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Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Evaluation Of A Novel Approach For Assessing Biological Activity In Agricultural Soils, Karla Melgar
Evaluation Of A Novel Approach For Assessing Biological Activity In Agricultural Soils, Karla Melgar
Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses
Soil health is a key factor impacting soil resilience and fertility in crop production systems. Favorable soil physical and biological conditions facilitate plant nutrient absorption and nutrient cycling. Demonstrating to farmers the impacts and changes in soil biological activity under different soil management practices has been a challenge due to the limited availability of inexpensive tools for quantifying this component of soil health. The primary goal of this study was to present a simple and readily accessible tool for evaluating soil biological activity to promote the use of organic amendments in crop fields. Research plots were established in two studies …
Soil Health Effects And Stakeholder Perceptions Of Manure And Woody Biomass Application To Cropland In Nebraska, Linda R. Schott
Soil Health Effects And Stakeholder Perceptions Of Manure And Woody Biomass Application To Cropland In Nebraska, Linda R. Schott
Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses
Organic products that have historically been viewed as waste products may improve soil health by adding carbon (C) and nutrients to soil. Two such products are woodchips, generated from forest or rangeland management activities, and livestock manure. In Nebraska, eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) is a native but invasive tree species inhibiting rangeland productivity. Livestock manure that is underutilized while inorganic fertilizers are imported for crop production presents a water quality risk by contributing to local- and regional-scale nutrient imbalances. Increasing the responsible use of livestock manure in crop fertility programs to improve sustainability of both livestock and crop farms …
The Effect Of Manure Application Method On Nutrient And Microbial Runoff Transport And Soil Biological Health Indicators, Nicole R. Schuster
The Effect Of Manure Application Method On Nutrient And Microbial Runoff Transport And Soil Biological Health Indicators, Nicole R. Schuster
Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses
Two projects were completed to provide significant new information to the agricultural industry regarding the environmental implications and soil health impacts related to land application of swine manure. The first study reports on the runoff transport of nutrients and microbials as affected by manure application method and time following application. The second study provides information about the effect of application method and time following application on soil health indicators using arthropod abundance and diversity as a biological indicator. The information gained through these studies will provide beneficial information to the pork industry on the impact of manure application method and …