Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Synergistic impact on the research programs of NCERA-59: 1) Dr. Wander is presently the leader of the Soils Community of Practice for eOrganic and eXtension org. Several NCERA 59 committee members have contributed to the soils group content. 2) Dr. Snapp is working with the eXtension communities of practice for developing new crops, soil management and cover crops, and new extension materials: http://www.extension.org/pages/61075/managing-for-soil-organic-matter. 3) Students from Dr. Castellano's group are working with NCERA 059 committee member Rhae Drijber on soil organic matter dynamics in Iowa continuous corn systems. Castellanos student traveled to Dr. Drijbers labs in August 2012.

Organizing symposia at national and international meetings will continue to promote information exchange among the professional community: 1) Dr. Weil is working with NCERA59 participation and objectives, we made several presentations to large groups of farmers and extension educators. We held a field day on soil quality assessment with cover crops. 2) Dr. Castellano and Iowa State University sponsored a symposium on Nitrogen Use Efficiency for which Castellano was a co-coordinator. NCERA059 member Will Horwath spoke at this symposium.

The NCERA059 grant writing for collaborative research projects: Drs. Fortuna and Turco: 2011-2014 $745,950 USDA-AFRI, Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grants Program  Organic Transitions (ORG). Fortuna A. (PD), (CO-PDs) R. Turco, C.G. Cogger, D. Collins, A. Bary and A. Stone. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Soil Quality in Long-term Integrated and Transitional Reduced Tillage Organic Systems.

Outreach materials will address, organismal based processes, chemical and physical measures of SOM and carbon sequestration: 1) Dr. Wander is the executive lead for the Soil Quality Website, hosted at UIUC in partnership with the USDA National Soil Tilth Lab and the Natural Resource Conservation. Hope that NCERA can reengage with this effort through the dynamic soil properties efforts that were discussed at this years meeting.