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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Long-Term Tillage And Nitrogen Fertilization Effects On Soil Surface Chemistry, A. Obour, J. D. Holman Jun 2017

Long-Term Tillage And Nitrogen Fertilization Effects On Soil Surface Chemistry, A. Obour, J. D. Holman

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Long-term crop management practices can affect nutrient cycling and availability to crops. This study examined the long-term effects of nitrogen (N) fertilizer application (N rates of 0, 20, 40, and 60 lb N/a) and tillage intensity (conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT), and no-tillage (NT)) on soil phosphorus (P), micronutrients, and soil acidity in a dryland winter wheat (Triticum aestivumL.)–sorghum (Sorghum bicolorL.)–fallow cropping system. Results showed soil organic matter (SOM), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) concentrations were greater under NT compared to CT or RT. Similarly, NT ( 32 ppm) increased P accumulation in the upper …


Measuring Soil Electrical Conductivity To Delineate Zones Of Variability In Production Fields, Gretchen Sassenrath, S. Kulesza Jan 2017

Measuring Soil Electrical Conductivity To Delineate Zones Of Variability In Production Fields, Gretchen Sassenrath, S. Kulesza

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Production fields in southeast Kansas are highly variable. Differences in elevation and changes in soil texture contribute to unevenness in plant-available moisture and nutrients, resulting in significant inconsistencies in crop production and yield within a field. These variabilities complicate management and impact the return on investments from different areas of the field. Identification of the regions of variability is possible through several methods, including visual inspection, remote imagery, and yield maps. An additional method of assessing soil variability is by measuring the electrical conductivity of the soil. Measuring apparent electrical conductivity gives a map of the spatial distribution of soil …


Weather Information For Tribune, H. D. Bond, J. Slattery Jan 2017

Weather Information For Tribune, H. D. Bond, J. Slattery

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

In 2016, annual precipitation of 19.97 in. was recorded, which is 2.07 in. above normal. Six months had above-normal precipitation. April (5.16 in.) was the wettest month. The largest single amount of precipitation was 1.91 in. on August 7. January, the driest month, only recorded a trace of precipitation.


Weather Information For Garden City, 2016, J. Elliott Jan 2017

Weather Information For Garden City, 2016, J. Elliott

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Precipitation for 2016 totaled 17.73 in. This was 1.51 in. below the 30-year average of 19.24 in. and followed two years of above normal moisture. April and July 2016 had considerably above average precipitation, causing good summer crop growing conditions. Rainfall diminished after July to 37% of the 30-year-average, resulting in dry conditions for fall wheat planting. Hail was not observed in 2016. Blowing dust was noted on two days in March. The largest daily rainfall events were 1.72 in. on April 16, and 1.68 in. on July 2.


Key Components Of Healthy Soils And Their Role In Crop Production, C. J. Hsiao, Gretchen Sassenrath, Charles Rice, L. Zeglin, G. Hettiarachchi Jan 2017

Key Components Of Healthy Soils And Their Role In Crop Production, C. J. Hsiao, Gretchen Sassenrath, Charles Rice, L. Zeglin, G. Hettiarachchi

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Soil health is a confusing term that means different things to different people. To a crop producer, healthy soils are critical for good crop growth and yield. Some soil properties include soil texture, such as the relative percentage of sand, silt and clay; the water content; nutrient levels; organic carbon content; the microbial community; and microbial activity. These properties are determinants of soil health. Our research confirmed that changes in soil management affect the composition and activity of soil microorganisms in surface soils. Greater concentrations of microbial biomass and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) in the no-till agricultural system indicated healthier …


Weather Reports For Research Field Locations, M. Knapp Jan 2017

Weather Reports For Research Field Locations, M. Knapp

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Weather Reports for Research Field Locations in Kansas 2016: Ashland Bottoms, Belleville, Colby, Conway Springs, Ellsworth, Hays, Hutchinson, Manhattan, McPherson, Perry and Scandia.


Annual Summary Of Weather Data For Parsons, M. Knapp Jan 2017

Annual Summary Of Weather Data For Parsons, M. Knapp

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Annual Summary of Weather Data for Parsons, Kansas, 2016.