Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Accomplishments and Impacts: Impact on the discipline: NCR-180 committee is highly instrumental and productive in exchange of scientific ideas, networking among our peers in agriculture and related disciplines, finding new opportunities in Precision Agriculture, learning what peers are doing in their state and recruiting graduate students for research and outreach activities. NCR-180 is amongst the top-notch truly multi-disciplinary committees. (Raj Khosla, Colorado State University) Potential impact on production agriculture/industry linkages: All of the Precision Ag research efforts for our unit during 2004 have been focused on developing a prototype high clearance applicator, equipped with active sensors, controller, and drop nozzles, designed to deliver in-season N applications to corn based on senor-determined crop needs (in concert with industry). Small plot and on-farm research is being conducted to address issues related to sensor orientation over crop canopy and development of algorithm to translate sensor reading into fertilizer application amounts. (John Shanahan, USDA-ARS, Lincoln, NE) Seven on-farm demonstration trials were conducted in Missouri in 2004 to compare sensor-guided sidedressing to normal producer N rates (in concert with industry). Active-light crop sensors were used to control N rates, putting more N where corn was lighter-colored. Weather was favorable, and yields were excellent, averaging 187 bu/acre over the seven fields. Compared with producer rates, N rates based on the sensor were sometimes higher, and sometimes lower, and the same was true for yields. On average, N rates were reduced by 33 lb N/acre and yields were reduced by 3 bu/acre when the crop sensor was used to control N rates, resulting in a net profit of about $4/acre. Reducing N rates with minimal effect on yields will also provide environmental benefits. (Peter Scharf, University of Missouri) Growers continue to adopt and profit from use of satellite imagery of sugarbeet tops to both provide N reduction to the subsequent crop, but also to guide soil sampling throughout the rotation in the Red River Valley. Growers are also slowly adopting zone soil sampling techniques in the rest of North Dakota to identify high nitrate zones and provide more confidence in nitrate soil test results. A large surge of activity in auto-steer technology has resulted in a higher number of growers with GPS capabilities than before. (Dave Franzen, North Dakota State University) Impact on environment: A project partially funded by Region 6 EPA, Dallas Texas and the Louisiana State University Agriculture Center was conducted 2001-2003. In general the objective to improve sampling capability of plant parasitic nematodes were completed for Root Knot nematodes infesting alluvial soils of the delta in Louisiana. Technology used to assist in developing sample plans by zone included the Veris 3100 cart for measuring soil electrical conductivity and RTK GPS developed by Trimble. Because Root Knot nematodes only live in sandy soils, we were able to identify specific zones that could be treated by site-specific applications of nematicide. Significant reductions in treatment are apparent as compared to whole field treatments. Both technologies proved to be of value for identifying changes in soil texture, and projecting approximate locations of nematode infestations. We will evaluate fields infested with Reniform nematode in 2005-2007, and explore the use of aerial imagery as a third method for identifying nematode damage. (Eugene Burris, Louisiana State University)

