Start Date: Oct 01, 2008
End Date: Jan 12, 2012
Hypothesis 1.A – High-residue conservation tillage systems save water in Coastal Plain corn production while maintaining or improving productivity. Soil, plant and remotely sensed data are quantified in irrigated corn-cotton-peanut rotations at Camilla and Tifton, GA with U of GA scientists to evaluate variable tillage, residue, and irrigation regimes. Ground based and remotely sensed data provide instantaneous and non-destructive spatial measures of crop response. Treatments are: conventional tillage (CT) no cover crop and strip-till (ST) with rye, and irrigation treatments: (1) no-irrigation; (2) full irrigation, maintaining soil water tension above 30 mb; (3) irrigation beginning at V10; and (4) irrigation beginning at V14. Hypothesis 1.B –Pasture management strategies designed to maintain nutrients (N and P) in the rooting zone and/or remove nutrients through harvested products will increase profitability and decrease N and P losses to streams in Piedmont systems. Systems are evaluated on-farm using eight Piedmont stream-side fields. Historical baseline data (1999 – 2003) from unimproved hayfields and pastures are compared to data following establishment of improved management (2005 to 2008): no-till pearl millet/with rye grazed, alfalfa hay, bermudagrass/ryegrass–hay, and over-seeded pasture–grazed in winter. Soil chemical (C, N, and P) and physical properties, water quality data (N & P) upstream, downstream, and surface runoff, are combined with agronomic costs to estimate environmental impact. Hypothesis 2 – Grazing winter cover crops in a conservation system will impact cotton production and economic return, and negatively affect soil properties influencing water quality and water and nutrient availability. the winter rye cover crop is grazed in the spring and compared to fields that are not grazed. Cotton is planted in May and spatially delineated areas are sampled for biomass, plant height, and nutrient status at first bloom and mid-bloom to determine grazing and landscape effects. Soil water availability is measured using TDR. A picker equipped with yield monitor and GPS is used for harvest. Cotton for fiber analysis is collected from zones in each field. Water conservation and water quality are evaluated from runoff and water use. Objective 3: National Program Staff and Office of Technology Transfer are supporting this NP216 effort to develop tools for customer-based assessment of effectiveness of technology transfer. Scientists from Watkinsville, Auburn, and Mandan working with K.S.U. Jayaratne, Extension Program Evaluator, NCSU, will design and conduct the following studies: 1. Baseline determination of current awareness of NP216 research and technology transfer by customers. Identify preferred technology delivery methods and barriers and challenges in transferring technology to end users. 2. Annual evaluations at 2, 3, and 4 years to facilitate improvements in technology transfer. 3. Comprehensive end of cycle (5 yrs) evaluation to assess economic, environmental, or social impact of new technologies generated and disseminated in NP216.