A recognition of outstanding contributions from the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) as presented during their Annual Meeting on Oct. 5-9 in Houston, TX.
A list of awards presented by the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) at their Annual Meetings on Oct. 5-9 in Houston.
A recognition of Fellows from the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) as presented during their Annual Meeting on Oct. 5-9 in Houston, TX.
The use of pesticides in the United States has been widespread for decades, and a new study shows the effects they have had as a contaminant in the nation's groundwater. The researchers took samples from over 300 wells and examined different contaminants that have been used over the years, with encouraging results as to the levels of concentration that the samples have measured.
Sulfur is often overlooked as a nutrient in favor of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but a new book from the Soil Science Society of America explains its crucial role in soil condition, plant growth and nutrition. Sulfur "“ A Missing Link Between Soils, Crops and Nutrition examines the importance of sulfur to crop yield and quality, animal feed value and human diet.
Researchers have shown that a plot of land on the campus of Auburn University that has been maintained by a century old practice of sustainable farming can produce similar cotton crops to those using other methods. This 110 year old continuous field experiment, called "the Old Rotation", utilizes traditional crop rotation methods and includes winter legumes to protect the soil from winter erosion.
Water is a fundamental need of all life on our planet; however in this age, the issue of fresh water has become one of conflict and tension. Global water policies are failing to meet the needs of populations, while ecosystems are paying a severe price for the lack of innovation.
A nationwide study of nitrate trends in the ground water of the United States was recently completed by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey. Nitrate is the most common chemical contaminant found in ground water, and is related to infant health and possible cancer risks. The study focused on 24 well networks in the U.S. from 1988 to 2004, of which 7 well networks showed statistically significant increases in concentrations of nitrate during this period.
As a lesson to teach upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students how herbicides are developed, a new interactive website has been developed by William E. Dyer of Montana State University. The lesson teaches that almost all herbicides on the market today were developed by companies that make dyes, plastics, or other industrial compounds, who simply sprayed their chemicals on plants and the ones that killed the weeds were made into commercial products.
Scientists with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have determined that varying the rate of crop production inputs such as fertilizer and seed makes intuitive sense. With recent substantial increases in grain and fertilizer prices, even small changes in management may have the potential to significantly impact profit from a field and reduce the environmental impact associated with over-application of fertilizer or pesticides.
With oil prices skyrocketing, the search is on for efficient and sustainable biofuels. Research published this month in Agronomy Journal examines one biofuel crop contender: corn stover. Corn stover is made up of the leaves and stalks of corn plants that are left in the field after harvesting the edible corn grain. Corn stover could supply as much as 25% of the biofuel crop needed by 2030.
More than 10,000 international scientists, professionals, educators, and students will gather in Houston on 5-9 October 2008 at a historic, first-ever Joint Annual Meeting of several scientific societies to discuss the latest research and trends in energy, water resources, climate change, agriculture, science education, earth sciences, and related disciplines.
An interactive web lesson teaches students about fatty acids and how they play a role in how plants grow. Read more in the Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education.
A research team from the University of Tennessee (UT) has completed a study on an East Tennessee river to determine the connection between watershed hydrology and fecal bacteria statistical time series analysis. The article presents a study of the temporal patterns and statistical persistence of total coliform based on data gathered from the Little River near an intake at a public water supply plant.
New research from Agronomy Journal shows that no-till management combined with a winter cover crop is most effective in retaining nutrients in tropical soils.
Marvin Druger, Syracuse University, shares his college teaching experiences and how to deal with inappropriate behavior in an article published in the 2008 Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education.
Use of biosolids (treated municipal sewage sludge) on crops is a common practice because biosolids are a rich source of plant nutrients and organic matter. However, these biosolids can contain dangerous dioxins. Scientists investigated the effects of continuous and long-term application of biosolids on the levels of dioxins in soil and corn tissues.
The use of on-the-go crop and soil sensors has greatly increased the precision with which farmers can manage their crops. Recently released research in Agronomy Journal finds that more precise management is not necessarily more efficient.
Numerous studies over the past four decades have established that pesticides can move downward to reach the water table at detectable concentrations. This study found that the pesticides detected most frequently in shallow ground-water samples were predominantly from two classes of herbicides"”triazines and chloroacetanilides.
Dave Saville, Lincoln Research Centre, New Zealand, and Jacqueline Rowarth, Massey University, New Zealand, present a flow chart of common statistical techniques in the 2008 Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education. This easy to use reference has improved understanding of statistical presentation, and hence interpretation, for students and researchers.
Nitrogen is a key component of agricultural fertilizers and is crucial to the world's food supply. A comprehensive review of the principles and management implications of nitrogen in the soil-plant-water system is now available in a new book by the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America.
Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey studied diverse agricultural settings using a whole-system approach to assess how environmental processes and agricultural practices interact. Their goal was to determine the transport and fate of agricultural chemicals in the environment, focusing on surface and ground waters.
Researchers investigated the impact of increasing crop rotation length and complexity on crop yields in organic agricultural systems over a ten year period. They found that longer, more complex rotations using corn, soybean, wheat, and hay offered up to 30% greater corn yield than a simple corn-soybean rotation. The additional crop variety and rotation time helps provide adequate nitrogen and decrease weed competition, thereby increasing production.
In a Sustainable Agriculture course at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, students were asked to agree or disagree with 17 statements related to sustainable agriculture and biotechnology during the first class session and again during the last session. Throughout the course of the class, students became less neutral in their opinions and tended to develop a stronger stance for or against a particular statement.
