Soil Science Commons^™

Learning From The Soil's Memory: Tailoring Of Fertilizer Application Based On Past Manure Applications Increases Fertilizer Use Efficiency And Crop Productivity On Kenyan Smallholder Farms, Samuel Njoroge, Antonius G.T. Schut, Ken E. Giller, Shamie Zingore

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The large uncertainty in yield response to fertilizer application within smallholder cropping systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) limits efforts aimed at intensifying crop production based on increased fertilizer application. We assessed the key field-scale cause of variability in maize (Zea mays) grain yield response to fertilizer nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in the Sidindi area of Western Kenya based on past manure application, distance from the homestead, and clay and silt contents. We used data from nutrient omission trials conducted on 23 farms over seven consecutive cropping seasons covering the period 2013–2016, without changing treatments or plot location. …

Defining, Measuring, And Applying Soil Quality: An Unresolved Debate, Salvador Ramirez Ii

Doctor of Plant Health Program: Dissertations and Student Research

Paradigm shifts occur periodically in the sciences. Proposed paradigm shifts offer opportunities to reexamine extant paradigms and evaluate new ones. Soil science experienced a controversy resembling a proposed paradigm shift in the late 1990s and early 2000s when it grappled with the idea of soil quality (SQ). The most contentious points in the SQ debates were (1) the word “quality” itself and designing a functional definition, (2) identifying appropriate soil quality indicators, (3) the integration of soil quality indicators, and (4) the interpretation of soil quality indicators. The latter three disagreements were rooted in the established, fundamental, soil science paradigm. …

Underground Environment Aware Mimo Design Using Transmit And Receive Beamforming In Internet Of Underground Things, Abdul Salam

Computer Information Technology Faculty Publications

In underground (UG) multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), the transmit beamforming is used to focus energy in the desired direction. There are three different paths in the underground soil medium through which the waves propagates to reach at the receiver. When the UG receiver receives a desired data stream only from the desired path, then the UG MIMO channel becomes three path (lateral, direct, and reflected) interference channel. Accordingly, the capacity region of the UG MIMO three path interference channel and degrees of freedom (multiplexing gain of this MIMO channel requires careful modeling). Therefore, expressions are required derived the degrees of …

Ground, Proximal, And Satellite Remote Sensing Of Soil Moisture, Ebrahim Babaeian, Morteza Sadeghi, Scott B. Jones, Carsten Montzka, Harry Vereecken, Markus Tuller

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Soil moisture (SM) is a key hydrologic state variable that is of significant importance for numerous Earth and environmental science applications that directly impact the global environment and human society. Potential applications include, but are not limited to, forecasting of weather and climate variability; prediction and monitoring of drought conditions; management and allocation of water resources; agricultural plant production and alleviation of famine; prevention of natural disasters such as wild fires, landslides, floods, and dust storms; or monitoring of ecosystem response to climate change. Because of the importance and wide‐ranging applicability of highly variable spatial and temporal SM information that …

Nitrogen Fertilizer Suppresses Mineralization Of Soil Organic Matter In Maize Agroecosystems, Navreet K. Mahal, William R. Osterholz, Fernando E. Miguez, Hanna J. Poffenbarger, John E. Sawyer, Daniel C. Olk, Sotirios V. Archontoulis, Michael J. Castellano

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

The possibility that N fertilizer increases soil organic matter (SOM) mineralization and, as a result, reduces SOM stocks has led to a great debate about the long-term sustainability of maize-based agroecosystems as well as the best method to estimate fertilizer N use efficiency (FNUE). Much of this debate is because synthetic N fertilizer can positively or negatively affect SOM mineralization via several direct and indirect pathways. Here, we test a series of hypotheses to determine the direction, magnitude, and mechanism of N fertilizer effect on SOM mineralization and discuss the implications for methods to estimate FNUE. We measured the effect …

Assessing Variation In Us Soybean Seed Composition (Protein And Oil), Yared Assefa, Larry C. Purcell, Montse Salmeron, Seth Naeve, Shaun N. Casteel, Péter Kovács, Sotirios Archontoulis, Mark Licht, Fred Below, Herman Kandel, Laura E. Lindsey, John Gaska, Shawn Conley, Charles Shapiro, John M. Orlowski, Bobby R. Golden, Gurpreet Kaur, Maninderpal Singh, Kurt Thelen, Randall Laurenz, Dan Davidson, Ignacio A. Ciampitti

