SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report

Sections

Basic Information
Additional Info

Status: Approved

Basic Information

Project No. and Title: NCERA59 : Soil Organic Matter: Formation, Function and Management
Period Covered: 01/01/2023 to 12/31/2023
Date of Report: 12/27/2023
Annual Meeting Dates: 10/30/2023 to 10/30/2023

Jagadamma Sindhu (sjagada1@utk.edu); Machado Stephen (stephen.machado@oregonstate.edu); Cates Anna (catesa@umn.edu); Ugarte Carmen (cugarte@illinois.edu); Wander Michelle (mwander@illinois.edu); Fortuna Ann-Marie (ann-marie.fortuna@usda.gov); Cihacek Larry (Larry. Cihacek@ndsu.edu); Olk Dan (dan.olk@usda.org); Weil Ray (rweil@umd.edu), Oztury Mehnet; Tangen Bailey (tange049@umn.edu); Jesmin Tanjila (tjesmin@ufl.edu); Batool Maria (maria.batool@ndsu.edu); Bhadha Jehangir (jango@ufl.edu)

Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

North Dakota-Larry Cihacek: Carbon survey from E. Montana to Iowa. Nutrient cycling from crop residues. Field environment simulated no-till systems. Long-term changes in carbon from undisturbed grasslands.

Tennessee-Sindhu Jagadamma: carbon quantification, characterization, and fractionation and stability. Also assessing microbial activity. Soils are shallow Ultisols with poor fertility. Working on USDA project understanding the mechanism of deep subsurface carbon storage. Using C¹³ label carbon substrates. Subsurface carbon storage is driven by microbial activity.

Illinois-Michelle Wander & Carmen Ugarte: Does not have development of material for woody crops. Discussion related to polyculture. Conservation/control drainage impact with local farmers. Protocols for soil sampling and soil organic matter. Scaling up the number of sampling cores. Plant soil interactions in corn systems. Biomedical instrumentation to understand soil structure in soil cores.

Minnesota- Anna Cates: Working on croplands, row crops, and on the policy side related to conservation. Working on more inorganic carbon where it exists. Where mineralization of carbon in some plots lost more than 50% of carbon. Adoption of cover crops is increasing in the state.

Oregan-Steven Machado: ecosystems agronomist working on topics related to carbon sequestration, organic matter accumulation. Cover crop adoption is helping.

Iowa-Dan Olk: using extractions, and humic products to assess how it impacts plant growth. Looking at carbohydrates in plants. Also working in fragipans systems in southern Illinois.

Maryland-Ray Weil: Working on projects related to the root zone of cover crops for carbon sequestration.

Florida-Jango Bhadha: Primarily the soils are sandy, low organic matter (<2%). Adoption of cover crops is growing. Within the everglades Agricultural Area of south Florida, the soils are highly organic Histosols, and concerns about soil and carbon loss due to oxidation. Cover crops, crop rotation and cultivation of flooded rice helps to slow down oxidation.

Update on co-creation of publication (Anna-Marie Fortuna and Dan Olk)

Seeking ad hoc reviewers for monograph and subject matter guest editors. The book is becoming a Soil Science Society of America Journal special section.

Student participation within NCERA 59

We encourage student and postdoctoral participation in NCERA 59. We had three graduate students and one postdoc attend the meeting in St. Louis, MO.

Other items

We discussed the possibility of coinciding next year’s annual meeting with the Soil Ecology Society to be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Encourage new, junior faculty to join the group so that we can continue the momentum of working on the topic of soil organic matter.

Consider submitting a proposal for a session on the topic of soil organic matter/root zone interactions for next year ASA-CSA-SSSA meeting.

Accomplishments

Short-term Outcomes: North Dakota – (i) Slow residue decomposition in Northern Great Plains no-till production reduces N cycling from post-harvest residues and favors N immobilization and reduced N availability to subsequent crops. (ii) Soil acidification in Northern Great Plains soils is increasing due to shifting cropping patterns, increased fertilizer usage and reduced tillage or no-tillage. However, low rates of lime (2-4 T/A) appear to slowly mitigate the acidification.

