About Soil Science Research

Most of the current soil science activity focuses on residue and nutrient management in small grain production. Residue management research is being approached from two directions for two specific purposes.

In northwest Minnesota, residue management impacts on small grain production includes the effects of residues from crops grown previous to small grains (i.e. sugar beet residue) as well as small grain residue itself.

Residue management has implications on disease development in small grains as well as nutrient cycling in the soil, which in turn effect fertilizer management. Three major research areas include nitrogen supplying capacity of sugar beet tops on the following years spring wheat production, small grain residue management effects on phosphorus cycling in the soil, and small grain residue management effects on Fusarium Head Blight in small grains.

Other areas of research include phosphorus and nitrogen fertilization of Hard Red Spring Wheat with air-seeders where various patterns of weed and fertilizer placement are being investigated, phosphorus fertilizer management in sugar beet production, and the potential of nutrient management to control Aphanomyces disease in sugar beet production.