2014
Soybean Soil Health
Contributor/Checkoff:
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
Field management Nutrient managementSoil healthTillageYield trials
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
Kurt Steinke, Michigan State University
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Institution Funded:
Brief Project Summary:

Soil-plant relationships have been the focus of agricultural research for centuries yet the primary concentrations have been on plant improvement for increased productivity with little attention paid to the soil microbial community. Healthy soils are more productive due to the increased ability to tolerate stress thus requiring fewer inputs, retaining more soil moisture, and improving soil physical properties. Cover crops are not commonly utilized prior to soybean planting. Inconsistent soybean responses to fertilizer and cultural practices warrant examining alternative practices that may manipulate soil micro-biota to examine whether or not positive yield response when seen in the field...

Unique Keywords:
#cover crop studies, #crop management systems, #soil microbes, #soybean cover crops, #soybean fertility studies, #soybean nutrient management
Information And Results
Project Deliverables

Further knowledge of whether different cover crop species in combination with different classes of fertilizer substrate influence the diversity of microbial communities which in turn impact the ability of the soil to produce a healthy plant.

Final Project Results

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.