Tennessee - Conduct research to advance fundamental and applied knowledge on the best ways to manage cropping systems for increased productivity, soil health, and climate resiliency.

Florida - The goal of the cover crop project is to shadow the regenerative farming practices of individual growers and assess changes in soil health indicators pre- and post-treatment. For example, soil samples are collected before cover crops are planted, and right after the cover crop is either harvested or pressed. Soil health indicators measured include, pH, bulk density, maximum water holding capacity, organic matter, active carbon, cation exchange capacity, soil protein, and nutrients (total and mehlich-3 extractable). The adoption of cover crops such as sunn hemp and cow peas during summer (fallow period) in south Florida has shown to increase soil organic matter, and maximum water holding capacity. The application of organic amendments such as bagasse as a soil amendment is proving to be a good practice for local growers planting sugarcane particularly on sandy mineral soils with very low organic matter (<2%). Number of growers indicating adoption of cover crop - 7. Number of growers reporting reduction in pesticide, fertilizer use – 2. Land area under cover crop ranges from 240 – 3800 Acreage. Land under cover cropping for individual growers ranges from 10-80%.

Outputs: Tennessee – (a) Soil organic carbon storage in topsoil and subsoil are controlled by different microbial functional traits. In the topsoil, microbial biomass carbon and particulate organic carbon are the major drivers and, in the subsoil, mineral-associated organic carbon was the major driver for the total soil organic carbon storage. (b) By conducting a global meta-analysis, we have shown that cover cropping can improve both particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon in an average of about five years. © We also found that manganese and nitrogen enrichment accelerated decomposition and loss of carbon from plant residues and increased the recovery of the decomposed carbon in mineral-associated soil fraction.

Activities: Minnesota – (a) The Cates lab collected on-farm soil health and soil organic and inorganic carbon data related to four graduate student projects. One paper on using the Haney soil health test to discern differences in soil drainage status was published. Two papers related to on-farm soil health analyses led by PhD graduate Blair were just submitted. (b) The Gutknecht lab continues multiple projects to understand how perennial and continuous living cover cropping systems may improve the ecological functioning of agricultural ecosystems. Four graduate students on related projects have successfully defended their theses, with manuscripts in final preparation or submission. In 2023 the second year of climate change treatments were implemented in a large trial including multiple annual and perennial cropping systems, with analysis underway and a postdoc to be hired soon to develop proposals. © Gutknecht and Cates also collaborate by being on each other’s student committees, and through collaborative research projects, creating regular conversation about soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics in agricultural systems.

Milestones: Tennessee – (a) Published 7 peer-reviewed scientific articles. (b) Delivered 11 conference and outreach presentations. (c) Trained 3 postdocs, 2 Ph.D. students, 1 research associate, and 4 undergraduate students in project-related areas. (d) Leveraged 4 grants in project related areas. (e) Participated in knowledge transfer from lab to scientific community and stakeholders

