Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Activities of the annual meeting primarily concerned committee business, a review of contributions of individual states to overall committee objectives, and development of plans for the coming year. Committee Business: A discussion took place regarding changes in status of committee members. J. Schmidt was slated to become Chair in 2004 but was going to resign from the committee. The committee decided that W. Horwath would remain chair to fill the successional void. C. Laboski will be taking a position at the University of Wisconsin. At this time, C. Laboski plans to remain a member of the committee but will be representing Wisconsin instead of Michigan. She will insure that Michigan data and reporting occur until her replacement is determined. D. Olk was nominated for Member-at-Large. Committee leadership for the 2005 meeting is: William Horwath Chair Carrie Laboski Secretary Dan Olk Member-at-Large Warren Dick Past Chair Report of Meeting Activities and Plans for Next Year: Gary Lemme presented the administrative report. Members of the committee reviewed efforts to write draft manuscripts of data collected from the previous NC218 project. These papers tentatively plan to focus on the following topics: 1. Methods and characterization of data collected during last project including crop response and field histories. 2. Potential N mineralization quick test and their relationship to thermal units. 3. Plant sensing of N status. 4. Relationship of soil mineralizable C to mineralizable N. 5. Using testing techniques to predict soil N mineralization and develop fertilizer recommendations. D. Walters presented a new maize growth model. Initial results of model simulations suggest that planting date is critical to avoid high night temperatures during the latter part of the growing season. Discussion of the protocols to be used for the new project ensued. Each state reported on their plans to conduct field experiments according to the protocol developed for NC218 studies in the previous year.

The use of the Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test (ISNT), which is based on estimating amino sugar nitrogen (AS-N) content in soil continued to be tested in several states. The results from these studies are beginning to question to value of the Illinois N test as a predictor of in season N availability. The test did show a strong correlation with organic matter suggesting that total organic matter may be as useful when making field specific nitrogen recommendations. Temporal variations of ISNT values were shown not to be consistent from site to site in Illinois. At three locations, ISNT values decreased from April through late May and then commenced to increase back to the initial spring value by early November. At the other two locations, levels fluctuated over time, but showed no consistent trend. Based upon this work, it appears that the best time for soil sampling will be early spring. These results indicate the amino sugar pool may fluctuate as a result of such factors as climate, crop phenology or management, and therefore a more ridgid soil sampling protocols may need to be developed to standardize results of the ISNT. The ability of the INST to predict economic response of corn to N fertilizer was a major issue discussed. If the INST is to be predictive, there should be higher responses at low INST values and low responses at high INST values. Additionally, an INST threshold should exist above which the response is zero. At this time, the data being accumulated by NC218 researchers do not behave in this manner. It must be noted that many of the locations had an INSTcritical value of greater than 250 mg kg-1, which is the threshold set by the University of Illinois. It appears that two populations may exist in the data set. Additional analysis needs to be done to determine if there are certain characteristics of a population or if the variation is random. The activity of the enzyme B-glucosaminidase (NAGase) was shown to be related to N mineralization in soils. Studies on the effect of three tillage systems (no-till, chisel plow, and moldboard plow) and four residue placements) bare, normal, mulch, and double mulch) in soils showed that the activity values of NAGase were significantly affected by tillage and residue management practices, being the greatest in soils with no-till/double mulch and least with no-till/bare and moldboard/normal. NAGase activity was greatest under no-till/double mulch-treated soils. Linear regression analyses showed that the NAGase activity was significantly correlated with organic C in surface soils (r = 0.89***) and with organic C content at different depths (r = 0.97***). Analysis of the NC-218 mineralization test data set continued on a 72 site-year database evaluating the effectiveness of a suite of mineralization quick tests in estimating potentially mineralizable N (PMN) as determined by long-term aerobic incubation. Variation in extractable N and PMN was analyzed in relation to previous crop and site manure history. Preliminary analyses indicate that previous manure management was the primary determinant contributing to variability in quick test relationship to PMN. Small plot research conducted in 2001 showed that only one site tested in Illinois, that had an ISNT value >240 mg N/kg soil, had corn that responded to fertilizer inputs. In 2002, there was no response to applied N at any site that had an ISNT level greater than 240 mg N/kg soil. Over two years of work in Illinois, the ISNT has done a good job predicting non-responsive sites with only one failure out of 29 experiments. Results collected from the farmer-conducted WATER plots, however, were much less consistent than from the small plot studies. Corn, grown at 12 of the sites (over the two years of the WATER plot studies) that were projected as non-responsive by ISNT, responded to fertilizer N. Most of these failures occurred in 2002, a year characterized by heavy rains early in the spring and early summer followed by very dry soils through most of the rest of the growing season. These unusual climatic conditions undoubtedly would have had a negative impact on microbial activity necessary to convert the AS-N to plant available inorganic N. Second year studies, at The Ohio State University, revealed that sulfur significantly (Pd0.05) increased the yield of corn. The average yield across all N application rates for the no-S plots was 9.41 Mg/ha, which was significantly (P = 0.05) less than when S was applied. The average yield when S was applied was 9.97 Mg/ha -- a 6.0% increase.

