SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report
Sections
Status: Approved
Basic Information
- Project No. and Title: NCERA_OLD59 : Soil Organic Matter: Formation, Function and Management
- Period Covered: 10/01/2002 to 09/01/2003
- Date of Report: 08/19/2003
- Annual Meeting Dates: 07/15/2003 to 07/16/2003
Participants
[Minutes]
Accomplishments
7 Organized two symposia at the 2002 ASA annual meeting in Indianapolis: (Objective 3)1. Economics of Managing for Soil Quality; attendance: 70; NCR-59 members organized and four NCR members participated, 2. Environmental Impact of Transgenic Crops on Soil Biological Processes and Functions; attendance: 70; chaired by Peter Motavalli and Robert Kremer; resulted in five refereed journal articles have been submitted for publication in the Journal of Environmental Quality and a synthesis paper to be published in the American Journal of Alternative Agriculture
7 Several committee members wrote chapters for a book published by CRC press entitled Soil Organic Matter Management, Advances in Agroecology. Magdoff, F. and Weil, R. (eds). (Objective 1)
7 Several research proposals were submitted (Objective 1 and 2):1. Linking Soil Aggregation, Organic Chemistry, and Microbial Community Composition, Diversity and Activity to Understand the Turnover and Sequestration of Soil Organic Matter in Agroecosystems. Consortium for Agricultural Soils Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases, Task I--Basic Processes and Mechanisms- Research to develop an understanding of processes and mechanisms of soil C sequestration and soil greenhouse gas emission mitigation. 2002-2004. (Turco, Rice, Frey) 2. Persistence of toxicity of Bt endotoxin from transgenic corn resistant to corn rootworm. Illinois Missouri Biotech Alliance. 2003-2005. (Motavalli and Wander) 3. Cropping intensity and organic amendments in transitional farming systems:
Effects on soil fertility, weeds, diseases and insects. USDA: Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grants Program Integrated Pest Management/Organic Transition. 2003-2007. (Wander and Cooperband are among several other PIs)4. Plant Introduction Performance Screen (PIPS) for cover crop assessment. SARE preproposal (Snapp and Allen)
7 Leslie Cooperband organized and she and Michelle Wander participated in a Soil Ecology Workshop held at the annual NACAA meeting in Green Bay WI, July 15 (Objective 3)
7 Rhae Drijber and Dan Olk participated in the Natural Organic Matter (NOM) workshop held in Ames, Iowa and planned a joint meeting of NOM and NCR-59 (Objective 4)
7 Several NCR-59 members attended the Soil Quality Working Group at the ASA meeting in Indianapolis and gave a report of NCR-59 activities (Objective 4)
7 Several research collaborations were initiated at the NCR-59 annual meeting: 1. Rhae Drijber and Serita Frey will collaborate on a project examining how the composition and diversity of wetland plant communities influences microbial community structure using microbial fatty acids. 2. Rhae Drijber and William Horwath are collaborating on a project to quantify extraradical hyphae of VAM fungi using complex lipid biomarkers. The grant is entitled Biocomplexity of the common mycorrizal network: Active or passive channels? The grant is supported by the National Science Foundation and funded at $3.2 million. Horwath is a PI. 3. Rhae Drijber and Dan Olk will characterize labile humus fractions formed under cedar vegetation and its relationship to Ca cycling.
7 Turco and Horwath planned to write a Nature/Science paper on C sequestration with a focus on the importance of active soil management for long-term C storage (Objective 2)
7 Wander and Driber are collaborating with Denis Angers and Martin Chantigny (both with Agriculture Canada, international interest in NCR-59) on a paper on the Morrow Plots.
Specific ideas for the coming year were discussed:
1. Write Nature/Science paper on C sequestration targeted toward policy makers and practitioners. The paper will not duplicate information already in the literature, but will emphasize the importance of active soil management for long-term C storage (Horwath/Turco will take the lead).