Impacts

Activities: Minnesota – (a) Cates et al. research focused on soil organic matter and aggregate dynamics in MN cropping systems, with an emphasis on water behavior as an item of interest for farmers considering soil health practices. (b) The Gutknecht lab identified site specific changes in soil physical and biological properties in perennial grain versus annual cropping systems in MN, and collaborated with Cates in on farm soil health analysis. These projects continue to have a strong focus on climate change adaptation (simulating severe weather conditions) or mitigation of greenhouse gases. (c) Gutknecht and Cates presented at the BWSR academy (see below) to a very engaged audience about practices that can improve soil microbial life and soil organic matter formation. Florida - Conduct research and outreach efforts in the field of soil health and sustainability within the state of Florida. Assisting growers adapt and adopt regenerative farming practices such as cover cropping, crop rotation, and application of organic amendments, that increases soil organic matter and improves overall soil quality. Milestones: North Dakota – (i) We have demonstrated that in the cooler, drier climate of the Northern Great Plains, post-harvest crop residue left in the field tends to accumulate due to slow decomposition. We have also demonstrated that the wide C:N ratio of the residues contain low amounts of N so that during the decomposition process microbes responsible for the decomposition immobilize the N in the residue as well as soil N to effect the decomposition. We are now in the third season of utilizing residues of potential low C:N cover crops, especially with shorter season grain crops, to offset the effects of the N immobilization and reducing the N fertilizer requirements for subsequent crops in a controlled field environment. This can reduce production costs for the farmer and also reduce the environmental impacts of the added fertilizers. (ii) Although we are early in the study, increasing the pH of very acid soils can reduce the effects of soluble Al3+ on crop root development and growth thereby improving plant productivity and more efficient use of soil nutrients and water in a semi-arid environment. Low-rate liming appears to show promise for mitigating very acid soils in order to allow the farmer to more actively manage soil acidity using other means (crop/variety selection, fertilizer type and rate adjustments, etc.). This work is continuing through 2023. This work has also leveraged a “hula-hoop” study by another research group utilizing replicated “hula-hoops” to delineate the study units with each unit being characterized for acidity in detail and differing rates of lime being applied to each unit. This study is being carried out at 15 different sites across North Dakota. Indicators: North Dakota – (a) Heavy crop residue accumulation in cooler climates can cause a greater need for N fertilizers because of soil N immobilization during decomposition. (b) Utilizing cover crop residues for their low C:N ratios can potentially mitigate soil N immobilization while reducing the need of additional fertilizer applications in No-till systems. (c) Utilization of low rate liming can be an economical means to manage soil acidity and maintaining or improving crop productivity as agricultural production practices intensify. Florida - Cultivating flooded rice in the summer as a rotation crop has shown to reduce phosphorus loads in farm canals, and also shown to improve soil quality. We have been successful in taking our research and findings beyond peer-review publications and reporting. Over the year we highlight our findings at extension events, such as field days, and open-houses, and public social events such as state fairs so that we can engage our clientele in topics related to soil health and sustainability within the region.

Publications

Singh, S., Jagadamma, S., Yoder, D., Yin, X., and Walker, F. 2023. A weighted soil health index approach for refined assessment of soil health in cropping systems. Frontiers in Soil Science, 3:1118526.

Lazicki, P., Lee, J., Mengistu, A., and Jagadamma, S. 2023. Drought, heat, and management interact to affect soil carbon and nitrogen losses in a temperate, humid climate. Applied Soil Ecology, 189: 104947.

Wooliver, R., and Jagadamma, S. 2023. Response of soil organic carbon fractions to cover cropping: A meta-analysis of agroecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 351: 108497.

Li, X., Lazicki, P., Neelipally, R.T., Walker, F.R., and Jagadamma, S. 2023. Can surface-applied biochar improve soil health and plant performance in a perennial cool-season grass forage system? Soil Science Society of America Journal, 87: 656-668.

Singh, S., Mayes, M.A., Kivlin, S.N., and Jagadamma, S. 2023. How the Birch effect differs in mechanisms and magnitude due to soil texture. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 179: 108973.

Neupane, A., Herndon, E.M., Whitman, T., Faiia, A.M., and Jagadamma, S. 2023. Manganese effects on plant residue decomposition and carbon distribution in soil fractions depend on soil nitrogen availability. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 178: 108964.

Xu, S., Jagadamma, S., Cui, S., Oakes, R.N., and Kubesch, J.O.C. 2023. Forage species composition influenced soil health in organic forage transitioning systems. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 342: 108228.

Woeltjen, S., J. Gutknecht, and J. Jungers. 2024. Age-related changes in root dynamics of a novel perennial grain crop. Grassland Research, accepted.

Dobbratz, M., J. Jungers, J. Gutknecht. 2023. Seasonal Plant Nitrogen Use and Soil N pools in Intermediate Wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium). Agriculture. 13, 468

Batool, M., L. J. Cihacek and R. Alghamdi, 2023 Carbon dynamics in three land managements in the northern Great Plains. Submitted to the 2023 NCSS National Conference, July 8-14, 2023. Bismarck, ND

Batool, M., L. Cihacek, and R. Alghamdi. 2023. Carbon dynamics in three land management systems in the northern Great Plains. Paper # 161. 2023 SWCS International Annual Conference. August 3-6, 2023. Des Moines IA.

