Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The annual meeting of NCR-3 was held in Ames, IA on September 22, 2003.

The meeting was called to order at 9:00 am by David Hammer.

Minutes from the 2002 meeting were edited and approved. Gary Steinhardt was incorrectly listed as from USDA-NRCS instead of IN.

The agenda prepared by David Hammer was distributed and discussed. Tom Fenton requested an item discussing the United States Consortium of Soil Science Associations.

Committee Reports

Soil Taxonomy Committee - replacement is needed for Jay Bell. Cindy Stiles was nominated and elected. A detailed proposal of Soil Taxonomy has been in circulation since the spring.

Soil Survey Advisory Committee - no report. Moved and approved to dissolve this committee.

Eroded Soils Committee - (See attached minutes) Moved and seconded to rename the Eroded Soils Committee as the Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Soil Inorganic Carbon Committee. Motion approved unanimously. Ken Olson will chair the committee. Members will be David Hammer, Bill Zanner, and Mickey Ransom.

Precision Farming Committee - no report. Jay Bell had agreed at the 2002 meeting to provide a list of key issues. He will be asked to provide some information on the status of the committee to NCR-3 via e-mail.

Hydric Soils Committee  A methods Manual has been assembled by Jay Bell, and a report on terminology was developed by Don Franzmeier. David Hammer will contact Jay and Don for reports.

Nominating Committee - all officers are now elected for two-year terms. Need a chair of a writing committee. Jerry Miller noted that NCR-3 needs to concentrate on recording our accomplishments. It was agreed to continue our current set of officers for one more year, which follows the strong recommendation of our Administrative Advisor. At next years meeting, we will vote on whether to continue our current procedure of electing officers.

Old Business

The Regional Soil Map has now been published. It was suggested to publish the map on the NCR-3 website. Electronic copies will be e-mailed to all committee members. David Hammer will print copies for those without easy access to large format printers. Jerry Miller suggested adding to the legend that the map was developed and published by NCR-3, Soil Survey. There was discussion about how the map would be used. Jerry Miller also suggested that we publish the map in a refereed article in Soil Survey Horizons. The article would also include information about the objectives of NCR-3, the reasons for developing the map, and a request for suggestions about how the map should be used. Tom Fenton and David Hammer will work on the article.

Linking state associations - no report from the group chaired by David Hopkins. Tom Fenton reported on the US Consortium of Soil Science Associations. Tom has been working with Jim Culver on this. He passed out a brochure discussion this association. The association has a website that links all of the state associations. Eventually, it will include a listing of professional soil scientists in each state that are members of a state association and whether they are available for private consulting work. Much of this effort is aimed at the professional soil scientist who is not a member of SSSA. There will be a roundtable discussion about this topic on Tuesday evening at the ASA-SSSA meetings in Denver.

New Business

CSREES report (Ray Knighton)

CSREES currently is operating without a budget. Currently a large discrepancy exists between the Senate and House budgets. Ray expects the budget to hold even with the NRI allocations. The program announcement should be out in the next few weeks with major changes in NRI. Air quality will be a new program in NRI. New authority will be given in 2003 for CSREES to conduct integrative activities, and most programs in CSREES will have integrative components. An effort will made to increase the award size because of the emphasis on integration. This will result in fewer but larger awards. There will be trend to focus on more specific topics with focus on mission - linked research with applied applications. A strong effort is being made to strengthen cooperation between USDA and NASA in:


 Air quality
 Water management
 Carbon management
 Invasive species
 Efficient agriculture

USDA will be working to fund projects within states on geo-spatial extension. Proposals will be about $100,000 per year for three years. State will be required to provide the faculty positions germane to geo-spatial analyses. Maury Horton has retired. Ray is working more in air quality. Another person, M. Morant, has been added to the CSREES staff.

