ADVANCING AGRONOMIC CROPPING SYSTEMS IN THE NORTHEAST

The activities of the proposed research project will impact Multistate Research and Extension. Within the Crop, soil, and weed management objective, we will develop cropping systems that: i) minimize nutrient and soil loss, ii) build soil organic nitrogen and carbon pools, and beneficial soil properties for crop productivity; iii) enhance agroecosystem biological diversity and ecological interactions for pest management and crop productivity, and iv) are energetically efficient and productive. Sustainable cropping systems results will be disseminated broadly throughout the region. Within the Nutrient management and soil fertility objective, we will i.) evaluate techniques to estimate residual nutrient effects in soils and integrate this into improved nutrient recommendation systems; ii) evaluate the application of nitrogen and phosphorus management strategies in crop- livestock systems; and iii) develop decision support systems for managing residual nutrients in crop-livestock systems. And within the Genetic resources in grain and forage we will i) assess yield and agronomic traits of corn, corn silage, soybeans, winter wheat and winter barley in replicated trials at multiple locations, focusing on potential value added traits that can impact their performance and value in Pennsylvania cropping systems. This will provide unbiased data to assess the potential economic benefit of these lines and new alternatives that are developed by industry and; ii) Identify and evaluate forage species/varieties and management practices suitable for conserved forage production and/or grazing in Pennsylvania. Results from the genetic resource evaluation trials will be used as a foundation for extension programs that focus on hybrid and variety selection with a particular emphasis on the value of new or novel traits. Finally all of these efforts will provide an opportunity to develop satellite studies on cropping system interactions that might improve sustainability. This project will link its research with extension outreach by presenting results and findings directly to crop management professionals, including cooperative extension ag educators, the ag industry, public sector and government employees, private consultants, and farmers. Integrated into this project is the involvement of the Departments of Entomology, Dairy and Animal Science, Horticulture, and Plant Pathology. Also included are the USDA-ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Research Management Unit, the USDA-ARS Beltsville, MD and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Producers in neighboring states will also benefit from the project via their extension educators who will use the results of this research in their educational programs.