Location: Water Management and Systems Research
Project Number: 3012-13660-010-034-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jun 15, 2024
End Date: Jun 14, 2029
Objective:
1. Improve our understanding of the long-term influence of compost addition and residual compost on soil moisture status throughout the wheat and pea growing season and during the fallow period.
2. Establish the relationship between soil water and crop yield (wheat and pea) as influenced by compost treatments (applied and residual).
Approach:
Field plots experiment was initiated in 1910 to investigate the effects of beef compost manure on land productivity in dryland cropping system near Akron, CO. The study consists of two crop rotation wheat-fallow and wheat-forage pea under no tillage. All phases of the rotation occurs in the same year. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Soil samples were collected to evaluate soil water holding capacity, soil organic carbon (SOC), and soil nutrient dynamics. The USDA-ARS scientist will maintain the study site, quantify some aspect of soil quality (such as aggregate and SOC), soil nutrient status (such as macro- and micro-nutrients) and crop yield.
