Location: Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory
2020 Annual Report
Objectives
OBJECTIVE 1: Identify and elucidate agroecological principles that drive the function of grain and forage cropping systems and quantify ecosystem services.
' Sub-objective 1.A. Compare factors controlling crop performance in long-term organic and conventional cropping systems.
' Sub-objective 1.B. Evaluate soil function and ecosystem services in long-term organic and conventional cropping systems.
' Sub-objective 1.C. Identify factors controlling soil biological community structure and its relationship to soil functions and the provision of ecosystem services in organic and conventional cropping systems.
' Sub-objective 1.D. Conduct integrated analyses to assess the impacts of organic and conventional cropping systems on the provision of ecosystem services and overall system performance.
OBJECTIVE 2: Develop technologies and management strategies to improve productivity, enhance soil and water conservation, improve efficiency of nutrient cycling and support food safety and nutritional security goals for grain-based and horticultural cropping systems.
' Sub-objective 2.A. Screen and breed cover crop germplasm to improve winter hardiness, biomass production and early vigor in legumes, grasses, and brassicas, and disease resistance and nitrogen fixation in legumes.
' Sub-objective 2.B. Develop optimal cover crop-based agronomic practices for improving nutrient and water availability and use efficiency, soil health, system resilience, production and economics in reduced-tillage field corn production.
' Sub-objective 2.C. Develop strategies to improve beneficial and safe use of organic amendments in horticultural crop production.
OBJECTIVE 3: Collaborate with the Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory to operate and maintain the Lower Chesapeake Bay LTAR network site using technologies and practices agreed upon by LTAR leadership. Contribute to LTAR working groups and common experiments. Submit relevant data with appropriate metadata to the LTAR Information Ecosystem.
Approach
Approaches to identifying and elucidating agroecological principles include investigating the following variables within the Beltsville long-term Farming Systems Project that compares two conventional and three organic rotations, and associated projects: crop performance, soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas fluxes, soil microbiological community structure, and integrated analyses that evaluate overall systems performance. Approaches to developing component strategies include: incorporating legumes into organic crop rotations to maximize nitrogen fixation, composting that provides a productive and safe amendment for organic agriculture, integrating cover crop and manure management practices, reducing tillage in organic systems.
Progress Report
Under Objective 1, the 24th and 6th years of research at the long-term Farming Systems Project (FSP) and Cover Crop Systems Project (CCSP), respectively, were completed, testing hypotheses about factors controlling crop yields and crop yield variability. Archived FSP soil and plant samples collected every five years are being analyzed to address questions about soil C sequestration, N retention, and P and K balances. Poultry litter reduction and soybean microplots within FSP are contributing data to test questions related to N and P balance and use efficiency and N fixation. Questions related to cropping systems impacts on soil microbial communities are continuing to be addressed through a data base of information from archived nucleic acid samples extracted from FSP and CCSP soils during the period from 2008 to 2019. Soil penetrometer measurements of soil resistance were made in the spring of 2020 from microplots subsoiled in 2017 and 2019. Near-continuous soil water measurements continue to be collected from FSP and CCSP to determine effects of cover crops, weeds and nutrient management on soil moisture and corn production. Soil water and nitrogen data will be used to determine interactions between water and nitrogen availability and use efficiency.
To address questions under Objective 2, cover crop breeding trial accessions have been evaluated for biological N fixation efficiency. A subset of promising accessions was evaluated directly for root-associated symbiotic bacteria. Nodule metagenomes were analyzed for 15 accessions of crimson clover. Research was also conducted on-farm to quantify the effects of intrinsic factors, management and their interactions on cover crop performance, corn grain yield, and N and water use efficiency. These data are being compiled for input into regionally specific data decision tools.
Researchers in Beltsville, Maryland, along with collaborators nationwide created a system for real-time data acquisition, aggregation, analysis, and visualization (Internet of Things; IoT) to monitor crops, soils, and pests in many fields at once. The low-cost IoT systems: (1) quantify cash and cover crop quality and quantity over space; (2) detect water stress in corn and soybean crops; and (3) provide real-time continuous climate data (soil water, temperature, and humidity). These IoT systems, which are being used by the Precision Sustainable Agriculture network (a national on-farm and on-station research network composed of 120+ scientists in 25 states), were selected by Esri and Microsoft as the pilot project for the ARS Office of National Program’s launch of Partnerships for Data Innovations (a vision for ARS-wide data management), and became the first public installation and pre-release testing of Microsoft’s globally available software, FarmBeats. These IoT systems transform the precision and scale (over both time and space) at which scientists can assess agricultural sustainability.