USDA - NRCS report (Russ Kelsea)

Mike Golden is the new Director of Soil Survey. A reorganization is underway within NRCS, but this will not effect the state or MO levels of operation. A proposed framework plan has been released, but final details are not yet available (see http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/about/reorg). Under the proposed plan regional offices will be closed and their functions moved to state or national headquarters offices. Functions currently performed at Institutes and by cooperating scientists will be reassigned to three new, regionally located national technical centers. The Soil Survey Division is looking at alternatives to the published soil survey. Current law only requires that the soil survey information be made available in a useful form to the public. New rule changes probably will emerge on the dissemination of soil survey information, and these rules will be written into the code of federal regulations. The new rules will be available for public comment before they are adopted. A memorandum of understanding will be executed for each project soil survey. The plan is to move to a system within which the official source of soil survey information resides in the soils data warehouse. A certification process would be required when a new or revised set of data are added to the soils data warehouse. More emphasis is being placed on using Technical Notes as a means of documentation. For example, there is a Technical Note on range in characteristics of soil series. The Tech Notes are available at http://soils.usda.gov/technical along with other technical references.

Administrative Advisors Report (Jerry Miller)

Wisconsin told the directors that Birl Lowery is stepping down. Jerry Miller is the replacement, and the transition occurred in August. Directors are considering dropping NCRs committees and renaming them as NCIEG (North Central Information and Exchange Group). They are also considering changing NCTs to NCDC (North Central Development Committee). Items for NCR-3 member to complete:

 Governance
 Renew or die - need a vote
 If renew, need to decide if we want to keep NCR-3 designation
 If renew, need objectives and initial statements of issues - it was actually due on Sept. 15. Need a chair of the writing committee. Need to put up on the website (NIMMS).
 Current report - need minutes that follow the format. Need state reports in the standard format. Need list of accomplishments, and these must be in the minutes.

Jerry passed out information pertaining to the Justification for Retaining Old Project Numbers.

If we dont try to keep our NCR-3 designation, we will use NC_temp1089. Jerry passed out information pertaining to New and Renewal Approval Process for NCRA Projects.

It was agreed that David Hammer will be the Writing Committee. Drafts of the proposal will be distributed by e-mail to all members for review and input.

Jerry discussed the deadlines. We need to have the objectives and justification finalized in about 10 days. The deadline of December 1 for the proposal is rigid. Minutes must be posted by December 15. NCA committees review projects starting Feb. 15.

Jerry discussed the New and Renewal Project Development and Approval Process.

Jerry discussed the format required for the proposal as outlined in Appendix B. He also reviewed how to complete Appendix E-1. Each members own administration will need to complete a new Appendix E-1 for NC_temp1089.

It was agreed that we will use MS Word to circulate drafts of the proposal.

We discussed the objectives in our current project and talked about how these should be modified for the new proposal.

We attempted to write objectives. The current project objectives are:

1. Coordinate activities and set priorities among the experiment stations for the NCSSS in the NCR.
2. Identify and prioritize common needs for soil and landscape research by Major Land Resource Areas to foster cooperative research projects and minimize duplication.
3. Provide the scientific foundation for databases needed for soil and landscape interpretations
4. Utilize the regional soil maps as a basis for generation of regional interpretative maps related to selected soil and landscape properties
5. Develop and utilize new models and methods of presenting soil and landscape parameters and data and their relationships with surface and subsurface waters.
6. Evaluate and use appropriate new technologies for characterization of soil properties and their spatial distributions on the landscape.

Much discussion ensued about what kinds of objectives we should pursue and how to document accomplishments. Jerry Miller reminded us several times that documentation of outcomes is essential. He said the accepted outcomes include
1. Publications
2. Workshops
3. Symposia
4. Documented cooperation with other regional committees and other members of NCSS

We agreed that the following issues are keys for our sub-discipline of soil science and fall within the historic and current activities of soil survey:
1. Interpretations/uses of soils information
2. Water quality  surface waters and the vadose zone
3. Soil organic carbon

We listed what we perceive to be the most important problems facing our sub-discipline of soil science and soil survey activities:
1. The standard soil survey has limitations for uses at different scales and applications.
2. Many users lack the skills to understand the potentials, limitations and applications of soil surveys and soil data bases.
3. Existing interpretive recommendations are qualitative and are too general or vague for the kinds of site-specific applications many users have.
4. The conversion of our data and maps to electronic media brings information to a wider audience of uneducated users, many of whom assume that anything that comes from a computer is fact.