Miller, R. O., Cihacek, L. J., & Sawyer, D. (2023) Uncertainty in Soil Carbon Capture: Why Results Reporting Matters [Abstract]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/153993 (Oral)

Batool, M., Cihacek, L. J., & Alghamdi, R. (2023) Variation of Organic and Inorganic Carbon Stocks with Depth Under Three Land Management Systems in North-Central South Dakota [Abstract]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/149743 (Oral)

Cihacek, L. J., Malimbayeva, A., Batyrbek, M. (2023) Effects of Soil Management on Phosphatase Activity in Maize in Long-Term Crop Rotations [Abstract]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/151861(Poster)

Alghamdi, R., Senturklu, S., Landblom, D., Cihacek, L. J. (2023) Soil Health Using Haney Biological Analysis in Calcareous Soils in Semi-Arid Environments [Abstract]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/153051 (Poster)

Fan, Y., Zhuang, J., Essington, M., Zhang, X., Hua, G., Bhadha, J.H., Xia, S., Lu, X., Lee, J. 2023. Characterizing the role of hydraulic retention time on nitrate removal indices in denitrifying bioreactors by nonlinear models. Environmental Technology & Innovation. 32: 103431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2023.103431

Yuchuan, F., Essington, M., Zhuang, J., Zhang, X., Jagadamma, S., Schwartz, J., Huang, J., Bhadha, J.H., Lee, J. 2023. Recycling silage leachate and biochar for improving nitrate removal by woodchip bioreactor. Journal of Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118735

Vieira-Filho, L.O., Silveira, M.L., Kohmann, M.M., Sales, C.A.R., Sollenberger, L.E., Bhadha, J.H., Strauss, S.L., Moriel, P. 2023. Water table effect on phosphorus solubility in biosolids-amended soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20568

Xu, N., Amgain, N.R., Rabbany, A., McCray, J.M., Li, Y., Strauss, S.L., Mylavarapu, R., Bhadha, J.H. 2023. Field incubation studies on nutrient mineralization of bagasse on Spodosols and Histosols in Florida. Agriculture. 13:975. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13050975

Bhadha, J.H., Xu, N., Amgain, N.R., Rbbany, A., Swanson, S. 2023. Utilization of bagasse as a soil amendment in sugarcane production on mineral soils in Florida. International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists. 31: 130–137.

Kreutz, G.F. Bhadha, J.H., Liu, G.D., Sandoya, G.V. 2023. Identifying lettuce accessions for efficient use of phosphorus in hydroponics. HortScience. 58: 467-474. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI17040-22

Bhadha, J.H., Clark, M., Andreu M., Fan, Y., Wade, T., Her, Y-G. 2023. Capitalizing on carbon. University of Florida IFAS EDIS Publication. #AE582. doi.org/10.32473/edis-AE582-2023

McLamore, E., Duckworth, O., Boyer, T.H., Marshall, A-M., Call, D.F., Bhadha, J.H. Guzman, S. 2023. Perspective: Phosphorus monitoring must be rooted in sustainability frameworks spanning material scale to human scale. Water Research X. 19: 100168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wroa.2023.100168

Presentations:

Jagadamma, S. 2023. Deep soil carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change. Notre Dame's-Environmental Change Initiative 2023 Virtual Spring Seminar Series. February 1 (Invited, Virtual).

Wooliver, R., Kivlin, S.N., McClure, A., Lee, J., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Soil microbial communities, soil carbon, and crop yields after two years of crop diversification in Tennessee. ASA-CSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting (Poster), November 6-9, Baltimore, MD.

Neupane, A., Herndon, E.M., Whitman, T., Faiia, A.M., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Manganese and nitrogen coupled interaction on plant residue decomposition and soil carbon cycling. ASA-CSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting (Oral), November 6-9, Baltimore, MD.

Lazicki, P., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Deep C Diving: Exploring how soil health management affects subsurface carbon in Tennessee soils. ASA-CSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting (Poster), November 6-9, Baltimore, MD.

Neelipally, RTKR., Saha, D., Cui, S., Hawkins, S.A., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Organic grain rotational systems for agronomic and soil health outcomes. ASA-CSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting (Poster), November 6-9, Baltimore, MD.