To develop strategies to improve beneficial and safe use of organic amendments in horticultural crop production, researchers completed microbial analyses of raw manure (poultry litter, dairy manure, and horse manure)-amended organically-managed research plots cropped to tomatoes, spinach, and radish from Maine, Maryland and Minnesota as part of a multi-location study. They also conducted quantitative analyses on survival/die-off of inoculated strains of non-pathogenic E. coli in soils (with cooperation of the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore) and produce from the Minnesota and Maryland plots for all three crops (approximately 350 soil samples and 200 produce samples analyzed). Researchers also prepared soil samples collected for pre-and post-amendment and end of season from these research plots for microbiome analysis and arranged for soil health assessments of the plot soil samples at the University of Maine soil analysis laboratory. To improve suppression of root diseases and foodborne illness pathogens, Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory (SASL) scientists developed techniques for sequencing the genomes of biological control agents, which are very closely related to foodborne illness pathogens. The use of comparative genomics techniques will greatly facilitate identification of foodborne illness pathogens in soil.
Under Objective 3, SASL scientists are conducting research that contributes to objectives for the Lower Chesapeake Bay (LCB) LTAR. ARS scientists provide leadership on the LCB LTAR Executive Committee, two SASL scientists provide leadership for the Non-CO2 Gases and Soils Working Groups and a SASL scientist provides leadership for a nationwide Soil Biology Network (SBGx), which contributed to the Soil Health Institute’s recently published protocols and procedures and the NRCS’ Soil Health Technical Note “Notice of Recommended Standard Methods for Use as Soil Health Indicator Measurements.” The SBGx is working with the LTAR Network to facilitate implementation of a unified set of standardized techniques and protocols across all LTAR network sites. SASL scientists working on FSP are working closely with the Partnership for Data Innovations (PDI) to serve as a pilot project for uploading LTAR data to AgCROS for long-term data storage and to facilitate sharing of LTAR data.
Accomplishments
1. Crop rotation increases corn grain yields in North America. Producing food for a growing population in the face of a changing climate and environmental degradation is a “Grand Challenge”. A consortium of university, USDA-ARS (Akron, Colorado; Lincoln, Nebraska; Brookings, South Dakota and Beltsville, Maryland), and Canadian researchers synthesized data from 11 long-term agroecological research sites that include corn in diverse rotations. Researchers found that more diverse rotations increase corn grain yield across all growing conditions by an average of 28 percent across a continental precipitation gradient and that, during drought years, corn yield losses were reduced by 14 percent to 90 percent. These results are of interest to scientists, policymakers and other members of the agricultural community.
2. Continuous no-till management reduces runoff and sediment loss in Piedmont soils. USDA's Agricultural Innovation Agenda seeks to reduce environmental impact by 50 percent by the year 2050. To address this goal, USDA-ARS researchers in Watkinsville and Tifton, Georgia, and Beltsville, Maryland, compared runoff losses of water, sediment, and nutrients from cornfields managed with conventional vs. no-tillage and using conventional nitrogen fertilizers and poultry litter. Under fixed rate rainfall simulation conditions, rainfall runoff and sediment loss was 56 percent from conventional fields but only 10 percent from no-till fields. Conventional fertilizer led to more loss of nitrogen, while poultry litter led to more loss of phosphorus in runoff. No-till systems could reduce water losses in more intense storms, yielding improved nutrient management. These results are of interest to farmers, educators, and policymakers.
Review Publications
Bortolleto-Santos, R., Cavigelli, M.A., Montes Muniz, S.E., Schomberg, H.H., Le, A.N., Thompson, A.I., Kramer, M.H., Polito, W.L., Ribeiro, C. 2019. Oil-based polyurethane-coated urea reduces nitrous oxide emissions in a corn field in a Maryland loamy sand soil. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 249(2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119329.
Carr, P.M., Cavigelli, M.A., Darby, H., Delate, K., Eberly, J.O., Gramig, G.G., Heckman, J.R., Mallory, E., Reeve, J.R., Silva, E.M., Suchoff, D.H., Woodley, A.L. 2019. Green and animal manure use in organic field crop systems. Agronomy Journal. 2002:1-27.
Bowles, T.M., Mooshammer, M., Socolar, Y., Calderon, F.J., Cavigelli, M.A., Culman, S.W., Deen, W., Drury, C.F., Garcia Y Garcia, A., Gaudin, A., Harkcom, W., Lehman, R.M., Osborne, S.L., Robertson, G., Salerno, J., Schmer, M.R., Strock, J., Grandy, A. 2020. Long-term evidence shows crop rotation diversification increases agricultural resilience to adverse climate conditions in North America. One Earth. 2:284-293.