It was agreed to that we should concentrate on developing broad objectives that we could easily document outcomes for over the next three years. During the ensuing discussions, several key ideas emerged, but the members did not commit them to objective form. Among these ideas were:
1. Developing web-based data files and interpretive files.
2. Addressing the issue of scales of soil attributes across temporal and spatial variances for land uses and interpretations.
3. The need to interact with users and potential users to determine what they need.
4. The need to educate users about what we know and what we can do for them.
5. The need to shift the emphasis of soil survey from classification and mapping to maintenance of map units, maps and data and refinement of those models and data for future interpretations and uses.
6. The need to shift the emphasis of soil survey from classification and mapping to precise interpretations for an increasing variety of users.
7. Integrating GIS and allied technologies in ways that allow us to do most of the above-mentioned things.

*The North Central Region Soils CD was released. This CD includes a regional map showing distribution of soils at the suborder level. This material is a major update of the map titled "Major Soils of the North Central Region, U.S.A.", in North Central Region Publication No. 76, June 1960.

*Committee members collaborate state-by-state as well as on a multi-state basis with USDA NRCS staff as part of the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS). Collaboration includes planning and organization of the bi-annual regional soil survey conference.

*On-going communications and collaboration with scientists and staff at the NRCS National Soil Survey Center.

PEER REVIEWED ARTICLES

Brevik, E. C., AND T. 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. in press.

Brevik, E. C., T. E. Fenton, and A. Lazari. 2003. Differences in EM-38 Readings Taken Above Crop Residues Versus Readings Taken With Instrument-Ground Contact. Precision Agriculture 4: 351-358.

Brevik, E. C. and T. E. Fenton. 2003. Use of the Geonics. EM-38 to Delineate Soils in a Loess Over Till Landscape, Southwestern Iowa. Soil Survey Horizons 44(1): 16-24.

Brevik, E. C., T. E. FENTON, and R. Horton. 2003 Effect of Daily Soil Temperature Fluctuations on Soil Electrical Conductivity as Measured with the Geonics. EM-38. Precision Agriculture. in press.

Brevik, E. C., J. Lee, T. E. Fenton, and R. Horton. 2003. Evaluation of the Influence of Soil Moisture, Calcite Content, and Temperature on Bulk Electrical Conductivity. Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science. In press.

Chang, J., D.E. Clay, C.G. Carlson, S.A. Clay, and D.D. Malo. 2002. The Influence of Different Classification Approaches on N and P Fertilizer Recommendations. In Robert et al. (eds.). Proceedings of the 6th International Conference of Precision Agriculture July 14-17 2002. Minneapolis MN. p 120.

Chang, J., D.E. Clay, C.G. Carlson, S.A. Clay, D.D. Malo, and R. Berg. 2003. The Influence of Different Management Zone Approaches on Corn (Zea mays) N and P Fertilizer Recommendation. Agronomy Journal (in press).

Ellsbury, S.A. Clay, D.E. Clay, D.D. Malo, and C.G. Carlson. 2002. Increased Incidence of Extended Diapause in Northern Corn Rootworm and Evidenced by Georeferenced Adult Emergence. In Robert et al. (eds.). Proceedings of the 6th International Conference of Precision Agriculture July 14-17 2002. Minneapolis MN. p 148.

Eynard A., T.E. Schumacher, M.J. Lindstrom, D.D. Malo, R.A. Kohl., 2003. Wettability of soil aggregates from cultivated and uncultivated Ustolls and Usterts. Austr. J. Soil Res. (in press).

Hopkins, D. G and D. W. Franzen. 2003. Argillic Horizons in Stratified Drift: Luverne End Moraine, Eastern North Dakota. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 67: 790-796.

Kovda, I., E. C. Brevik, T. E. Fenton, and M. Gerasimova. 2003. The impact of white pine (Pinus strobus) on a Mollisol after seven decades of soil development. Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science. (in press).

Lindstrom, M.J., T.E. Schumacher, and D.D. Malo. 2002. Distribution of Organic and Inorganic Soil Carbon in an Eroded Prairie Landscape. 45th Annual Manitoba Society of Soil Science Meeting. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Feb 5-6, 2002.

