Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Florence, South Carolina » Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #131340
Title: THE SOUTH CAROLINA AGROECOLOGY PROGRAM: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM APPROACH

Author
item FREDERICK, J - CLEMSON UNIV
item Bauer, Philip
item Novak, Jeffrey
item HAYES, J - CLEMSON UNIV
item Busscher, Warren
item SKIPPER, H - CLEMSON UNIV
item MANLEY, D - CLEMSON UNIV
item ROBINSON, S - CLEMSON UNIV

Submitted to: Abstract of Agronomy Meetings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A multidisciplinary agroecology program was initiated by Clemson University and the USDA-ARS in 1997. The focus of the program is to develop new cropping systems for the southeastern Coastal Plain and to obtain a better understanding of how new technologies and practices affect crop productivity, environmental quality, and the ecology of the crop community. Field experiments are conducted to develop new cropping systems centered on conservation tillage, narrow row widths, site-specific management, and new genetic technologies for wheat, soybean, corn, and cotton. This information is used to design management practices for a long-term, split-field study where a cropping system based upon new technologies and practices is compared to a cropping system based upon traditional practices. The quantity of water, nutrients, sediment, and pesticides that move offsite during rainfall events is being monitored. Soil chemical, physical, and biological properties, as well as fire ant mound distribution and size, are also measured each year. A summer internship program and an advisory panel are integral parts of the program. Research results from all studies are posted on the Agroecology website