Agricultural & Environmental Letters最新文献

Scientists are under increased pressure to provide research data freely and openly to all interested parties as a means of furthering science. More than sharing data, there is an additional expectation that data comply to Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) principles. The requirement to share data presents challenges for farm geospatial data. The primary contention of this commentary is that data sharing requirements will make on-farm research increasingly difficult while also not achieving the stated purposes of opening data. De-identification of farm geospatial data is not sufficient to protect privacy, reducing likelihood of participation in research. Moreover, de-identified farm geospatial data will have greatly reduced reusability. Limited guidance is available on appropriate mechanisms for sharing of farm geospatial data. This commentary briefly summarizes benefits and realities of data sharing, expands discussion to support the primary contention, and concludes with high-level suggestions for moving forward.

Repeated measures using multispectral radiometry resolutely quantify canopy attributes of identical turfgrass cultivars under similar management. Concern regarding multispectral radiometric characterization of turfgrass canopies <24 h following synthetic phthalocyanine colorant application has been affirmed and is accordingly now avoided; yet explicit guidance on subsequent employ, at time(s) > 24-h postapplication, is lacking. Our objective assessed how petroleum-derived spray oil (PDSO) and synthetic Cu II phthalocyanine colorant (CPC) combination product influences creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) reflectance up to 10 d following application. A maintained fairway received semimonthly 9.76 kg ha^–1 soluble N treatments alone or in combination with 27 L PDSO+CPC ha^–1. Treatment by PDSO+CPC increased mean shoot growth (kg ha^–1) and dark green color index (DGCI) calculated by visible waveband reflectance. Yet reduced far red and near infrared reflectance from PDSO+CPC treated plots artificially deflated mean normalized differential vegetative indices. Cautious interpretation of vegetative indices relying on 710-to-810-nm canopy reflectance is encouraged when evaluating fairways treated by PDSO and Cu II phthalocyanine combination product(s).

Poultry litter is a nutrient-dense fertilizer, but surface applications lead to nutrient losses to air, soil, and water. Objectives were to evaluate optimum subsurface-applied poultry litter bands from crop seeding distance in a corn (Zea Mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation. Soil amendment treatments included planting 13, 25, and 38 cm from subsurface-banded poultry litter, surface-applied poultry litter, inorganic nitrogen (N), and 0 kg N ha⁻¹ (control) in Year 1, followed by soybean in Year 2 (no new soil amendment applications). Across subsurface treatments, corn grain and silage yields were 45 and 30% greater compared with surface applications, respectively, with inorganic N not differing from 25- and 38-cm bands during grain harvest. In Year 2, subsurface-banded soybean grain yields were 26% greater than with inorganic N. Consequently, subsurface banding poultry litter may be an ecologically and agronomicallyviable replacement for surface litter applications in corn silage and grain systems and inorganic N in corn–soybean rotations.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the response of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) to vermicompost and nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates. Four rates of vermicompost and four rates of N were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that the interaction effects of nitrogen fertilizer and vermicompost rates significantly influenced black cumin growth, yield, and yield component parameters. The maximum seed yield (1,090 kg ha^–1) was obtained from the combined application of 5 Mg ha^–1 vermicompost and 60 kg ha^–1 urea-N. Therefore, it can be concluded that the combination of these treatments gives a better yield and yield components of black cumin in the study area.

One pathway by which Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) invades new areas is through importation of contaminated livestock feed, which then contaminates land-applied manure. If contaminated feed is suspected, detection tools are needed to test manure, but traditional methods are time consuming and often inconclusive. Although new genetic seed testing is making detection easier, methods to separate seed from contaminated manure are needed. Six methods were compared for their ability to recover 100 Palmer amaranth seeds added to bedded or nonbedded cattle manure: dry sieving, rinse sieving, manure saturation sieving without blending and with blending, and dispersion sieving without blending and with blending. Seed recovery was highest (>90%) with the rinse sieving method regardless of manure type. The dispersion methods are not recommended as they recovered <24.7% of seeds. Following each method, genetic testing successfully identified Palmer amaranth presence, indicating no interference of recovery method with DNA extraction.