Bowen, H., Maul, J.E., Poffenberger, H., Mirsky, S.B., Cavigelli, M.A., Yarwood, S. 2018. Spatial patterns of microbial denitrification genes change in response to poultry litter placement and cover crop species in an agricultural soil. Biology and Fertility of Soils. 54:769-781.
Carr, P.M., Cavigelli, M.A., Darby, H., Delate, K., Eberly, J.O., Gramig, G.G., Heckman, J.R., Mallory, E., Reeve, J.R., Silva, E.M., Suchoff, D.H., Woodley, A.L. 2019. Nutrient cycling in organic field crops in Canada and the United States. Agronomy Journal. 111:1-17.
Davis, B.W., Mirsky, S.B., Needelman, B.A., Cavigelli, M.A., Yarwood, S.A. 2018. Nitrous oxide emissions increase exponentially with N rate from cover crops and poultry litter. Agriculture Ecosystems and the Environment. 272:165-174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2018.10.023.
Endale, D.M., Schomberg, H.H., Truman, C., Franklin, D., Tazisong, I., Jenkins, M., Fisher, D. 2019. Runoff and nutrient losses from conventional and conservation tillage systems during fixed and variable rate rainfall. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Society. 74(6):594-612. doi:10.2489/jswc.74.6.594.
Kleinman, P.J., Spiegal, S.A., Rigby Jr., J.R., Goslee, S.C., Baker, J.M., Bestelmeyer, B.T., Boughton, R., Bryant, R.B., Cavigelli, M.A., Derner, J.D., Duncan, E.W., Goodrich, D.C., Huggins, D.R., King, K.W., Liebig, M.A., Locke, M.A., Mirsky, S.B., Moglen, G.E., Moorman, T.B., Pierson Jr., F.B., Robertson, G., Sadler, E.J., Shortle, J., Steiner, J.L., Strickland, T.C., Swain, H., Williams, M.R., Walthall, C.L., Tsegaye, T.D. 2018. Advancing the sustainability of US agriculture through long-term research. Journal of Environmental Quality. 47(6):1412-1425. https://doi.org/doi:10.2134/jeq2018.05.0171.
Maul, J.E., Cavigelli, M.A., Emche, S.E., Vinyard, B.T., Buyer, J.S. 2019. Cropping system history and crop rotation phase drive the abundance of soil denitrification genes nirK, nirS and nosZ in conventional and organic grain agroecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 273:95-106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2018.11.022.
Mower, J., Endale, D.M., Schomberg, H.H., Norris, S.E., Woodroof, R.H. 2019. Liming potential of poultry litter in a long-term tillage comparison. Soil & Tillage Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2019.104446.
Otte, B., Rice, C., Schomberg, H.H., Tully, K., Mirsky, S.B. 2020. Phenolic acids released to soil during cereal rye cover crop decomposition. Chemoecology. 20:25-34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-019-00295-z.
Spiegal, S.A., Kleinman, P.J., Endale, D.M., Bryant, R.B., Dell, C.J., Goslee, S.C., Meinen, R.J., Flynn, K.C., Baker, J.M., Browning, D.M., McCarty, G.W., Bittman, S., Carter, J.D., Cavigelli, M.A., Duncan, E.W., Gowda, P.H., Li, X., Ponce, G., Raj, C., Silveira, M., Smith, D.R., Arthur, D.K., Yang, Q. 2020. Manuresheds: Advancing nutrient recycling in US agriculture. Agricultural Systems. 182:102813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102813.
Teasdale, J.R., Mirsky, S.B., Cavigelli, M.A. 2019. Weed species and traits associated with organic grain crop rotations in the Mid-Atlantic region. Weed Science. 67:595-604.
Thapa, R., Poffenbarger, H., Tully, K., Ackroyd, V.J., Kramer, M.H., Mirsky, S.B. 2018. Biomass production and nitrogen accumulation by hairy vetch/cereal rye mixtures: A meta-analysis. Agronomy Journal. 110(4):1197-1208. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2017.09.0544.
White, K.E., Brennan, E.B., Cavigelli, M.A., Smith, R.F. 2020. Winter cover crops increase readily decomposable soil carbon, but compost drives total soil carbon during eight years of intensive, organic vegetable production in California. PLoS One. 15(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228677.
