USING PRODUCTION ECOLOGY AS AN ORGANIZING FRAMEWORK FOR RESEARCH AND EXTENSION

Authors: HARWOOD, RICHARD - MICHIGAN STATE UNIV; MUTCH, DALE - MICHIGAN STATE UNIV; SANCHEZ, JOSE - MICHIGAN STATE UNIV; BOLES, JANE - MICHIGAN STATE UNIV; DYER, LAURA - MICHIGAN STATE UNIV; Cavigelli, Michel

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Michigan Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) project defines ecological relationships in row-crop ecosystems that can be managed to provide crop ecosystem services, and help to minimize inappropriate environmental impact. Extension education programs in production ecology are based on the bulletin, Michigan Field Crop Ecology: Managing biological lprocesses for productivity and environmental quality, and its companion volume, Michigan Field Crop Pest Ecology. A three-level educational approach is used to give an overview of ecosystem structure, an elaboration of production ecosystem processes that are key in the Michigan environment, and an identification of "points of ecological intervention" (PEI) that are subject to farmer manipulation. The effects of crop sequence, cover crops, crop management and the management of non-cropped areas are being quantified in relation to PEI.