Making precision nitrogen (N) application clearly profitable will likely require incorporating multiple sources of information. Low-cost sources of information include rainfall and the previous year's yield. This paper uses data from a long-term experiment on the response of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to N fertilizer, as well as rainfall data from the University of Oklahoma's Mesonet weather station. The goal was to determine optimal topdress levels of N. A regression was used to determine the previous year's yield and rainfall on the marginal product of farmer-applied N. Information from lagged yield and rainfall increases profit by $2.79 ha^–1. Therefore, lagged yield and rainfall could be a low-cost information source to add to other sources of information to achieve the goal of widespread adoption of precision N application.

Bioretention cells alleviate stormwater toxicity by permeation through soil media. Amending bioretention materials may result in increased chemical pollutant removal while maintaining hydraulic properties. Zeolite was tested in bioretention media for zinc, copper, phosphorus, ammonium, and nitrate removal from synthetic stormwater in a column study. Ecolite did not improve metal or phosphorus removal; however, significantly lower effluent concentrations of ammonium (p < .001) and nitrate (p = .014) were measured compared with the standard media. The standard media averaged a 70% reduction in ammonium concentration, while mixtures containing 10 and 20% Ecolite per volume averaged 86 and 87% reduction, respectively. All media leached higher nitrate concentrations than the influent stormwater. Ecolite significantly increased the saturated hydraulic conductivity by up to 55% (p < .001). The inclusion of Ecolite in bioretention cells may be practical in areas with nitrogen-impaired watersheds.

As part of the Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool (FRST) project, the FRST database was developed to consolidate and preserve U.S. soil test correlation and calibration data. Legacy phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) soil test data that met a minimum requirement were included in the database. The FRST database initially included over 1,200 individual trials from a range of years, cropping systems, geographic regions, and management practices. The FRST database is being migrated from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to a relational database format housed within the USDA-ARS Agricultural Collaborative Research Outcomes System (AgCROS) to be accessed via the online FRST decision support tool. Data will be continually added to the FRST database through an online submission form following peer review by the FRST team. The FRST database and associated decision support tool will aid researchers, extension associates, consultants, and farmers in improving fertilizer recommendations for crops across the United States.

The COVID-19 lockdown policies that began in 2020 caused an unprecedented shock to developing countries’ agricultural activities, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. To reduce some of the impacts of COVID-19 events, agricultural extension and advisory personnel created an avenue to assist farmers in these developing countries. However, since COVID-19 protocols restricted public gatherings and close contact activities, agricultural extension activities had to be performed using unconventional ways such as mobile phones, radio, and television. This paper highlights some of the challenges agricultural extension and advisory service personnel encountered using these unconventional means of communication for their activities. We also present some solutions to these challenges that can enable policymakers to enhance agricultural extension activities performed unconventionally.

For agricultural research to seize the potential of data-driven technologies, profound changes are needed in the full spectrum of data management, highlighted by a shift of researchers, institutions, and agencies toward a culture of data stewardship. The USDA-ARS established the Partnerships for Data Innovations (PDI) in 2019 to achieve this transformation from within. From the onset, PDI has integrated its customer–partners in developing and implementing state-of-the-art digital tools, leveraging off-the-shelf technologies when advantageous. In its short life, PDI has transformed more than 100 projects, from projects catalyzing collaborative efforts and underpinning information management to those salvaging end-of-life data repositories. Empowered by this active inclusive partnership and through sharing digital solutions on a “Digital Research Workbench” within the ARS Agricultural Collaborative Research Outcomes System infrastructure, PDI hopes to accelerate agricultural research through standardization, automation, and integration and to help usher in a culture of digital age data stewardship.