Dr. Ray Weil- Research Projects

Multi-Purpose Cover Crops to Enhance The Environment and Farm Profitability

Cover crops are plants grown to increase the quality and productivity of the soil as well as increase the amount of carbon sequestered from the atmosphere. We are developing new cover crops, such as the Forage Radish, that can provide a wide range of benefits including the alleviation of soil compaction by root biodrilling, the capture of excess nitrogen to prevent water pollution and its subsequence release to reduce fertilizer requirements, the suppression of weeds to reduce the need for tillage and herbicides, and the regulation of the soil microbial system to enhance synergies and inhibit pathogens.

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Soil Quality Management for Sustainable Agriculture

Soil Soil quality is a concept that integrates soil physical, biological and chemical properties in a way that describes the capacity of the soil to provide such ecosystem functions as plant productivity, water purification and carbon sequestration. Optimizing the amount and quality of soil organic matter is often critical for improved soil function. We are researching sustainable farming systems that manage soil organic matter and enhance profitability, environmental quality and food production. We are also developing robust methods that can be used in the field to assess the impact of agricultural practices on soil quality.

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Active Organic Matter Test to Help Farmers Profitably Improve Soil Quality

Research Area(s): Biology and Ecology of Soils, Soil Chemistry and Biochemistry, Soil Microbiology, Soil Quality.

Soil Quality (SQ) is rapidly joining air and water quality as a major goal of natural resource management. A practical measure of SQ should emphasize soil properties that are affected by agronomic practices. Most of the functions associated with soil quality are strongly influenced by soil organic matter, especially the small portion (usually < 10% of total C) that is termed active organic C. This project integrates key chemical, physical and biological soil measurements, as well as experience-based judgements by farmers, into a SQ Index that is sensitive to management.

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Environmental Impacts of Management Intensive Grazing Based Dairy Farms

Research Areas: Land Management and Conservation, Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management.

Dairy farming in the United States has become increasingly capital-intensive, using management schemes that confine large herds of highly productive dairy cows on a small part of the farm while practicing high-input crop production on most of the land. Large machines harvest the crops and bring them to the cows while other machines haul the cow manure out to the fields to fertilize the soil. Most US dairy farms are based on such confined feeding practices. To be profitable, these farms generally use economies of scale and high milk production from a large herd to support the extensive infrastructure required. With increased herd size, a significant portion of the feed is usually purchased and imported, leading to potential nutrient loading on the farm. Read More>>

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Do Current Regulations Protect Soil Ecosystems from Metal Toxicity?

Research Area(s): Soil Microbiology, Soil Quality.

Current regulations on total metal loading to soils by sewage sludge (biosolids) in both the Europe and the US were designed to protect crops, water quality and the human food chain, but did not consider effects on soil quality, soil microorganisms or soil microbial ecosystem processes. Recent research in Europe has suggested that even at legally permissible levels, metals such as Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni and Pb may have negative impacts on soil microbial ecosystems or such key individual microorganisms as Rhizobia leguminosarum.

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Improvements in Ridge Tillage

Research Area(s): Land Management and Conservation, Soil Physics.

Ridge tillage was investigated as a possible alternative tillage system that might reduce both surface runoff and leaching down to the groundwater. We measured soil water content in a three-dimensional grid so that we could tell how ridge tillage affected the distribution of water in the soil profile.

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Last updated: 04/29/2010