Ceplecha, Z.L., R.M. Waskom, T.A. Bauder, J.L. Sharkoff and R. Khosla. 2004. Vulnerability assessments of Colorado ground water to nitrate contamination. J. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 159 (1) 373-394. Diker, K., D.F. Heermann, W.C. Bausch, and D.K. Wright. 2004. Shannon-Wieners diversity index for linking yield monitor and remotely sensed data for corn. Trans. of the ASAE. 47(4): 1347-1354. Diker, K., Heermann, D.F. and Brodahl, M.K. 2004. Frequency analysis of yield for delineating management zones. Precision Agriculture, 5(5), 435-444. Farahani, H.J., and G.W. Buchleiter. 2004. Temporal stability of soil electrical conductivity in irrigated sandy fields in Colorado. Trans. ASAE 47(1):79-90. Farahani, H.J., G.W. Buchleiter, and M.K. Brodahl. 2004. Characterization of apparent soil electrical conductivity variability in irrigated sandy and non-saline fields in Colorado. Trans. ASAE. 47(6):1-14. Fleming, K.L., D.F. Heermann, and D.G. Westfall. 2004. Evaluating soil color with farmer input and apparent soil electrical conductivity for management zone delineation. 2004. Agron. J. 96:1581-1587 Gent, D., H. Schwartz, and R. Khosla. 2004. Distribution and Incidence of Iris Yellow Spot Virus in Colorado and its Relation to Onion Plant Populations and Yield. J. of Plant Diseases. 88 (5) 446-452. Koch, B., R. Khosla, D.G. Westfall, M. Frasier, and D. Inman 2004. Economic feasibility of variable rate N application in irrigated corn. Agron. J. 96:1572-1580. Shaner, D. L. (2004) Precision Weed Management: Wave of the Future or Passing Fad? Phytoparsitica 32:3-6. Wiles, L. and M. Brodahl. 2004. Exploratory data analysis to identify factors influencing the spatial distributions of weed seed banks Weed Science 52:936-947. Souza, Eduardo G., Peter Scharf, Ken A. Sudduth, and James. D. Hipple. Using a field radiometer to estimate instantaneous sky clearness. Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agrícola e Ambiental (accepted). Scharf, Peter C., Newell R. Kitchen, Kenneth A. Sudduth, J. Glenn Davis, Victoria C. Hubbard, and John A. Lory. Field-scale variability in optimal N fertilizer rate for corn. Agron. J. (in press). Brock, A., S.M. Brouder, G. Blumhoff, and B.S. Hofmann. 200X. Yield-based management zones for corn-soybean rotations. Agron. J. In Press. Brouder, S.M., B.S. Hofmann, and D.K. Morris. 2005. Accuracy of common soil collection strategies and estimation techniques for mapping soil pH and lime requirement. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. In Press. ONeal, M.R., J.R. Frankenberger, D.R. Ess, and J.M. Lowenberg-DeBoer. 2004. Profitability of on-farm precipitation data for nitrogen management based on crop simulation. Precision Agriculture 5:153-178. Erickson, B. J., C. J. Johannsen, J. J. Vorst and L.L. Biehl. 2004. Using Remote Sensing to Assess Stand Loss and Defoliation in Maize, Photogram. Eng. & Remote Sensing, Vol. 70, No. 6: 717-722. Donald, W. W., D. Archer, W. G. Johnson, and K. A. Nelson. 2004. Zone herbicide application controls weeds and reduces residual herbicide use in corn. Weed Sci. 52: in press. Anselin, L., R. Bongiovanni and J. Lowenberg-DeBoer, A Spatial Econometric Approach to the Economics of Site-Specific Nitrogen Management in Corn Production, American Journal of Agricultural Economics. 86, 3 (2004), p. 675-687. Bongiovanni, Rodolfo, and J. Lowenberg-DeBoer, Precision Agriculture and Sustainability, Precision Agriculture, 5: 359-388. Lambert, D., J. Lowenberg-DeBoer and R. Bongiovanni, A Comparison of Four Spatial Regression Models for Yield Monitor Data: A Case Study from Argentina, Precision Agriculture (in Press). Adamchuk, V.I., J.W. Hummel, M.T. Morgan, and S.K. Upadhyaya. 2004. On-the-go soil sensors for precision agriculture. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 44(1):71-91. Adamchuk, V.I., M.T. Morgan, and J.M. Lowenberg-DeBoer. 2004. A model for agro-economic analysis of soil pH mapping. Precision Agriculture 5:109-127. Clay, D.E., Z. Zheng, Z. Liu, S.A. Clay, and T.P. Trooien. 