Update:
The project is completed and attached is report detailing the findings.
View uploaded report 
Impact of Road Dust on Soybean Production
PI: Christina Hargiss, Ph.D.
Co-PI’s: Deirdre Prischmann-Voldseth, Ph.D.; Thomas DeSutter, Ph.D.
Student: Amy Gnoinsky, M.S.
Unpaved roads commonly surround agricultural fields and with a continual increase of soybean acreage in North Dakota the impact of airborne dust from unpaved roads may have a possible effect on soybean production. Armed with the ability to understand how such airborne dust influences soybean production, a producer would be able to factor such impacts into management decisions to optimize soybean yield.
In the 2015 and 2016 growing season, Roundup Ready soybeans were planted in a field plot near Prosper, North Dakota. To establish the level of dust that would impact soybean growth and production. Different rates of dust were applied within designated treatment areas periodically throughout the growing season. Starting at the V1 growth stage, dust was applied to the plots on a weekly basis in 2015 and in 2016. Application of dust to treatment areas can be seen in Figure 1 and application rates of dust on treatment areas are displayed in Figure 2. Dust was applied weekly until soybeans reached maturity. To measure how soybean plants were affected by dust, photosynthesis (chlorophyll content), and leaf temperature of plants were taken at V4, R1, R3, and R6 growth stages, while seed components and yield measurements were determined after harvest.
Results of data collected on soybean production and seed quality, showed the Class 5 gravel applied as dust did not significantly affect plants at any of the applied treatment rates. Meaning that even at the highest dust levels (10-20 times more dust than average gravel road in North Dakota, there was minimal impact to the soybean leaf temperature, chlorophyll, seed quality or yield. This is good news for farmers and producers in the state who are worried about road dust impacting their soybean crops. The minimal effect found in the study could be due to the inert (non-toxic) nature of the dust, which was taken straight from a road gravel supplier rather than from gravel roads or other sources. Previous studies in other parts of the world on road dust impacts on crops have reported a change in chlorophyll content and seed composition, increased leaf temperature, and decreased yield, but many have used non-inert dusts.
Future research on the topic should focus on road dust and determine its components and possible harmful agents and determine if those components influence soybean production and seed quality. During this study, dust was observed to be removed in between dust applications and may be due to the limitations of the study which restricted application of dust to once a week. Further understanding of daily dust loads to plants may be beneficial in determining how road dust impacts soybeans.
Knowledge of road dust impacts on soybeans is beneficial to soybean producers of North Dakota and to the industry to better inform management practices. By updating current knowledge on growing conditions producers can gain insight into how soybean yields are impacted by the surrounding environment. Management practices can then be adapted to minimize such impacts on soybean production.