Patra, R., Saha, D., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Microbial functional traits regulating subsoil organic carbon distribution under long term no tillage and cover cropping practices. ASA-CSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting (Poster), November 6-9, Baltimore, MD.

Jagadamma, S. 2022. Climate-smart agriculture and subsoil carbon storage in the southeast US, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, September 9 (Invited).

Patra, R., Saha, D., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Do subsoil organic carbon under deep-rooted cover cropping systems increases from microbial community composition associated with C cycling? ESA and CSEE Annual Meeting (Oral), August 14-19, Montreal, Canada.

Osmond, D.L., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. What does soil health mean in the southern United States: challenges and opportunities. ASA-CSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting (Invited Oral), November 6-9, Baltimore, MD.

Osmond, D.L., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. What does soil health mean in the southern United States: challenges and opportunities. Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference (Invited Oral), July 31-August 3, Denver, CO.

Neelipally, RTKR., Saha, D., Cui, S., Hawkins, S.A., and Jagadamma, S. 2022. Designing efficient organic grain rotation systems for soil health and crop productivity in Tennessee. American Society of Agronomy Southern Branch Annual Meeting (Poster), February 12-14, New Orleans, LA.

Tangen, B. (Author & Presenter) (Graduate Student), Cates, A. M. (Author), Vetsch, J. (Author), Johnson, G. (Author), Soils, Agronomy and Crops Societies of America Annual Meeting, "Assessing the effects of agricultural management on soil architecture and soil moisture in southern Minnesota," Soils, Agronomy and Crops Societies of America, St Louis, MO (October 29 2023).

Gutknecht, J. (Presenter), Link. E., and Jungers J. Perennial crops to improve soil health and sustain yields for climate extremes. Oral presentation to the Agronomy Society of America annual conference. October 29-November 1, Saint Louis MO.

Gutknecht, J., and A.M. Cates (Presenters). Soil Microbes and Organic Matter Formation. Outreach presentation to the MN Board of Water and Soil Resources fall “Academy”, Brainerd, MN, U.S.A. (October 24, 2023).

Cihacek, L. 2022. Effects of integrated crop-grazing on soil nutrient levels. Integrated Systems, Intercropping, and Organic Matter Management Workshop. NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center, Dickinson, ND. September 14, 2022. ( Invited Oral)

Cihacek, L. 2022. Update on soil acidity as a soil health issue. 2022 NDSU Extension Fall Conference, November 2, 2022. Holiday Inn, Fargo, ND. (Oral).

Alghamdi, R., L. Cihacek, C. Augustin, R. Buetow, D. Landblom, and S. Senturklu. 2022. Soil acidity and liming of traditionally calcareous soils in the Northern Great Plains. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD. November 6-9, 2022. (Poster)

Algamdi, R., L. Cihacek, and M. Batool. 2022. Nitrogen mineralization for no-till and tilled systems with varying rates of cover crop residues. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD. November 6-9, 2022. (Poster)

Cihacek, L. 2022. Linkages between soils, plants, animal and human health. 2022 ND Chapter SWCS Annual Workshop and Business Meeting. December 7, 2022. Carrington, ND. (Invited oral).

Batool, M., L. J. Cihacek and R. Alghamdi, 2023 Carbon dynamics in three land managements in the northern Great Plains. Submitted to the 2023 NCSS National Conference, July 8-14, 2023. Bismarck, ND.

Miller, R. O., Cihacek, L. J., & Sawyer, D. (2023) Uncertainty in Soil Carbon Capture: Why Results Reporting Matters. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO. https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2023am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/153993 (Oral)

Cihacek, L. 2023. Linkages between soil, plant animal and human health. Mekong One Health Innovation Program (MOHIP) Webinar No. 9. Michigan State University. October 19, 2023. (Zoom)

Lunch and Learn with the Ag Teachers. Presentation related to soil sustainability and nutrient management at the subsidence post. December 15, 2023. (23 attendees)

Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation personnel tour of south Florida. Presentation related to soil sustainability and nutrient management at the subsidence post. November 20, 2023. (14 attendees)

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