Upper Missouri River Basin. 44th Annual Manitoba Society of Soil Science Meeting. Winnipeg, Canada. Jan 23-24, 2001 (abstr).</DIR> </DIR> Kaspar, T.C., T.B. Parkin, C.A. Cambardella, D.L. Karlen, Y.S. Jung. Using the weight-loss-on-ignition method to measure spatial variability of soil carbon. Agron. Abstr. p. 317. 2000. Kaspar, T., T. Parkin,.C. Cambardella, D. Karlen, and M. Tomer. Spatial and temporal variability of soil carbon. In Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. 2001. Kaspar, T.C., T.S. Colvin, D.B. Jaynes, and D.L. Karlen. Corn response to nitrogen across landscape positions. In Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. 2002. Lindstrom, M.J., T.E. Schumacher, and D.D. Malo. 2001. Distribution of Organic and Inorganic Carbon in an Eroded Prairie Landscape. 2001 SWCS Annual Meeting Abstracts. Soil and Water Conservation Society. Myrtle Beach, SC. Aug 4-8, 2001 (abstr). Lindstrom, M.J., T.E. Schumacher, and D.D. Malo. 2001. Soil Quality and Soil Redistribution Due to Tillage Translocation. 44th Annual Manitoba Society of Soil Science Meeting. Winnipeg, Canada. Jan 23-24, 2001 (abstr). Malo, D.D., T.E. Schumacher, and J.J. Doolittle. 2001. Long Term Cultivation Impacts on Soil Carbon in the Northern Great Plains. 2001 SWCS Annual Meeting Abstracts. Soil and Water Conservation Society. Myrtle Beach, SC. Aug 4-8, 2001 (abstr). Malo, D.D., T.E. Schumacher, W.A. Nugteren, J.J. Doolittle, K.D. Kephart, D.K. Lee, J.L. Pikul Jr., and W.E. Riedell. 2001. Perennial Grass and Crop Cultivation Impacts on Selected Soil Properties after Nine Years. 44th Annual Manitoba Society of Soil Science Meeting. Winnipeg, Canada. Jan 23-24, 2001 (abstr). Moran, L.P. and T.E. Fenton. 2002.Microbial C Biomass variability in Restored Prairie-Wetland Complexes in the Des Moines Lobe, IA. Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. 2002 Moran, L.P. and T.E. Fenton. 2002. Soils and Hydrology of Restored Prairie-Wetland Complexes in Central Iowa: Gordon‘s Marsh. Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. 2002 Parkin, T.B., and T.C. Kaspar. Response of soil respiration to rainfall and temperature. Agron. Abstr., p. 246-247. 2000. Parkin, T.B., and T.C. Kaspar. Temporal variability of soil respiration. In Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. 2001. Parkin, T.B., and T.C. Kaspar. Impact of sampling frequency on CO2 flux estimation. In Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI. 2002. Reicosky, D.C., M.J. Lindstrom, T.E. Schumacher, and D.D. Malo. 2001. Spatial Variability of Short-Term Carbon Loss after Tillage. 2001 Annual Meetings Abstracts (s06-reicosky085730-O). American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America, and Crop Science Society of America. Charlotte, NC. Oct 21-25, 2001 (abstr).

Impact Statements

Arrangement will be made for the manuscripts of the 2001 symposium to be submitted to Soil and Tillage Research for review and subsequent publication
The next meeting of the SWCS is planned for 26-30 July 2003 at Spokane, Washington. Our committee will hold a symposium entitled "Carbon Dynamics in Eroded Landscapes" at the 2003 SWCS meeting. Rattan Lal will contact SWCS to schedule the symposium. There will be 15-minute presentation by each member of the Committee, followed by a 30-minute discussion for each of the two sessions. Some papers can also be presented as posters.
We will continue to develop and summarize methods for the proposed project: "Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Eroded Soil Landscape". They will be posted on our Web page.<ul> <li>Two objectives were agreed upon:</li><ul><li>Determine the distribution of C, N, and P in soils of eroded landscapes.<li>Assess management and erosion effects on soil productivity and quality of soil, air, and water resources.</li> </ul> </ul>