2004. Bromide and nitrate leaching in undisturbed soil columns collected from three landscape positions. J. Environ. Qual. 33:338-342. Clay, S.A., J. Chang, D.E. Clay, C.L. Reese, and K. Dalsted. 2004. Using remote sensing to develop weed management zones in soybeans. Site Specific Management Guideline Paper #42. PPI, FAR. Online at:www.ppi-far.org/ssmg. Andersen, S., S.A. Clay, L.J. Wrage, and D. Matthees. 2004. Soybean foliage residues of dicamba and 2,4-D and correlation to application rates and yield. Agron. J. 96:750-760. Chang, J., S.A. Clay, D.E. Clay, and K. Dalsted. 2004. Detecting weed-free and weed-infested areas of a soybean (Glycine max) field using near-infrared spectral data. Weed Sci. 52:642-648. Clay, S.A., D.E. Clay, and T.B. Moorman. 2004. Comparison of atrazine and alachlor sorption, mineralization, and degradation potential in surface and aquifer sediments. Chapter 15. pg. 199-212. In Gan, J.J., P.C. Zhu, S.D. Aust, and A.T. Lemley. Pesticide decontamination and detoxification. ACS Symposium Series 863. Washington, D.C. Oswald, J., T. Trooien, S. Clay, Z. Liu, and R. Thaler. 2004. Assessing potential transport of antibacterial chemicals in the landscape. South Dakota Academy of Science (submitted April 2004). Roel, A. and R.E. Plant. Spatiotemporal Analysis of Rice Yield Variability in two California Fields. Agronomy Journal 95:77-90 (2004) Roel, A. and R.E. Plant. Factors Underlying Yield Variability in Two California Rice Fields. Agronomy Journal 96:1481-1494 (2004) Boyd, P. M., H. M. Hanna, J. L. Baker, and T. S. Colvin. 2004. Field evaluation of anhydrous ammonia manifold performance. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 20(6):745-756. Franzen, D.W. 2004. Delineating nitrogen management zones in a sugarbeet rotation using remote sensing- a review. Journal of Sugar Beet Research 41:47-60. Franzen, D.W., J.F. Giles, L.J. Reitmeier, A.J. Hapka, N.R. Cattanach, and A.C. Cattanach. 2004. Use of whole field research to change farm management practices. J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ. 33: 161-154. Schepers, A., J.F. Shanahan, M. A. Liebig, J.S. Schepers, S. Johnson, and A. Luchiari. Agron. J. 2004. Appropriateness of management zones for characterizing spatial variability of soil properties and corn yields across years. Agron. J. 96:195-204. Shanahan, J. F., T.A. Doerge, J. J. Johnson, and M.F. Vigil. 2004. Feasibility of site-specific management of corn hybrids and plant densities in the Great Plains. J. Prec. Ag. 5:207-225. K.H. Holland, J.S. Schepers, J.F. Shanahan and G.L. Horst. 2004. Plant Canopy Sensor with Modulated Polychromatic Light Source. Proc. 7th International Conference on Precision Agriculture. Minneapolis, MN. (Conference Proceedings). Stamtiadis, S., C. Tsadilas, and J.S. Schepers. 2004. Real-time crop sensors. p. 128-135. In Remote Sensing for Agriculture and the Environment. S. Stamadiadis, J.M. Lynch, and J.S. Schepers, (eds.) Peripheral Editions, Larissa Greece. (Book Chapter) Schepers, J.S. 2004.Integrating remote sensing and ancillary information into management systems. p. 254-259. In Remote Sensing for Agriculture and the Environment. S. Stamadiadis, J.M. Lynch, and J.S. Schepers, (eds.) Peripheral Editions, Larissa Greece. (Book Chapter) Francis, D.D., J.F. Shanahan, J.S. Schepers, and M.R. Schlemmer. 2004. An update on crop canopy sensors for in-season N management. p. 84-87. Proc. North Central Ext.-Industry Soil Fertility Conf. Nov. 17-18, Des Moines, IA. (Conference Proceedings). Solari, F., P.J. Hodgen, J.S. Schepers, and J.F. Shanahan. 2004. Active sensor orientation over cornrows and effect on assessment of biomass. p. 110-117. Proc. North Central Ext.-Industry Soil Fertility Conf. Nov. 17-18, Des Moines, IA. (Conference Proceedings).