SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report
Sections
Status: Approved
Basic Information
- Project No. and Title: W1196 : Implementing and Correlating Soil Health Management and Assessment in Western States
- Period Covered: 01/01/2023 to 12/31/2023
- Date of Report: 12/27/2023
- Annual Meeting Dates: 12/21/2023 to 12/21/2023
Participants
Accomplishments
Accomplishments:
The W1196 workgroup met virtually on March 1, May 26, and December 19, 2023 to agree upon how to compile data, followed by actual data compilation and a discussion on compiling data from both current and published literature. We are on track according to milestones outlined by the W1196 workgroup.
Our group created a Googlesheet to house participant basic (agro)ecosystem information pertinent to site location, responsible member contact information, site characteristics, crops and cropping rotations, and information pertaining to the five principles of soil health promoted by the NRCS (e.g., soil cover, minimize disturbance, diversity, living roots, and livestock integration). The Googlesheet contains a separate tab, linked to the basic (agro)ecosystem tab, that specifically targets soil health test(s) used, indicators collected, and methods for indicator collection. No actual data is housed in the second sheet, and only X’s are used to indicate what data was collected. This allows our members to quickly look over the information and begin to formulate means by which we can collectively work together to address objective 1 and 2.
Our group has been assigned the task of populating the Googlesheet with missing data from 4 participant states, and with previously published soil health data. We will meet in February 2024 to discuss progress.
Plans for the coming year: We have also created a third tab in the Googlesheet where members can record ideas for data meta-analyses. We anticipate subgroups working together in the coming year to begin to formulate research, based on Googlesheet data, that begins to address objectives 1 and 2.
The Googlesheet is located here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UuDGPpZdnnR06VZ_6VzVETJsg565ZG2Nrs2x9AnwTXA/edit#gid=80618355 If interested, clicking on the link will take you to a page where you may need to request permission to look at the document. Dr. Caley Gasch is responsible for granting access.
Impacts
- Potential long-term impacts will identify best soil health management practices for western US agroecosystems or knowledge gaps that prevent identification and identify best soil health assessment approaches for western agroecosystems.