Lindstrom, M.J., T.E. Schumacher, D.D. Malo, and S. de Alba. 2002. Soil Profile Modifications by Soil Redistribution from Tillage: Effects on Soil Quality Parameters on a Prairie Landscape. British Society of Soil Science and GeoStats-UK. Conference - Theoretical Developments and Applications of Spatial Analysis in the Environment, Earth, and Agricultural Sciences. University of Reading, Reading, England. March 25-26, 2002.

Malo, D.D. 2002. Soils of the Grasslands. In Encyclopedia of Soil Science, R. Lal ed., Marcel Dekker Inc., New York, New York 10016, p 616-620.

Schumacher, T.E., J.A. Schumacher, D.D. Malo, J.J. Doolittle, A.A. Boe, G.E. Larson, L.C. Schleicher, Jr., and J.R. Johnson. 2002. Gilt Edge Mine NPL Site Lawrence County, South Dakota  Final Report for the PAW Evaluation. Plant Science Department Pamphlet 8. South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. South Dakota State University. Brookings 57007-2141.

Schumacher, T.E., M.J. Lindstrom, D.D. Malo, and J.A. Schumacher. 2002. Spatial Patterns of Bulk Electrical Conductivity on an Eroded Prairie Landscape. British Society of Soil Science and GeoStats-UK. Conference - Theoretical Developments and Applications of Spatial Analysis in the Environment, Earth, and Agricultural Sciences. University of Reading, Reading, England. March 25-26, 2002.

Smeck, N.E. and D. Balduff. 2002. Contrasting approaches for the classification of eroded soils in the USA. paper no. 616 in Transactions of the 17th World Congress of Soil Science: Confronting New Realities in the 21st Century. Bangkok, Thailand.

Smeck, N.E., J.M. Bigham, W.F. Guertal and G.F. Hall. 2002. Spatial distribution of lepidocrocite in a soil hydrosequence. Clay Minerals 37: 687-697.

Tan, Z.X., R. Lal, N.E. Smeck, F.G. Calhoun, R.M. Gehring and B. Parkinson. 2003. Identifying associations among soil and site variables using canonical correlation analysis. Soil Science 168(5):376-382.

Underwood, J.F. and N.E. Smeck. 2002. Soil development in two Ohio minesoils under continuous grass cover for twenty-five years following reclamation. pp 1158-1172 in R. Barnhisel and M. Collins (eds.) Reclamation with a Purpose. Proceeding of 19th National Conference of American Society of Mining and Reclamation, Lexington, KY. Published by Am. Soc. of Mining and Reclamation, Lexington, KY.

Wu, J. W. A. Norvell, D. G. Hopkins, D. B. Smith, M. G. Ulmer, and R. M. Welch. 2003. Improved prediction and mapping of soil copper by kriging with auxiliary data for cation-exchange capacity. 2003. Soil Science Society of America Journal 67:919-927.

Yang, J., R.D. Hammer, A.L. Thompson, and R.W.Blanchar. 2003. Predicting soybean yield in a dry and wet year using a soil productivity index. J.Plant and Soil. 250(2):175-182

NON-REFEREED RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

Dyer, R., J. Coffman, M. Ransom, J. Rowlett, and L. Rodgers. 2002. Faculty evaluation and post-tenure review: sharing best practices across departments to connect departmental goals, procedures, and professional development. 10th American Association of Higher Education Conference on Faculty Roles & Rewards, January 24 - 27, 2002, Phoenix, AZ, p. 15.

Malo, D.D., J.H. Lee. 2002, J.J. Doolittle, and D.K. Lee. Impact of Selected Organic Matter Destruction Methods in Soil Particle Size Analysis. Abstract No. 140704. In 2002 ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Abstracts. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA. Madison, WI.

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

W.A.R. Nishantha Fernando, Geronimo Watson, Charles W. Rice, and Michel D. Ransom. 2003. Establishment of benchmarks for the measurement and monitoring of carbon sequestration in soil. Carbon Measurement and Monitoring Forum, October 15 - 17, 2003, Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS