49-6 Linkages Among C, N and Water Footprints in Wheat-Based Cropping Systems.

See more from this Division: Agriculture and Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change: Transformational Advancements in Research, Education and Extension
See more from this Session: Carbon, Nitrogen, Energy and Water Footprints In Agriculture Production: Changing Practices and Opportunities
Monday, October 22, 2012: 2:50 PM
Duke Energy Convention Center, Junior Ballroom B, Level 3
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David Huggins, Land Management and Water Conservation Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Pullman, WA, David Brown, 201 Johnson Hall, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, Kent Keller, School of Earth and Environmental Science, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, Erin Brooks, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, Jeffrey L. Smith, Land Management and Water Conservation Research Unit., USDA-ARS, Pullman, WA, Brian Lamb, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Washington State University, PUllman, WA and Sanford D. Eigenbrode, Plant, Soil and Entomological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
Soil C, N and water cycles and flows are intimately linked in wheat-based agroecosystems of the Pacific Northwest.  Regionally, landscape and soil properties are strong agroecosystem drivers that modify climatic and economic determinants at the field scale. We discuss research, education and outreach conducted during the last 13 years at the WSU Cook Agronomy Farm (CAF) that explores landscape, soil and cropping system (rotation and tillage) interactions and influences on soil C and N cycling, soil C sequestration, and N and water use efficiencies. Soil and water data are derived from 369 geo-referenced points established on the 37-ha CAF in 1999. Measurements including the use of stable  isotopes have continued through the present at different temporal and spatial scales that quantify linkages among C, N and water footprints. The field-scale CAF research is highly relevant to growers, producer groups and students serving as an outdoor laboratory for class field trips as well as field days.  Research, education and outreach efforts at the CAF have been supported by the strong partnership among land grant Universities (WSU, U of I) and the USDA-ARS with funding from an NSF IGERT project entitled "Nitrogen Systems: Policy-oriented Integrated Research and Education (NSPIRE)" and three USDA NIFA funded projects: a planning grant for Long-term Agricultural Practices (LTAP); a NIFA CAP project entitled "Regional Approaches to Climate Change (REACCH)"; and a standard NIFA project entitled "Site-Specific Climate Friendly Farming (SCF)". In addition, the CAF has recently been selected by the USDA-ARS as one of ten initial sites for a Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network in the US. These efforts are key to the development of agricultural concepts and strategies with respect to multifunctional landscapes, precision agroecology and more sustainable agricultural systems.
See more from this Division: Agriculture and Natural Resources Science for Climate Variability and Change: Transformational Advancements in Research, Education and Extension
See more from this Session: Carbon, Nitrogen, Energy and Water Footprints In Agriculture Production: Changing Practices and Opportunities