OSU Professional Science Master’s Degree Program

Internship Project, summer 2007

Internship Site: Western Ag Innovations Inc. (WAII) is applying research solutions to agriculture and the environment. Major environmental topics include agricultural research, ecology, forest, turf, and the PRS™-probe Nutrient Forecaster. WAII is a private company located in Saskatoon, SK Canada. WAII was incorporated in 1994, when the company founder and President, Ken Greer, recognized the promise of the Plant Root Simulator (PRS™) as an empowering technology for measuring soil nutrient bioavailability. The dynamic ion adsorbing probe (PRSTM) technology is monitoring soil nutrient dynamics for ecosystem restoration, forest, agricultural, and turf management applications. WAII placed a patent on PRS™ probe, no other company has anything similar to the PRS™ yet. The alternative to the PRS™ is a laboratory, chemical-based soil extraction analysis of nutrient dynamics in soil.

Internship Position Title: Research and Development Coordinator Assistant
I will help collect and provide nutrient supply rate data to help growers manage soil fertility.
Furthermore, I will investigate the market for how consumers respond to labels, which promote environmentally beneficial food products.

Summary

My non-thesis MS project involves the investigation of the below-ground dynamics of soil nutrient supply rate to plants. More specifically, I am determining the soil nutrient supply rate in an intercropping agricultural system growing winter wheat and winter pea together in the same field during one cropping season. Intercropping is the agricultural practice of cultivating two or more crops simultaneously on the same field during the same crop year. Intercropping may decrease fertilizer requirements, weeds, pest infestations and an array of crop-related diseases. My research also involves technology transfer of science and business to increase environmental friendly food production, by placing and analyzing agricultural systems on a continuum, such as placing conventional farming on one end and certified organic on the other end of the spectrum. Further, placing and analyzing sustainable agriculture (i.e. direct seeding, identity preservation) and pesticide free production of crops some where between the two extremes. My belief is that intercropping agricultural systems will have future potentials to be placed and/or incorporated with the other farming practices to increase the ability for profit gain (i.e. crop yield) and marketing of crops to consumers by directly benefiting the growers.

PRS (Plant Root Simulator)™-probe:

”An in situ soil testing tool employing an ion exchange resin membrane to develop a picture of dynamic ion flux in soil and other heterogeneous media. When chemically pre-treated, the anion and cation exchange resin membranes exhibit surface characteristics and nutrient sorption phenomena that closely resemble a plant root surface. When buried in soil, the PRS™-probe can assess nutrient supply rates by continuously adsorbing charged ionic species over the burial period.” -

Reference:

Availability of soil nitrogen released from pea and lentil residue to subsequent cereal crops under reduced tillage.
Adderley, D.R., Schoenau, J.J. and Holm, F.A. 1998. In Soils and Crops Workshop Proc., pp339-344. Univ. Saskatchewan.

ABSTRACT

The release of N from legume crop residues in the field can potentially be an important nutrient source for succeeding cereal crops, particularly in soils which are N deficient. Field studies were conducted in 1996 on two soils of contrasting textures in the Dark Brown soil zone of Saskatchewan, a 1) Sutherland clay loam (Kernen), and a 2) Bradwell sandy loam (Goodale), which were previously cropped to pea and lentil in order to compare the effects of legume stubble type on soil N supply. Spring wheat was direct seeded in 1997 in order to compare yields and crop N uptake on pea and lentil stubble. Pre-seeding soil samples were taken and analyzed for NH4 and NO3. Pre-seeding available N amounts were significantly greater at Kernen, corresponding to higher organic matter levels. Supply rates of NO3 during the growing season were measured using anion exchange resin membrane (PRS™-probes). Higher overall supply rates were measured at Kernen as compared to Goodale, while significantly greater supply rates on pea stubble were observed at Goodale only. Both wheat yield and N uptake were significantly greater at Kernen as a function of higher N availability. Mean N uptake and yields were generally higher under pea stubble than lentil at both sites but not significantly different at the 10% level.

General:
Drohan, P.J., Merkler, D.J., and Buck, D.J. 2005. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 69: 1482-1491.
Suitability of the Plant Root Simulator™-Probe for Use in the Mojave Desert..

Environment:
Conder, J.M. and Lanno, R.P. 2000. Chemosphere 41:1659-1668.
Evaluation of surrogate measures of cadmium, lead, and zinc bioavailability to Eisenia fetida.

Forest and Ecology:
Dijkstra, F.A., Cheng, W., and Johnson, D.W. 2006. Soil Biol. Biochem. 38: 2519-2526.
Plant biomass influences rhizosphere priming effects on soil organic matter decomposition in two differently managed soils.

Horticulture:
Dong, S., Neilsen, D., Neilsen, G.H.,and Fuchigami, L.H. 2005. Plant Soil 268: 357-366.
Foliar N application reduces soil NO 3 -N leaching loss in apple orchards.