SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report
Sections
Status: Approved
Basic Information
- Project No. and Title: NCERA_old13 : Soil Testing and Plant Analysis
- Period Covered: 11/06/2019 to 01/08/2021
- Date of Report: 03/05/2021
- Annual Meeting Dates: 01/08/2021 to 01/08/2021
Participants
Francis Casey, Administrative Advisor, North Dakota State University David Franzen, NDSU, chair Manjula Nathan, University of Missouri, recording secretary Steven Culman, The Ohio State University Jon Dahl, Michigan State University Daniel Kaiser, University of Minnesota Jason Clark, South Dakota State University Carrie Laboski & Andrew Stammer, University of Wisconsin Sylvie Brouder, Purdue University Andrew Margenot, University of Illinois Antonio Mallarino, Iowa State University Bijesh Maharajan, University of Nebraska Dorivar Ruiz-Diaz, Kansas State University
Accomplishments
Objectives- stated in renewal document-
1. Develop a regional guidance manual explaining appropriate methods or strategies for soil sampling, including the pros and cons of the various methods available to producers and the agronomic professionals that work with them.
Activities conducted regarding objective 1. All of the procedures in our soil testing manual are still appropriate. Modification of recommendations for potassium have been made with consideration of clay chemistry of soils in North Dakota. This modification is being explored in Minnesota and South Dakota. The soil testing method itself is unchanged from our manual. Mehlich 3 extractant was discussed in our meeting and its use has been investigated by most states in the region. Not all states are able to use the extractant for all crop nutrients. It varies state by state.
2. Develop a regional guidance document for the concepts and rationale used to develop phosphorus and potassium fertilizer recommendations. The ultimate objective of this activity will be to develop fertilizer recommendations that are based on differences in crop, soil, climate and management rather than state boundaries.
Activities conducted regarding objective 2. The modifications of the North Dakota potassium recommendations is the primary focus of work, due to its importance in linking recommendations with clay chemistry. The clay chemistry is not bounded by state boundaries, thus having adjacent state investigate its utility is important to farmers working both sides of state lines as well as the rest of the farm populations in those states.
3. Develop a more formalized structure for information exchange between university and commercial soil test laboratory personnel throughout the region. This will likely include alternating the time for annual meetings every other year to allow for more commercial soil testing laboratory personnel input.
This objective was not able to be addressed in 2020. The Covid outbreak and subsequent restrictions on travel and research in most states made it impossible to hold a meeting in that year, particularly with independent laboratories. The 2020 meeting scheduled between the southern, northeast and northcentral regions has been postponed until June 2021 in a virtual format.
4. Develop and improve a website to improve the marketing of the products and activities generated by this committee.
The website hosted by University of Missouri continues to be our location for posting our soil testing procedures manual and any other publications that might be of interest to soil testing laboratories
5. Organize every other year a soil testing and plant analysis conference/workshop targeted to public laboratories to foster the use and understanding of improved soil/tissue testing methods and interpretations in the North-Central region.
This conference/workshop is tentatively planned for winter 2022.
Impacts
- The NCERA13 Soil Testing Committee continues to support soil testing for crop nutrient status and forms the foundation for any commercial or organic fertilizer amendment recommendation in the North Central States of the USA. The work by the members of the committee supports the validity of hundreds of thousands of soil analyses conducted in the region annually. The soil analyses values have a research basis and have been calibrated and correlated with positive crop responses. This ensures that soil analyses values have meaning in terms of what they mean for crop production and enables economical and environmentally sound nutrient management decisions by farmers. The existence of these procedures and the continuing research into possible improved procedures and modifications of the recommendations based on these procedures results in greater farm profit and sounder environmentally friendly crop nutrient decisions from farmers utilizing soil testing than farmers who do not.
Publications
No new publications.