ARS reps interviewed for story on Discovery Channel website 

FCS reps visit Montana ARS lab  

Japanese scientist visits ARS lab
ARS soil scientist invited to speak at international symposium
 
 
 
 
ARS soil scientist invited to speak at international symposium

NPARL Soil Scientist Upendra Sainju has been invited to present two papers (one oral and one poster) at the "International Symposium on Organic Matter Dynamics in Agro-Ecosystems," July 16-19 in Poitiers, France. The symposium brings together scientists from around the world interested in improving understanding of the processes that govern C sequestration and dynamics and its relationship to global climate change and environmental quality. The symposium also looks at the impacts of land use and management techniques on the dynamics, fluxes and fate of organic matter in soils (SOM), an essential ecosystems component. For his part, Dr. Sainju will discuss his work on "Carbon and Nitrogen storage in dryland soil aggregates as influenced by long-term tillage and cropping system" Wednesday and follow up with a poster presentation on work he has done with Z.N. Senwo, E.Z. Nyakatawa, I.A. Tazisong, and K.C. Reddy, all of Alabama A & M University, Normal, Alabama entitled "Tillage, cropping system, and nitrogen fertilizer source effects on soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration." The latter research examined the long-term (10 yr) effects of tillage, cropping system, and N fertilization from poultry litter or inorganic N fertilizer on the amount of crop residue returned to the soil and soil organic C and N sequestration and determined that such long-term application of poultry litter can increase soil C and N sequestration compared with inorganic N fertilization, regardless of tillage and cropping systems. Dr. Sainju is a member of NPARL's Agricultural Systems Research Unit.

(Upendra Sainju, 406.433.9408, upendra.sainju@ars.usda.gov)
 

Japanese scientist visits ARS lab
NPARL Soil Scientist Upendra Sainju hosted Dr. Hajime Araki from the Hokkaido University, Japan at the Sidney, MT ARS lab, Friday, July 13. Dr. Araki was visiting NPARL to discuss potential soils research collaborations in carbon and nitrogen cycling between Hokkaido University and NPARL. While at NPARL, Dr. Araki toured the ARS facility and area research plots with Dr. Sainju, a member of NPARL's Agricultural Systems Research Unit.
 
(Upendra Sainju, 406.433.9408, upendra.sainju@ars.usda.gov)

 

FCS reps visit Montana ARS lab
On Tuesday, July 10, NPARL hosted the Eastern Montana Regional Local Advisory Committee Meeting for Northwest Farm Credit Services. Northwest Farm Credit Services provides financing and related services to farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, commercial fishermen, timber producers, rural homeowners, and crop insurance customers in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. The regional meeting included staff and advisory committee members from four eastern Montana offices, including Billings, Miles City, Glasgow and Sidney, along with representatives from Northwest's Spokane, WA headquarters. As part of the meeting, NPARL Weed Ecologist Andy Lenssen presented an overview of the Sidney ARS lab's dryland research work which includes unit studies looking at tillage systems, cultural practices and crop rotations and their impact on weeds, diseases and soil and water quality. The group then was given a tour of the facility by Dr. Robert Evans, Research Leader of the Agricultural Systems Unit.
 
(Andy Lenssen, 406.433.9471, andy.lenssen@ars.usda.gov)

 

ARS reps interviewed for story on Discovery Channel website
 On 6 July, NPARL Agricultural Engineer Robert Evans and ARS Soil Scientist John Sadler were interviewed about sensors for control of precision irrigation by Tracy Staedter. Staedter is a Science and Technology Writer from Boston who writes about technology for Discovery Channel's website. Drs. Evans and Sadler are Research Leaders at the Agricultural Systems Research Unit in Sidney MT and the Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit in Columbia MO, respectively. Staedter's story can be read online at: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/07/09/thirstycrop_tec.html.