Al-Turki, A.I. and W.A. Dick. 2003. Myrosinase activity in soil. Soil Science Society of America Journal 67:139-145. Bird, J.A., C. van Kessel, and W.R. Horwath. 2003. Stabilization and 13C-Carbon and immobilization of 15N-Nitrogen from rice straw in humic fractions. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 67:806-816. Boast, C.W., T.R. Ellsworth, T.J. Smith, R.L. Mulvaney, S.A. Khan, E.M. El-Naggar, and R.G. Hoeft. 2003. Spatial and temporal variability in the Illinois N test. In: Illinois Fertilizer Conference Proceedings 2003 (R.G. Hoeft, ed.). pp. 15-19. Bonta, J.V. and W.A. Dick. 2003. Impact of coal surface mining and reclamation on surface water chemical concentrations and load rates in three Ohio watersheds. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 39:793-815. Brye, K.R., J.M. Norman, S.T. Gower, and L.G. Bundy. 2003. Effects of management practices on annual net N-mineralization in a restored prairie and maize agroecosystems. Biogeochemistry 63:135-160. Brye, K.R., J.M. Norman, S.T. Gower, and L.G. Bundy. 2003. Methodological limitations and N-budget differences among a restored tallgrass prairie and maize agroecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 97:181-198. Bundy, L.G. 2003. Long-term nitrogen fertilizer effects on corn yields and soil properties. In Proc. 33rd North Central Extension-Industry Soil Fert. Conf., Des Moines, IA, 19-20 November 2003. 19:145-150. Cassman, K.G., A. Dobermann D.T. Walters and H. Yang. 2003. Meeting cereal demand while protecting natural resources and improving environmental quality. Annu. Rev. Environ. and Resour. 28:315-58. Dick, W.A. 2003. Soil Genesis and Classification: Fifth Edition. Journal of Environmental Quality 32:1573. Doane, T.A., O.C. Devêvre, and W.R. Horwáth. 2003. Short-term soil carbon dynamics of humic fractions in low-input and organic cropping systems. Geoderma 114:319-331. Dodor, D.E. and Tabatabai, M.A. 2003. Amidohydrolases in soils as affected by cropping systems. Appl. Soil Ecol. 24:73-90. Dodor, D.E. and Tabatabai, M.A. 2003. Effect of cropping systems on phosphatases in soils. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 166:7-13. Ekenler, M. and Tabatabai, M.A. 2003. Effect of liming and tillage systems on microbial biomass and glycosidases in soils. Biol. Fertil Soils 39:51-61. Ekenler, M. and Tabatabai, M.A. 2003. Response of phosphatases and arylsulfatase in soils to liming and tillage systems. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 166:281-290 Ekenler, M. and Tabatabai, M.A. 2003. Tillage and residue management effects on B-glucosaminidase activity in soils. Soil Biol. Biochem. 35:871-874. Klose, S. and Tabatabai, M.A. 2002. Response of amidohydrolases in soils to chloroform fumigation. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 165:125-132. Klose, S. and Tabatabai, M.A. 2002. Response of glycosidases in soils to chloroform fumigation. Biol. Fertil. Soils 35:262-269. Klose, S. and Tabatabai, M.A. 2002. Response of phosphomonoesterases in soils to chloroform fumigation. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 165:1429-1434. Kpomblekou-A, K. and Tabatabai, M.A. 2003. Effect of low-molecular weight organic acids on phosphorus release and phytoavailability of phosphorus in phosphate rocks added to soils. Agric. Ecosys. Environ. 100:275-284. Martens, D.A. and W. Dick. 2003. Recovery of fertilizer nitrogen from continuous corn soils under contrasting tillage management. Biology & Fertility of Soils 38:144-153. Pearson, W.W., R.F. Hensler, B.H. Shaw, and L.G. Bundy. 2003. Residual soil nitrogen and nitrogen response of corn on sandy loam soils. Proc. Wis. Fert. Aglime and Pest Mgmt. Conf. 42:286-300. Randall, G. W., J. A Vetsch, and J. R. Huffman. 2003. Nitrate losses in subsurface drainage from a corn-soybean rotation as affected by time of nitrogen application and use of nitrapyrin. J. Environ. Qual. 32:1764-1772. Randall, G. W., J. A. Vetsch, and J. R. Huffman. 2003. Corn production on a subsurface-drained mollisol as affected by time of nitrogen application and nitrapyrin. Agron. J. 95:1213-1219. Randall, G., M. Schmitt, J. Strock, J. Lamb. 2003. Validating N rates for corn on farm fields in southern Minnesota. Univ. Minnesota Ext. Bul. 07936. Tabatabai, M.A. 2002. Soil enzymes. 5:2899-2910. In: The Encyclopedia of Environmental Microbiology. G. Bitton (ed.), Wiley, New York. Tabatabai, M.A. 2003. Soil enzymes. 3:1415-1462. In: The Encyclopedia of Agrochemicals, Wiley, New York. van Groenigen, J.W., C.S. Mutters, W.R.Horwath, and C. van Kessel. 2003. NIR and DRAFT-MIR spectrometry of soils for predicting soil and crop parameters in a flooded field. Plant and Soil 250:155-165. Walters, D.T., A. Dobermann, T. Arkebauer, K. Cassman, R. Drijber , J. Lindquist, J. Specht, H. Yang, D. Binder, G. Teichmeier, D. Miller. 2003. Intensification of maize systems: Impact on yield, nutrient use efficiency, and soil quality. Presentation to the American Soc. of Agronomy and Soil Science Soc. of Am. annual meeting, Nov. 2-6. Denver, CO. Y. Li, W.A. Dick and O.H. Tuovinen. 2003. Evaluation of fluorochromes for imaging bacteria in soil. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 35:737-744.