Location: Oklahoma and Central Plains Agricultural Research Center
Project Number: 3070-12610-001-021-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2024
End Date: Aug 31, 2026
Objective:
Develop model demonstration and research sites across select counties in Oklahoma to: 1) quantify the benefits of novel NPK soil sensor technology in management of soil nutrients and irrigation management compared to traditional soil testing technique; and 2) compare inorganic versus organic sources of nutrients on vegetable crop production. 3) Provide technological support for limited resource farmers to implement climate-smart agricultural practices on their farms; 4) increase climate literacy with under served farmers, ranchers and train minority students in research, outreach and climate literacy education.
Approach:
Demonstration component: Plots will be subjected to three management systems (NPK fertilizer, composted cattle manure, and unamended control) replicated five times. Intensive soil sampling will be done prior to treatments application for baseline soil data and after each growing season to evaluate the effect of applied management on soil N, P, K, carbon, and other related soil properties. Teralytic N-P-K Sensor Probes will be installed utilizing Terascore analytics which provides detailed soil health data via a single probe with 26 sensors reporting soil moisture, N-P-K, pH, salinity at three different depths (6”,18”,36”), as well as aeration, respiration, soil temperature, and humidity. The probes are wireless and easy to install and built to stand up to the wear and tear of most field conditions. The data collected from these sensor-based probes will provide additional information on soil nutrients particularly N and P that will be used together with the existing soil conditions (Dynamic Soil Properties) based on soil type. Soil physical properties will be measured on the proposed plots to perform correlation of data from sensor technology with soil physical properties to determine site-specific best management practices that can be recommended for producers to adopt. A model for a sustainable climate-smart vegetable production system will be developed. Purple hull peas (Vigna unguiculata ssp. unguiculata) will be grown in rotation with sweet corn (Zea mays conva. Saccharata var. rugosa) during the duration of the project. The main idea will be to compare how inorganic sources of nutrients versus organic sources affect yield production over the project duration.
The role of cover crops in soil organic carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions over the project duration will be evaluated using Teralytic Soil Sensor Probes-that support monitoring and modeling for soil organic carbon (SOC) percentage, carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Soil sampling will be done at each plot before treatment application in early spring and after harvest (October) for determination of SOC for the growing seasons.
Outreach and education components: The USDA Southern Plains Climate Hubs has conducted several well-attended outreach events with historically underserved farmers and ranchers of Oklahoma in partnership with Langston University. These events were focused on climate smart agriculture conversations. We plan to build on this existing partnership and expand the program to involve Langston University graduate and undergraduate students who will help conduct the training and develop targeted outreach materials. Students involved in the project will also participate in the co-development of crop-specific adaptation planning guides along with producers and Extension specialists involved in the project.
