2021 Projects
Title: Long-term PK Trial to Evaluate Sustainable Crop Production in WI 2021-2023
Principle Investigator: Carrie Laboski
Summary:
Soil fertility is a critical component to soil health and functioning in agroecosystems. Long-term P and K fertility plots allow for unique investigations involving soil health assessment tools. This can be done by evaluating the correlation of the H3A soil test for P and K with crop nutrient uptake and yield as well as determining how P and K fertility influence soil N and carbon (C) mineralization as well as soil organic matter and active carbon. Over the past three years, plots with a range of P and K soil test levels have been established on initially low fertility fields at Arlington, Hancock, Lancaster, and Marshfield Ag Research Stations (ARS). These plots are now ready for soil test P and K correlation and calibration studies for corn and soybean.
Duration: 3 year
Title: Growth and nutrient uptake patterns of Russet varieties of potato
Principle Investigator: Matt Ruark
Summary:
Based on the latest available information (https://www.potatopro.com/wisconsin/potato-statistics), Russet Burbank, Goldrush, Russet Norkotah, and Silverton Russet were the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th most popular varieties grown in Wisconsin, and they represent 16, 12, 11, and 6% of the acreage. Each potato has their own unique features, but direct comparison of their growth patterns and nutrient accumulation has not been evaluated. The question remains – how different are these varieties? Here we propose simple, but sampling intensive field trials with the goal to develop growth and N, P, and K uptake curves of Russet varieties and to build a dataset to use NNI as a management tool.
Duration: 2 year
Title: Nitrogen availability of fall applied manure in a sustainably intensive silage system.
Principle Investigator: Matt Ruark
Summary:
The objectives of the study are to:
1. compare overall productivity of corn silage-corn silage production systems with and without a winter triticale silage crop,
2. compare optimum N rates for corn silage crop following winter triticale,
3. evaluate how much of the N in the fall applied manure is available to the next corn silage crop when triticale is grown over the winter.
4. evaluate the effectiveness of quantifying N leaching using low-cost sensors.
Duration: 3 year
Title: Evaluating groundwater nitrogen crediting and reutilization for potato production in Central Wisconsin
Principle Investigator: Yi Wang
Summary:
Wisconsin potato production ranks the third in the nation, with 27,500 planted hectares and a value of $358 million dollars in 2019 (NPC 2018). The state’s mild climate and sandy soil make it an excellent place for growing a wide range of potato varieties, such as russets, round whites, fresh market reds and yellows, little potatoes, and other specialty varieties (Binning et al. 2000). Commercial potato production requires intensive management practices, and growers make decisions on a daily basis with regard to application of water, nutrients, fungicides, and pesticides (Hopkins & Stark 2010). Best management practices are needed to provide the crop with the right amount of inputs at the right time to improve productivity, maximize profitability, and prevent unneeded chemicals from being introduced into the groundwater.
Duration: 3 year