Agreement Number
NR1833A7XXXXG005
Awardee Name
Virginia Tech
Grant Type
State
Project Title
Using Soil-Test Biological Activity to Quantify Soil Health and Estimate Crop Response to Applied Nitrogen
Awardee State/Territory
Virginia
Involved States/territories
Virginia
Award Year
2018
Start Date
End Date
Award Amount
$75,000.00
Production/Use
Farmland Agricultural
Resource Concern (Broad)
Water
Soil
Resource Concern (Specific)
Soil organism habitat loss or degradation
Nutrients transported to groundwater
Conservation Practice(s)
Cover Crop
Project Background
The purpose of this award is for VA Tech to assess the extent to which innovative soil testing for biological activity can be used in Virginia to not only gauge progress in improving soil health, but also to improve the accuracy of nitrogen (N) rate recommendations for selected crops. The specific objectives of this project are: (1) - Evaluate three soil tests involving the flush of CO2 from rewetted soils after 24 hours, 3 days, and 4 days as possible measures of soil health and nutrient cycling in Virginia cropping systems, (2) - Compare the results among these three methods to determine potential interchangeability of results, and (3) - Quantify and refine the relationship between results of the flush CO2 soil tests and N rate response of corn, wheat, and cool-season hay crops, with the goal of assessing whether these soil tests can be used to improve N rate recommendations for these crops.
Project targeted to Historically Underserved producers?
No