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed composition and yield are a function of genetics (G), environment (E), and management (M) practices, but contribution of each factor to seed composition and yield are not well understood. The goal of this synthesis-analysis was to identify the main effects of G, E, and M factors on seed composition (protein and oil concentration) and yield. The entire dataset (13,574 data points) consisted of 21 studies conducted across the United States (US) between 2002 and 2017 with varying treatments and all reporting seed yield and composition. Environment (E), defined as site-year, was the dominant …

Evaluating Seasonal Nutrient Fluxes In Emerging And Eroding Wetlands Of The Louisiana Delta Plain, Kiran Upreti

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Deltaic wetlands can ameliorate high NO₃^- loads via denitrification, a dominant NO₃^- reduction pathway in inland and coastal habitats. Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia (DNRA), in contrast to denitrification, conserves N within the system and has been found to be favored over denitrification with increase in salinity and temperature. There are no studies in the Louisiana Deltaic plain with simultaneous estimation of denitrification and DNRA. Increased P availability has been shown to increase denitrification so it is essential to understand P biogeochemistry when studying N cycle. Here, we evaluated net denitrification using N₂:Ar and …

Pantropical Climate Interactions, Wenju Cai, Lixin Wu, Matthieu Lengaigne, Tim Li, Shayne Mcgregor, Jong-Seong Kug, Jin-Yi Yu, Malte F. Stuecker, Agus Santoso, Xichen Li, Yoo-Geun Ham, Yoshimitsu Chikamoto, Benjamin Ng, Michael J. Mcphaden, Yan Du, Et Al.

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which originates in the Pacific, is the strongest and most well-known mode of tropical climate variability. Its reach is global, and it can force climate variations of the tropical Atlantic and Indian Oceans by perturbing the global atmospheric circulation. Less appreciated is how the tropical Atlantic and Indian Oceans affect the Pacific. Especially noteworthy is the multidecadal Atlantic warming that began in the late 1990s, because recent research suggests that it has influenced Indo-Pacific climate, the character of the ENSO cycle, and the hiatus in global surface warming. Discovery of these pantropical interactions provides a …

Wayne E. Sabbe Arkansas Soil Fertility Studies 2018, Nathan A. Slaton

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Rapid technological changes in crop management and production require that the research efforts be presented in an expeditious manner. The contributions of soil fertility and fertilizers are major production factors in all Arkansas crops. The studies described within will allow producers to compare their practices with the university’s research efforts. Additionally, soil-test data and fertilizer sales are presented to allow comparisons among years, crops, and other areas within Arkansas.

A New Direction For Salinity Management In Western Australia: A Consultative Review, Ghd

Natural resources commissioned reports

In May 2018, the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) published an audit into the management of salinity and recommended that the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), in consultation with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER), set a strategic direction for salinity management for WA and improve monitoring, cooperation, coordination, promotion of soil conservation, and compliance of salinity impacts and its management.

The OAG’s audit focused on two questions:

1. Do agencies know the extent and impact of dryland salinity in the South West agricultural regions?
2. Are …

Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report 2018, Aaron R. Young, Mark E. Burbach, Leslie M. Howard, Michele M. Waszgis, Sue Olafsen Lackey, Robert Matthew Joeckel

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

The term “groundwater” has come to be all but synonymous with Nebraska. Nearly three-quarters of the total volume of the High Plains Aquifer lies beneath the State. Groundwater maintains our streams, our ecosystems, our people, and our vitally important agricultural economy. Nebraska’s total groundwater resource is vast, yet it is also vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic changes, necessitating a long-term commitment to wise management through informed decision making. Monitoring, studying, and reporting form the essential basis for such management and, ultimately, for meeting the myriad challenges presented by change.

The personnel of the Conservation and Survey Division (CSD) are pleased …

Seasonal Origins Of Soil Water Used By Trees, Scott T. Allen, James W. Kirchner, Sabine Braun, Rolf T. W. Siegwolf, Gregory R. Goldsmith

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Rain recharges soil water storages and either percolates downward into aquifers and streams or is returned to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration. Although it is commonly assumed that summer rainfall recharges plant-available water during the growing season, the seasonal origins of water used by plants have not been systematically explored. We characterize the seasonal origins of waters in soils and trees by comparing their midsummer isotopic signatures (δ2H) to seasonal isotopic cycles in precipitation, using a new seasonal origin index. Across 182 Swiss forest sites, xylem water isotopic signatures show that summer rain was not the predominant water source …

