2009 Reports

Economic Analyses of Conservation Reserve Program in South Dakota

Larry Janssen

Nicole Klein

Gary Taylor

Emmanuel Opoku

Purpose & Methods

· Not re-enrollment of CRP land has beneficial impacts on the goods provided by the land and negative impacts on the services provided by the land.  

· Negative impacts on the services are discussed for numerous locations;

· Beneficial impacts are related to crops and livestock produced by these lands. 

· Analysis of a South Dakota CRP contract holders survey was conducted using logistic regression and Economic impact (IMPLAN) approaches. 

Estimating the impact of no-tillage on soil water erosion

Rajendra P. Sishodia

Todd P. Trooien

Thomas E. Schumacher

David E. Clay

Purpose

Simulation models are being used to estimate the impacts of management on soil quality and long-term sustainability.  Simulation model predications must be validated with actual data.  Questions that need to be resolved include, what are the expected soil losses from chisel plowed and no-tilled fields that are cropped to corn and soybeans.  Data from these models must be validated.  

Objective

This project is developing a data base that will be used to calibrate water sediment transport models.  The field is a located in a small watershed under continuous corn production.  the calibrated model will be used to assess soil loss under different management scenarios. 

Increasing field yield potentials by sequestering soil carbon

David Clay

Gregg Carlson

Sharon Clay

Purpose

Increasing the soils organic carbon content can increase the soils yield potential as well as reduce the carbon and energy footprints and agricultural impacts on climate change.  No-tillage and/or the adoption of cover crops has been proposed as techniques to increase soil organic carbon contents. 

Objective

This research reviewed protocols used by previous carbon studies and tested the impacts of different calculation approaches and management techniques on carbon sequestration.  Based on these findings, new on-farming tillage/cover-crop experiments are planned

Measuring the water use

of biomass crops in

South Dakota

Todd P. Trooien

Thomas E. Schumacher

Purpose
Biofuel production might affect water resources, particularly if cropping patterns change. But questions remain about what those actual impacts will be. This project was undertaken to document how biomass crop (corn for biomass and switchgrass) might affect annual crop water use.

Objective

Measure precipitation and stored soil water to calculate the seasonal crop water use for corn and switchgrass.

Optimizing corn seed investments

Gregg Carlson

David Clay

Joseph Schefers (Monsanto)

Purpose

To maximize the seed corn investment, locally derived optimum seeding rates should be adopted. Research suggests that populations should be higher in high than low yield potential soils.  Many production fields contain both high and low yield potential soils.  By understanding the relationship between yield potential and optimum seeding rate, corn seed investments can be optimized.  

Objective

This study developed a mathematical equation for predicting corn seeding population rate based on measured yield potentials.

Quantifying carbon sequestration and footprints in South Dakota Production fields

David Clay

Gregg Carlson

Thomas Schumacher

Tagir Gilmonov

Purpose

Preliminary data suggests that corn produced in South Dakota has a relatively small carbon footprint.  To prepare for indirect land-use and climate change discussions, these benefits must be documented.  The objective of this research is to develop carbon, water, N, and energy budgets for South Dakota corn production.

Methods

Whole field studies are being conducted at 9 locations in eastern South Dakota.  Cooperators at these sites include Scott Carlson, Dave Diedrich, Matt Loewe, Adam VanZanten, Matt Bossly, Lesley Heinemann, David Eatabrook, and Bill Lee.  At Lennox state-of-the-art C measurement equipment has been installed.  This equipment includes a Carbon Flux Tower and a Li-Core soil respiration system.  The system is powered by solar collectors. The purpose of these experiments were to determine the carbon and energy footprints of South Dakota agricultural systems.   Energy efficiency and production was determined for studies conducted at Aurora South Dakota between 2003 and 2008.  The BESS model was used to calculate energy efficiency.