BROOKINGS The Eastern South Dakota Soil and Water Research Farm, in collaboration with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service, North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory will host a field day focused on “Conservation: Research, Monitoring and Management,” on July 9 near Brookings.
The 31st annual field day will be at the ESDSWRF, 1.5 miles north of the U.S. Highway 14 Bypass on Western Avenue. The farm address is 3714 Western Ave., Brookings. The schedule for the day begins with sign-up at 9:30 a.m., first session at 9:45, second session at 10:45 and concludes with lunch at noon.
The ESDSWRF has collaborated with the USDA-ARS since 1959 to find solutions to national and regional concerns related to soil and water conservation and to improve the efficiency and sustainably of agricultural production. The farms 150 acres provides the USDA-ARS guaranteed access to agricultural land that enables long-term research conducted under carefully-controlled conditions, the backbone of the NCARLs research program.
During the field day, NCARL scientists will present results from select research studies conducted at the ESDSWRF. The first session will be an interactive session in the research farm building. Eric Beckendorf will present Diversity bee-yond the prairie describing a native bee survey that compares bee populations at the ESDSWRF to restored prairies. The diverse land use at the ESDSWRF, including row crops, perennial crops, uncropped prairie, and trees leads to positive bee diversity on the farm. The research talk will be followed by an informal poster discussion session in which NCARL staff will share findings from multiple studies evaluating the impact of soil and crop management practices on soil health, crop growth and yield, and insect diversity.
The second session will include a brief tour of the ESDSWRFs 150 acres. The NCARLs scientific staff will provide brief overviews and updates of ongoing research happening at the ESDSWRF. Karl Roeder will present Cover crops promote healthier, more attractive, and higher yielding sunflowers, summarizing a four-year study on soil-plant-insect interactions in sunflowers. He will discuss the positive impact of cover crops on soil properties, plant nutrients, floral rewards, bee visitation, and yield. Additional research updates include crop sequencing and rotation impact on crop growth and yield; the importance of crop residue in protecting the soil from erosion and organic matter loss; understanding how environmental patterns influence soil microbial activity; growing multiple crops simultaneously in polyculture to improve productivity and yield stability; and foraging bees exposure to pesticides throughout the growing season.
The field day is open to the public and will provide an opportunity to learn about the exciting research being conducted at the ESDSWRF by the USDA-ARS, North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory. There is no pre-registration required or cost to attend. Questions about the event can be directed to Sharon Schneider, research leader, at [email protected] or 605-693-5201.
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