2. Organize ASA symposium on the pros and cons of physical, chemical and biological approaches to soil organic matter measurement (Motavalli/Olk)
3. Co-sponsor CASMGS workshop noted above (to be held at Purdue)
4. Organize ASA symposium focusing on how biotechnology can be applied to increase C storage (Motavalli). The question was raised as to whether enough research has been done to support a symposium on this topic at this time.
5. Organize ASA symposium on quality of organic inputs and synchrony of nutrient release to plant needs (Allen/Snapp)
6. Write regional extension bulletin as follow up to above symposium (Snapp)
7 Several committee members wrote chapters for a book published by CRC press entitled Soil Organic Matter Management, Advances in Agroecology. Magdoff, F. and Weil, R. (eds). (Objective 1)
7 Several research proposals were submitted (Objective 1 and 2):1. Linking Soil Aggregation, Organic Chemistry, and Microbial Community Composition, Diversity and Activity to Understand the Turnover and Sequestration of Soil Organic Matter in Agroecosystems. Consortium for Agricultural Soils Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases, Task I--Basic Processes and Mechanisms- Research to develop an understanding of processes and mechanisms of soil C sequestration and soil greenhouse gas emission mitigation. 2002-2004. (Turco, Rice, Frey) 2. Persistence of toxicity of Bt endotoxin from transgenic corn resistant to corn rootworm. Illinois Missouri Biotech Alliance. 2003-2005. (Motavalli and Wander) 3. Cropping intensity and organic amendments in transitional farming systems:
Effects on soil fertility, weeds, diseases and insects. USDA: Integrated Research, Education, and Extension Competitive Grants Program Integrated Pest Management/Organic Transition. 2003-2007. (Wander and Cooperband are among several other PIs)4. Plant Introduction Performance Screen (PIPS) for cover crop assessment. SARE preproposal (Snapp and Allen)
7 Leslie Cooperband organized and she and Michelle Wander participated in a Soil Ecology Workshop held at the annual NACAA meeting in Green Bay WI, July 15 (Objective 3)
7 Rhae Drijber and Dan Olk participated in the Natural Organic Matter (NOM) workshop held in Ames, Iowa and planned a joint meeting of NOM and NCR-59 (Objective 4)
7 Several NCR-59 members attended the Soil Quality Working Group at the ASA meeting in Indianapolis and gave a report of NCR-59 activities (Objective 4)
7 Several research collaborations were initiated at the NCR-59 annual meeting: 1. Rhae Drijber and Serita Frey will collaborate on a project examining how the composition and diversity of wetland plant communities influences microbial community structure using microbial fatty acids. 2. Rhae Drijber and William Horwath are collaborating on a project to quantify extraradical hyphae of VAM fungi using complex lipid biomarkers. The grant is entitled Biocomplexity of the common mycorrizal network: Active or passive channels? The grant is supported by the National Science Foundation and funded at $3.2 million. Horwath is a PI. 3. Rhae Drijber and Dan Olk will characterize labile humus fractions formed under cedar vegetation and its relationship to Ca cycling.
7 Turco and Horwath planned to write a Nature/Science paper on C sequestration with a focus on the importance of active soil management for long-term C storage (Objective 2)
7 Wander and Driber are collaborating with Denis Angers and Martin Chantigny (both with Agriculture Canada, international interest in NCR-59) on a paper on the Morrow Plots.
Specific ideas for the coming year were discussed:
1. Write Nature/Science paper on C sequestration targeted toward policy makers and practitioners. The paper will not duplicate information already in the literature, but will emphasize the importance of active soil management for long-term C storage (Horwath/Turco will take the lead).
2. Organize ASA symposium on the pros and cons of physical, chemical and biological approaches to soil organic matter measurement (Motavalli/Olk)
3. Co-sponsor CASMGS workshop noted above (to be held at Purdue)
4. Organize ASA symposium focusing on how biotechnology can be applied to increase C storage (Motavalli). The question was raised as to whether enough research has been done to support a symposium on this topic at this time.
5. Organize ASA symposium on quality of organic inputs and synchrony of nutrient release to plant needs (Allen/Snapp)
6. Write regional extension bulletin as follow up to above symposium (Snapp)