SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report
Sections
Status: Approved
Basic Information
- Project No. and Title: NCERA_old103 : Specialized Soil Amendments and Products, Growth Stimulants and Soil Fertility Management Programs (NCERA-103)
- Period Covered: 10/01/2015 to 09/30/2016
- Date of Report: 01/05/2016
- Annual Meeting Dates: 11/05/2015 to 11/05/2015
Participants
Carl Rosen, University of Minnesota (administrative advisor) crosen@umn.edu Daniel Kaiser, University of Minnesota (Current Chair) dekaiser@umn.edu Edwin Ritchey, University of Kentucky (acting Secretary) Edwin.Ritchey@uky.edu John Sawyer, Iowa State University jsawyer@iastate.edu Jim Cambarato, Purdue University jcambera@purdue.edu Dave Franzen, North Dakota State University david.Franzen@ndsu.edu Ed Lentz, Ohio State University lentz.38@osu.edu Dorivar Diaz, Kansas State University ruizdiaz@ksu.edu Peter Scharf, University of Missouri ScharfP@missouri.edu Richard Ferguson, University of Nebraska rfergusen1@unl.edu Emerson Nafziger, University of Illinois ednaf@uiuc.edu
Accomplishments
Short-term Outcomes: The compendium website was maintained over the reporting period. The website is housed through Iowa State University and provides relevant reports for non-traditional products that have been researched in the participating states. The compendium currently contains 228 reports. Of the 228 reports 1 report was added since the last meeting. The website had 3247 page views in the span stretching from 11/2014 to 10/2015.
http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/compendium/index.aspx
Outputs: All participants have a role in extension education in their respective states. Data generated by research within the region is being utilized in extension education directed to farmers, crop consultants and other agricultural professionals, and state and federal agency employees. The committee noted that data was presented at ten state extension programs during the reporting period. The before mentioned presentations were entirely focused on amendments. All states noted reports that were generated during the reporting period from their respective research activities. A master’s thesis was generated at Iowa State which involved research on N inhibitors.
Activities: Participating states have shown a continued interest in research studies on non-traditional products. Trials have been established at many of the participating states The total number of trials was not specified by indivudal states. The majority of products tested still are in the N inhibitor class which is a topic commonly discussed by the committee and stakeholders in their respective states. Several other products were discussed by the group. Each state has small projects in place to test commonly promoted projects in their respective region. Kentucky has an established testing program for testing multiple products chosen by stakeholders. The primary crop that products were tested on was field corn. Research also was conducted on soybean, potato, sweetcorn, and wheat.
Committee members noted a plan for continuing research in the regions to continue to gather additional data to provide to growers and to add to the compendium website. The exact products to be tested are not known as research it typically directed to questions that arise for products in a specific year. It was noted at the meeting that the number of quesitons has slightly decreased due to low commodity prices. There also is a plant to finish one of the publications “Utilization of phosphorus extenders”. The publication on coated nitrogen products was put on hold due to time constraints.
Impacts
- Members of the committee are generating and disseminating data related to specialized soil amendments and products, growth stimulants and soil fertility management programs to stakeholders within their states. The data generated is distributed through extension education both in written and oral presentation forms and through the compendium website. The page views over the reporting period are similar to the previous year but the number of views demonstrates that the site is being utilized. The actual economic impact of research in the region is uncertain. With tighter profit margins, farmers have been asking more questions thus the majority of data generated showing no positive effect of products could save farmers from the additional cost of a product that will not increase grain yield. Assuming a range in cost from $4 to $30 per acre, data showing no benefit could save a typical 800 acre farmer in the North Central Region $3,200 to $24,000 a year.