Soil Science Research ProjectsA number of projects have been initiated since my arrival and a few have been completed or are in the process of completion. Combining effective fertilization with planting of hard red spring wheatCooperator: Dr. George Rehm (Dept. Soil, Water, and Climate, UM) New technologies in seed and fertilizer placement at planting have stimulated questions concerning fertilizer management and rates in small grain production. Two experiments have been set up. One to evaluate seed-fertilizer N placement options and a second to evaluate seed-fertilizer P placement options. The field component of this experiment has been completed and is in the process of being interpreted. An extension of this trial includes a 'microplot' component where we are able to evaluate specific broad band placement of fertilizer P. This trial will be conducted in 2000. Partial support of this experiment comes from the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council. The results of these experiments can be found in the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council Research Reports.
Evaluation of residue decomposition and the survival of Fusarium graminearumCooperator: Dr. Ruth Dill-Macky (Dept. of Plant Pathology, UM) The initial trial was composed of burying in the soil 900 mesh bags with a known amount of spring wheat straw. Bag placement was on the soil surface, 10 cm depth, and 20 cm depth in soil that was chiseled several times prior to bag burial and at 20 cm soil depth using the moldboard plow. Samples were recovered at 4 week intervals during the growing season in 1998 and at irregular intervals in 1999. Residue decomposition is being determined by both dry matter loss and gravimetric fractionation of carbohydrate components. Stem fragments are cultured for the F. gram. fungus and evaluated for its ability to produce ascospores. There are two samples remaining for the 2000 season. Buried residue decomposes more rapidly than residue left on the soil surface. However, we have determined that F. graminearum is still alive and viable after nearly two years of burial even though there is not much residue left. There is a lot of data in this experiment to be interpreted by two different projects. This will be done through the year and hopefully published soon after. A new experiment is being initiated to develop a procedure to evaluate residue decomposition insitu from large soil cores and separation of residue from soil components. If this procedure works, decomposition and F. gram survival information will be expanded to other residues and tillage systems. Partial support for this experiment is from the Minnesota Scab Initative.
Long term P management in a wheat-soybean rotationCooperators: Dr. George Rehm (SEC, St. Paul) This experiment was initiated during the 1998 growing season to establish the rotation. Actual treatments were not be imposed until 1999. The objectives are to evaluate P fertilization management in the rotation over a prolong period of time. As the experiment is just getting underway there are no real results yet. This project is being conducted in conjunction with at least two other similar experiments in southern Minnesota where the rotation is corn-soybean.
Response of sugarbeet to nitrogen fertilizer as affected by small-grain residuesCooperators: Dr. John Moraghan (Soil Scientist, NDSU) and Dr. Larry Smith (NWES Head) This experiment was initiated in fall, 1999 and will be conducted again in 2000. This experiment is partially funded by the Sugarbeet Research and Education Board of Minnesota and North Dakota. A description can be found in the 2000 Sugarbeet Research and Education Board Research Reports.
Phosphorus fertilization of sugarbeet in lighter textured soilsCooperator: Dr. Larry Smith (NWES) The stimulus for this experiment is from observations of what appears to be phosphorus deficiencies early in the growing season causing stunted plant growth and vigor for up to a month after symptoms appear. Plant and soil samples were taken during the early period of the 1997 and 1998 growing seasons when these symptoms appeared. The experiment in the final stages of manuscript preparation, but discussions can be found in the 1998 and 1999 Sugarbeet Research and Education Board Research Reports. The type of observations we found in this experiment were common in many commercial sugar beet fields that were on ligher textured soil. Preliminary trials were conducted in 1999 using various starter fertilizers that contain N, P, and in some cases K nutrients in different quantities applied with the seed at planting. Data is being analyzed at this time. Partial support for these experiments is from the Sugarbeet Research and Education Board of Minnesota and North Dakota.
The effects of tillage and phosphorus fertilizer management on spring wheat production and soil phosphorus levels.Cooperators: Dr. John Lamb and Dr. George Rehm (Dept of Soil, Water, and Climate, UM). 1996 was the last year of field data collection for the experiment which was conducted over 3 growing seasons. This had been an extensive research project requiring many resources. Soil samples have been fractionated to determine the various pools that phosphorus (P) may reside in during a given growing season. The soils of northwest Minnesota contain from 1400 to 1600 pounds of P per acre, which is equivalent to over 3000 pounds of P2O5 per acre. Yet most of this P is in pools that are unavailable to the plants. The data from this experiment are being interpreted and will be prepared for publication in the near future. Components of this experiment are being included in a scientific publication currently being prepared. Descriptions of this experiment can be found in the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council Research Reports in 1995, 1996, and 1997. Partial support of this experiment was from the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council.
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