Project Number: 5440-12210-008-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Sep 30, 2001
End Date: Aug 31, 2006

Objective:
Identify and characterize management practices that positively influence soil health; develop tools that will have utility to clientele in measuring soil attributes, especially biological attributes, for monitoring soil health as related to sustainable management; evaluate potential of tillage, cropping, and residue management systems for soil C storage in sub humid and semiarid envrionments of Western Corn Belt and Central Great Plains; evaluate a simple tool for on-farm assessment of ag mgt systems.

Approach:
Soils from plots under contrasting management will be collected at longterm cropping system sites in Great Plains and Western Corn Belt and soil properties will be determined. Lab tests will be conducted to compare new methods for evaluating various biological attributes to established methods. New methods will be developed to measure soil attributes using equipment and techniques available to those not having access to sophisticated facilities. Soils will be sampled for total and labile C pools from cropping system plots and reference areas at Mead, NE, Sidney NE, and Akron CO. A C management index will be calculated to assess the potential for further C storage in these systems. Data collected will be supplemented with yield, price, input costs, and environmental impacts to evaluate a simple tool for on-farm assessment of economic and environmental sustainability. Research will be done in collaboration with other ARS and University scientists.

Project Team

Wienhold, Brian Shanahan, John Varvel, Gary Wilhelm, Wallace

Project Annual Reports

FY 2003   FY 2002