NCERA_OLD103: Specialized Soil Amendments and Products, Growth Stimulants and Soil Fertility Management Programs (NCR-103)
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
NCERA_OLD103: Specialized Soil Amendments and Products, Growth Stimulants and Soil Fertility Management Programs (NCR-103)
Duration: 10/01/2002 to 09/30/2007
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
It is important in agriculture to maintain productivity and profitability while reducing nutrient and other inputs for both economic and environmental reasons. There is a large research base available evaluating the success of reducing nutrient inputs from traditional fertilizer amendments and the environmental impacts of these reductions. However, non-conventional/non-traditional products for agriculture, including soil amendments, growth stimulants, or soil fertility management programs are currently being promoted and sold on the claim of replacing or extending the efficacy of standard crop production inputs. Many of these products have not been evaluated in scientific studies in soils or climates similar to those of the North Central region. For producers to make rational choices in regards to these products, they must have access to a source that provides fair and scientifically valid evaluations of these specialized products or soil fertility management programs.
Numerous field trials have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of various products, but have not been published in the scientific literature, and therefore are not available to farmers and farm educators. Members of the NCR-103 Committee have collected these reports and summarized them in the "Compendium of Research Reports on Non-Conventional Products", first published in 1982. Two supplements to this volume have also been published. Criteria were established regarding reports to be published, requiring replication, statistical analysis, minimum site years of data etc, which must be met before an article/report will currently be included. Thus, the committee provides a source of relevant, scientifically based information to colleagues in the North Central region who in turn share this information with farmers.
Many of these products are expensive to use and are often marketed under different names in different states. The names of the products may also be changed frequently as manufacturer or marketing agents change. NCR-103 has functioned as a repository for the collection, and subsequent dissemination, of information about the active ingredients for products or programs, the name of the company that manufactures or markets it and research, if any, which has been done on the product. This annotated "Product List" now includes over 400 products or programs, and was updated in 2001.
Specialized agricultural products must be registered and/or licensed for sale in most North Central states. Research information provided by the NCR-103 committee or individual members has been used by state regulatory officials in determining if a product has value and should be licensed.
NCR-103 must also be concerned with non-traditional fertilizer management programs, which promote the addition of micro-nutrients, adjustments to base saturation rations, and the use of biological innoculants, growth regulators or seed treatments that claim to maintain or increase crop yields. Many of these non-traditional programs appear to be scientific and may have a scientific basis. However, other programs, recommendations, products and procedures are either not based on, or contrary to, current scientific knowledge. Crop producers need to be aware of the "pseudo-science" found in some of these fertility management programs.
See attached for continuation of Justification.
Objectives
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The goal of NCR-103 is to continue to identify and report on the effectiveness or lack of effectiveness in non-conventional/nontraditional products, soil amendments, growth regulators and soil fertility programs. A better awareness and understanding of these programs, together with access to scientific evaluations of these inputs, will help farmers compete in an increasingly competitive and regulated environment in production agriculture.
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Provide unbiased evaluations, as resources permit, of specialized soil amendments, products and growth stimulants as they appear for sale in the North Central Region, and where appropriate publish the results of those evaluations as a North Central Regional Research Bulletin.
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Collect information on and evaluate to the extent possible, non-traditional soil fertility management programs. This information will be transferred to extension personnel to distribute as needed to the appropriate clientele.
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Develop new and revise current publications which relate to the use of non-traditional products, programs or waste materials (excluding animal manures and municipal sludges) that are being promoted for use on agricultural lands.
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Continue to collect research reports for updating The Compendium of Research Reports.
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Collect new labels and advertising materials to expand the "product list".; Develop a NCR-103 web page which will include the history of the committee, Product List, the revised Compendium and criteria for including a report, and links to all published Regional bulletins.
Procedures and Activities
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
- It is anticipated that NCR 103 will continue to provide unbiased, scientifically based information to farmers, extension educators and others on the use of non-traditional/non-conventional soil amendments and products. The addition of a web-site should enhance the availability of this information to the public. Access to this information can easily result in the savings of thousands of dollars annually to individual farmers across the region.
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
Accomplishments of NCR-103
October 1, 1998 to September 30, 2002
Since the last renewal, NCR-103 has:
- Published NCR-343, Impact of ACA on Crop Yield in the North Central Region
- Published NCR-347, Crop Responses to Amisorb in the North Central Region
- Updated and distributed the "Product List"
- Initiated construction of a web page for dissemination of NCR-103 information to a broader audience.
- Began the process of reviewing all articles in the "Compendium" and "supplements", to ensure they meet current criteria for inclusion, in preparation for publishing an updated version in 2002-3.
- Continued the process of collecting research reports, product labels and other information regarding non-traditional/non-conventional products.
Organization/Governance
The recommended Standard Governance for multistate research activities include the election of a Chair, a Chair-elect, and a Secretary. All officers are to be elected for at least two-year terms to provide continuity. Administrative guidance will be provided by an assigned Administrative Advisor and a CSREES Representative.
Literature Cited
Attachments
Land Grant Participating States/Institutions
CO, IA, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, OR, PA, SD, WINon Land Grant Participating States/Institutions
NIFA