Project Number: 5356-12000-007-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Apr 29, 2001
End Date: Apr 28, 2006

Objective:
Identify pathways of water infiltration into soil and factors producing high infiltration rates. Produce guidelines for high infiltration capacity. Evaluate functional and taxonomic diversity of soil microorganisms. Delineate soil organic matter components and their relationship to soil quality. Develop a soil carbon model capable of using readily available data to predict the storage or loss of soil carbon in relation to management practice.

Approach:
Changes in soil fauna, carbon accumulation, porosity characteristics, compaction, aggregation, and microbial activity will be investigated for their role in water infiltration into tilled and untilled cropping systems. Dye tracing and other techniques will be developed to identify actual infiltration routes. Climax communities of soil microorganisms in longterm agroecosystems will be identified using physiological and biochemical methods. The population dynamics of selected taxa will be determined and the activity of important microbial groups will be measured. Carbon and nitrogen transformations in selected management systems will be evaluated by standard analytical methods. Soil organic matter pools will be investigated and their relationship to soil quality evaluated. .A mathematical model, in Windows format, for carbon sequestration in agricultural soils will be developed. The model will be based on observations from local long-term experiments and will be validated using long-term data from sites across the USA.Formerly 5356-12000-006-00D (3/01). FY04 Program Increase $100,653.

Project Team

Albrecht, Stephan - Steve Gollany, Hero Long, Daniel Williams, John Wuest, Stewart Siemens, Mark

Project Annual Reports

FY 2003   FY 2002   FY 2001