Effect Of Stoniness On The Hydraulic Properties Of A Soil From An Evaporation Experiment Using The Wind And Inverse Estimation Methods, Nerea Arias, Iñigo Virto, Alberto Enrique, Paloma Bescansa, Riley Walton, Ole O. Wendroth

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Stony soils are distributed all over the world. The study of their characteristics has gained importance lately due to their increasing use as agricultural soils. The effect that rock fragments exert on the soil hydraulic properties is difficult to measure in situ, and is usually derived from the fine earth properties. However, the corrections used so far do not seem accurate for all types of stony soils. Our objective was to assess the adequacy of estimating the hydraulic properties of a stony soil from the fine earth ones by correcting the latter by the volume occupied by rock fragments. To …

Genome-Wide Association Studies For Yield-Related Traits In Soft Red Winter Wheat Grown In Virginia, Brian P. Ward, Gina Brown-Guedira, Frederic L. Kolb, David A. Van Sanford, Priyanka Tyagi, Clay H. Sneller, Carl A. Griffey

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Grain yield is a trait of paramount importance in the breeding of all cereals. In wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), yield has steadily increased since the Green Revolution, though the current rate of increase is not forecasted to keep pace with demand due to growing world population and increasing affluence. While several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on yield and related component traits have been performed in wheat, the previous lack of a reference genome has made comparisons between studies difficult. In this study, a GWAS for yield and yield-related traits was carried out on a population of 322 soft red …

Survey And Adjourn, Kentucky Alfalfa And Stored Forages Conference

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

No abstract provided.

How Good Is Our Kentucky Haylage? A Summary Of 2017-18 Farm Results, Jimmy C. Henning, Jeff Lehmkuhler, Levi Berg, April Wilhoit, Corinne Belton, Tommy R. Yankey

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

The ability to harvest moist forage as hay gives Kentucky producers many advantages, including timely harvest, higher forage quality, and less weathering loss over hay systems. The baleage system allows producers to utilize commonly available forage equipment (mowers, rakes, balers) rather than requiring choppers and silo structures or bags. Making high quality baleage requires timely access to bale wrappers.

Forward Of Kentucky Alfalfa And Stored Forages Conference [2019], Rehanon Pampell, S. Ray Smith

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

No abstract provided.

Examination Of The Climate Factors That Reduced Wheat Yield In Northwest India During The 2000s, Avik Mukherjee, Shih-Yu (Simon) Wang, Parichart Promchote

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

In India, a significant reduction of wheat yield would cause a widespread impact on food security for 1.35 billion people. The two highest wheat producing states, Punjab and Haryana in northern India, experienced a prolonged period of anomalously low wheat yield during 2002–2010. The extent of climate variability and change in influencing this prolonged reduction in wheat yield was examined. Daily air temperature (T_max and T_ave) was used to calculate the number of days above optimum temperature and growing degree days (GDD) anomaly. Two drought indices, the standard precipitation and evapotranspiration index and the radiation-based precipitation index, …

Informing Water Use Decision-Making For Waterfowl And Agricultural Production On A Ranch Along The North Platte River, Nebraska, Douglas R. Hallum P.G.

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

In 2014, operators of a ranch along the North Platte River approached Conservation and Survey Division seeking expertise to interpret data collected on their ranch. The interpretations inform ranch decisions to accomplish operators’ goals. This publication documents the work by: 1) characterizing the ranch, 2) summarizing data collected, 3) characterizing hydrogeology of the site and the adjacent reach, and 4) conceptualizing groundwater/surface water interaction.

The ranch is a recreation property and a migratory waterfowl refuge with a few general goals: 1) develop and maintain high-quality wet meadow habitat, 2) maximize the extent and duration of surface water on the property …

Carboxylic Acids Accelerate Acidic Environment-Mediated Nanoceria Dissolution, Robert A. Yokel, Matthew L. Hancock, Eric A. Grulke, Jason M. Unrine, Alan K. Dozier, Uschi M. Graham

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Ligands that accelerate nanoceria dissolution may greatly affect its fate and effects. This project assessed the carboxylic acid contribution to nanoceria dissolution in aqueous, acidic environments. Nanoceria has commercial and potential therapeutic and energy storage applications. It biotransforms in vivo. Citric acid stabilizes nanoceria during synthesis and in aqueous dispersions. In this study, citrate-stabilized nanoceria dispersions (∼4 nm average primary particle size) were loaded into dialysis cassettes whose membranes passed cerium salts but not nanoceria particles. The cassettes were immersed in iso-osmotic baths containing carboxylic acids at pH 4.5 and 37 °C, or other select agents. Cerium atom material …