Researchers investigated whether yield, weed suppression, and profit characteristics of low-external-input (LEI) farming systems could match or exceed those of conventional farming systems. Yields and profits were similar or higher in the LEI systems as in the conventional system, and lower herbicide inputs did not lead to increased weed problems.
These leaders from the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America can focus on the challenges that have brought us to the current global food crisis and, more importantly, these experts can present global solutions to where we need to go from here.
Researchers investigated the water quality effects of using residual versus contact herbicides on corn and herbicide-tolerant soybean. They found that losses of contact herbicides in surface runoff were usually much less than those for the residual herbicides, and never exceeded established or proposed drinking water standards.
Winter cover crops provide important ecological functions, but their use in agronomic farming systems remains low. Scientists investigated the potential for winter cereal cover crops to perpetuate themselves through self-seeding, thereby eliminating the annual cost of planting and time constraints between cash crop harvest and the onset of winter.
A group of scientific organizations will explore the nutrition, agricultural, and socioeconomic tools and technologies that can help us understand and overcome chronic hunger, malnutrition, and disease in both developed and developing nations at a Congressional Luncheon Briefing on Monday, April 14, 2008, from Noon-1:30 pm in room B-339 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
Professors work to enhance students' critical thinking skills using the globally controversial issue of genetically modified crops. The issue is first presented in an unbiased lecture outlining the conflict between those affected and those who write public policy. The format encourages student discussion of controversial subject matter that raises complex sociological, environmental, and political issues.
Scientists investigated yield differences between organic and conventional cash grain and forage crops in the Upper Midwest to compare the productivity of the two cropping systems. The researchers found that organic rotations had similar yields as their conventional counterparts.
Many graduate students are not aware of their many responsibilities during the last year of their Ph.D. program. Mary Collins, University of Florida at Gainesville, writes from the major professor's point-of-view in the 2008 Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education and offers her sage 25 years of advice.
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology will host several presentations in New Orleans on Monday Nov. 5, including the roll-out of two new commentaries on biofuel byproducts and ethanol production, as part of the Annual Meetings of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug and Rob Horsch of the Gates Foundation will address the challenges of developing agricultural technologies to feed the world on Nov. 4 from 7-8 pm at the Hilton Riverside, New Orleans at the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America Annual Meetings.
More than 4,000 soil and crop scientists and agronomists from around the world will meet in New Orleans, Nov. 4-8 to discuss climate change, urban planning, crop production, bioenergy and more at the Annual Meetings of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.
Australian researchers report in Agronomy Journal that they developed a simplified protocol for growers to convert complex yield and soil data into pertinent information. The resulting data and maps can be used to improve crop management, including implementing site-specific nutrient and pest management treatments.
At the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America Annual Meetings, Nov. 4-8 in New Orleans, learn what soil scientists, crop scientists, and agronomists are discovering, from soil and agricultural impacts post Hurricane Katrina to biofuels, climate change, and food security issues.
Researchers discovered a variation of the yam bean with less water content and high in protein. This could fulfill the need of a more stable crop and food source in Sub-Saharan and West Africa where root crops are a major source of nourishment.
Learning exercise gives insight to land managers and scientists on range management strategies during climatic changes.
Riparian buffers"”the vegetated border along streams and wetlands"”may decrease the amount of nitrogen that enters water bodies and the width of these buffers may have a positive relation to a decrease in nitrogen levels.
The development of cropping systems resilient to extreme climatic conditions is a major challenge to farmers. USDA researchers summarize their findings on the short-term effects of a variety of crop sequences in dynamic cropping systems in the July-August 2007 issue of Agronomy Journal.
In light of growing concern over agricultural pollution, producers are looking for ways to improve their farming practices without sacrificing crop production. New evidence suggests alternative cropping systems can reduce the impacts of fertilizer runoff.
South Asia's agricultural performance continues to be impressive, but evidence suggests that it's coming at a cost: their groundwater use for irrigation is becoming increasingly dangerous to the environment. Scientists found that plant growth is at risk of stunting due to poor water quality. Using a simulated crop, scientists determined how irrigation water pricing affects crop choices of Punjab farmers.
House Soils Caucus Educational Lunch Briefing, "Farming Carbon: American Opportunities to Manage Climate Change," will be held on Wednesday, May 30, from noon to 1:15pm in the Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC.
In order to halt the pollution of streams with fecal bacteria, researchers must first determine the source of the contamination. By using several methods to analyze water, scientists are able to narrow down potential sources of contamination.
The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) announced a $1 million gift in the name of the Nutrients for Life Foundation to the Smithsonian Institution for an exhibition about soils at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.
Before farmers can sell carbon credits, they need to be able to reliably measure the amount of carbon in their soil. Researchers believe that the Century soil model can accurately measure soil organic content in certain land regions.
A team of American and Ugandan researchers worked with local farmers to test low-cost soil management alternatives in eastern Uganda. While each alternative soil treatment increased crop output, findings suggest that the best treatment plan varies from farmer to farmer as it is dependent on other factors.
For years, researchers have debated the birthplace of the European potato. Recent genetic studies revealed that the earliest known landraces of the European potato contain both Andean and Chilean molecular markers. These findings may change current breeding programs which focus solely on the Andean landraces and not the Chilean landraces, according to scientists at the University of Wisconsin.
By building upon previous studies of bacteria, UC-Davis researchers have created a formula that quantifies bacterial gene transfer under natural conditions. Scientists believe that these findings will help to increase knowledge about the rates of potentially beneficial and harmful bacterial adaptation in the environment.
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