soil science Articles
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Forest Soil Carbon Flux Measurement and Applications
Measuring forest soil carbon flux gives an insight into the health of forest ecosystems and provides feedback on the effects of global warming. This article outlines how soil CO2 efflux is determined and the applications of soil carbon flux research.The Earth’s carbon cycle maintains a steady balance of carbon in the atmosphere that supports plant and animal life. In recent years, concerns about ...
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Site-Specific WaterBit MicroBlock Valve™ Irrigation for Orchards and Vineyards Opens Up Exciting Opportunities
Sebastian Braum, Ph.D., is WaterBit’s director of soil science and agronomy. He is writing a series of posts for our blog that delve into irrigation-related topics. In the piece below, he discusses deficit irrigation in wine grapes. Dr. Braum holds a doctorate in soil chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and he studied soil science, plant nutrition, agronomy and viticulture at ...
By Farm(x)
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Regulated Deficit Irrigation for Wine Grapes – Balancing Canopy, Yield and Quality
Sebastian Braum, Ph.D., is WaterBit’s director of soil science and agronomy. He is writing a series of posts for our blog that delve into irrigation-related topics. In the piece below, he discusses deficit irrigation in wine grapes. Dr. Braum holds a doctorate in soil chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and he studied soil science, plant nutrition, agronomy and viticulture at ...
By Farm(x)
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Feeding the world from organics
Washington State University researchers have concluded that feeding a growing global population with sustainability goals in mind is possible. Their review of hundreds of published studies provides evidence that organic farming can produce sufficient yields, be profitable for farmers, protect and improve the environment and be safer for farm workers. The review study, “Organic Agriculture ...
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Root Analysis in the Field: Industries & Uses
Crops, Nutrients, Irrigation & Root Analysis Analysis of the root system is important in ensuring sustainable crop production, reducing nutrient input and irrigation, and protecting soil carbon pools. Getting rapid and frequent images of what is happening underground can help people make timely decisions about agricultural practices to maintain plant health and ensure the judicious use of ...
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Alkaline soil, sensible sensor
Field sensor quickly, accurately identifies soil issues Producers sometimes face challenges that go deep into the soil. They need answers to help the soil, on site. A portable field sensor can accurately measure minerals in soils more easily and efficiently than existing methods. And a research team, including a middle school student and her scientist father, can confirm it. Calcium, like other ...
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Listening to Underground Music at Washington State University
Dr. Weller is Research Leader of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Services Wheat Health, Genetics and Quality Research Unit at Washington State University (WSU), Pullman, Washington. His specialty is plant pathology and the cutting-edge research that his research unit conducts solves problems anywhere in the country, or the world, affecting the production of small ...
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Soil Water Sensors for Agriculture – Theory and Issues
Soil water sensors have been used for irrigation and water management in agriculture for many years, but with limited success in many cases. Nonetheless, the use of soil water sensors in increasing as water scarcity increases and, conversely, problems associated with over irrigation also increase. Common problems with soil water sensing included sensor failure, problems with wiring, lack of or ...
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One crop, two ways, multiple benefits
Nitrogen fixation is one of the best examples of cooperation in nature. Soil microbes – naturally occurring bacteria in the soil – work with plants to pull nitrogen from the air. They turn the nitrogen into a form the plant is able to use. In return, the plant lets the microbes eat some of the sugars it makes. Faba beans (also called fava beans) are one example of plants that work ...
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Monitoring greenhouse gases from biofuel crops - Case study
Global issues such as climate change and energy security have driven rapid growth in renewable energy production – wind, solar, tidal, geothermal, hydro, biofuels etc. However, logically, each of these methods should deliver a net benefit in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction, so researchers in the United States have employed portable FTIR analysers to study the GHG emissions of ...
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Monitoring greenhouse gases from biofuel crops
Global issues such as climate change and energy security have driven rapid growth in renewable energy production - wind, solar, tidal, geothermal, hydro, biofuels etc. However, logically, each of these methods should deliver a net benefit in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction, so researchers in the United States have employed portable FTIR analysers to study the GHG emissions of biomass ...
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Model forecasts long-term impacts of forest land-use decisions
The drive to develop crops for use as biofuel, continues to raise questions about additional uses of forest land. A cutting edge computer model developed at North Carolina State University offers detailed insight to predict the environmental impact – along with understanding forest ecosystem response to global climate change. “We think the model will help policy makers and forest ...
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Assessing agroforestry`s advantages
Agroforestry, the deliberate placement of trees into crop and livestock operations, can help capture substantial amounts of carbon on agricultural lands while providing production and conservation benefits. However, we currently lack tools for accurately estimating current and projected carbon values in these systems. In North America, windbreaks are an effective carbon-capturing option. Only ...
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Engaging High School students in soil science inquiry
In April 2007, teacher Irka Elsevier and then-graduate student Biance Moebius-Clune began their second inquiry unit designed to enable high school students to better understand soil science concepts through their own research and experiments. Moebius-Clune was an NSF fellow in the Cornell Science Inquiry Partnerships (CSIP) program, which allowed the pair to develop inquiry curriculum to guide ...
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A root-zone soil regime of wheat: physiological and growth responses to furrow irrigation in raised bed planting in northern China
Different irrigation methods in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) result in different water and nutrient use efficiencies and, ultimately, plant growth. A field experiment was conducted during the 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 crop cycles to investigate the effects of furrow irrigated raised bed planting and the effects of flood irrigated conventional planting on growth and productivity in winter wheat. In ...
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Will variable-rate nitrogen fertilization using corn canopy reflectance sensing deliver environmental benefits?
Within-field variability of corn (Zea mays L.) N need calls for development of precision fertilizer application strategies. One approach many are investigating is in-season canopy reflectance sensing. Justification for this strategy partly rests with the premise it will improve N use and reduce N loss from fields. The objective of this study was to determine the potential environmental benefits ...
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Ground-based canopy reflectance sensing for variable-rate nitrogen corn fertilization
Nitrogen available to support corn (Zea mays L.) production can be highly variable within fields. Canopy reflectance sensing for assessing crop N health has been proposed as a technology to base side-dress variable-rate N application. Objectives of this research were to evaluate the use of active-light crop-canopy reflectance sensors for assessing corn N need, and derive the N fertilizer rate ...
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Vegetative phase change characteristics and resistance to common rust of corn cultivars developed in different eras
Since 1930, maize (Zea mays L.) yields in the United States have increased more than fourfold. Previous studies examining maize cultivars grown during that period have documented changes in yield, leaf angle, tassel size, drought tolerance, and insect resistance, but none have examined changes in vegetative phase change or resistance to common rust (Puccinia sorghi Schwein.). Vegetative phase ...
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Corn response to competition: growth alteration vs. yield limiting factors
Competition mechanisms among adjacent plants are not well understood. This study compared corn growth and yield responses to water, N, and shade at 74,500 plants ha–1 (1x) with responses to water and N when planted at 149,000 plant ha–1. Plant biomass, leaf area, chlorophyll content, reflectance, and enzyme expression (transcriptome analysis) were measured at V-12. Grain and stover yields were ...
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Effect of deficit irrigation and fertilization on cucumber
Soil water budgets are essential in determining the proper timing and amount of irrigation. Organic fertilizers can be substituted for commercial fertilizers; however, information is sparse on the interaction of irrigation management and nutrient source on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) production. This study evaluated nutrient source and irrigation management on growth and yield of cucumber grown ...
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