National Soil Dynamics Research Laboratory

Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) have significantly increased over the past century and are expected to continue rising in the future. While elevated levels of CO2 will likely result in higher crop yields, weed growth is also highly likely to increase, which could increase the incidence of herbicide resistant biotypes. An experiment was conducted in 2012 to determine the effects of an elevated CO2 environment on glyphosate and halosulfuron efficacy for postemergence control of purple and yellow nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L. and C. esculentus L.). Both species of nutsedge where grown in 3.0-L containers under either ambient or elevated (ambient + 200 μmol mol(-1)) CO2 in open-top field chambers and treated with either 0.5×, 1.0×, or 1.5× of the manufacturer's labeled rate of halosulfuron, glyphosate, or a tank mix of the two herbicides. The growth of both nutsedge species responded positively to elevated CO2, purple nutsedge had increased shoot and root dry weights and yellow nutsedge had increased shoot, root, and tuber dry weights and counts. Few treatment differences were observed among the herbicides at any of the rates tested. At 3 weeks following herbicide application, both purple and yellow nutsedge were adequately controlled by both herbicides and combinations at all rates tested, regardless of CO2 concentration. Based on this study, it is likely that predicted future CO2 levels will have little impact on the efficacy of single applications of halosulfuron or glyphosate for control of purple and yellow nutsedge at the growth stages described here, although scenarios demanding more persistent control efforts remain a question.

This article reviews literature about the impacts of cover crops in cropping systems that affect soil and water quality and presents limited new information to help fill knowledge gaps. Cover crops grow during periods when the soil might otherwise be fallow. While actively growing, cover crops increase solar energy harvest and carbon flux into the soil, providing food for soil macro and microrganisms, while simultaneously increasing evapotranspiration from the soil. Cover crops reduce sediment production from cropland by intercepting the kinetic energy of rainfall and by reducing the amount and velocity of runoff. Cover crops increase soil quality by improving biological, chemical and physical properties including: organic carbon content, cation exchange capacity, aggregate stability, and water infiltrability. Legume cover crops contribute a nitrogen (N) to subsequent crops. Other cover crops, especially grasses and brassicas, are better at scavenging residual N before it can leach. Because growth of these scavenging cover crops is usually N limited, growing grass/legume mixtures often increases total carbon inputs without sacrificing N scavenging efficiency. Cover crops are best adapted to warm areas with abundant precipitation. Water use by cover crops can adversely impact yields of subsequent dryland crops in semiarid areas. Similarly, cooler soil temperatures under cover crop residues can retard early growth of subsequent crops grown near the cold end of their range of adaptation. Development of systems that reduce the costs of cover crop establishment and overcome subsequent crop establishment problems will increase cover crop utilization and improve soil and water quality.

Summary Consequences of increasing atmospheric CO 2 concentration on plant structure, an important determinant of physiological and competitive success, have not received sufficient attention in the literature. Understanding how increasing carbon input will influence plant developmental processes, and resultant form, will help bridge the gap between physiological response and ecosystem level phenomena. Growth in elevated CO 2 alters plant structure through its effects on both primary and secondary meristems of shoots and roots. Although not well established, a review of the literature suggests that cell division, cell expansion, and cell patterning may be affected, driven mainly by increased substrate (sucrose) availability and perhaps also by differential expression of genes involved in cell cycling (e.g. cyclins) or cell expansion (e.g. xyloglucan endotransglycosylase). Few studies, however, have attempted to elucidate the mechanistic basis for increased growth at the cellular level. Regardless of specific mechanisms involved, plant leaf size and anatomy are often altered by growth in elevated CO 2 , but the magnitude of these changes, which often decreases as leaves mature, hinges upon plant genetic plasticity, nutrient availability, temperature, and phenology. Increased leaf growth results more often from increased cell expansion rather than increased division. Leaves of crop species exhibit greater increases in leaf thickness than do leaves of wild species. Increased mesophyll and vascular tissue cross‐sectional areas, important determinates of photosynthetic rates and assimilate transport capacity, are often reported. Few studies, however, have quantified characteristics more reflective of leaf function such as spatial relationships among chlorenchyma cells (size, orientation, and surface area), intercellular spaces, and conductive tissue. Greater leaf size and/or more leaves per plant are often noted; plants grown in elevated CO 2 exhibited increased leaf area per plant in 66% of studies, compared to 28% of observations reporting no change, and 6% reported a decrease in whole plant leaf area. This resulted in an average net increase in leaf area per plant of 24%. Crop species showed the greatest average increase in whole plant leaf area (+ 37%) compared to tree species (+ 14%) and wild, nonwoody species (+ 15%). Conversely, tree species and wild, nontrees showed the greatest reduction in specific leaf area (– 14% and – 20%) compared to crop plants (– 6%). Alterations in developmental processes at the shoot apex and within the vascular cambium contributed to increased plant height, altered branching characteristics, and increased stem diameters. The ratio of internode length to node number often increased, but the length and sometimes the number of branches per node was greater, suggesting reduced apical dominance. Data concerning effects of elevated CO 2 on stem/branch anatomy, vital for understanding potential shifts in functional relationships of leaves with stems, roots with stems, and leaves with roots, are too few to make generalizations. Growth in elevated CO 2 typically leads to increased root length, diameter, and altered branching patterns. Altered branching characteristics in both shoots and roots may impact competitive relationships above and below the ground. Understanding how increased carbon assimilation affects growth processes (cell division, cell expansion, and cell patterning) will facilitate a better understanding of how plant form will change as atmospheric CO 2 increases. Knowing how basic growth processes respond to increased carbon inputs may also provide a mechanistic basis for the differential phenotypic plasticity exhibited by different plant species/functional types to elevated CO 2 .

A 3 year field study was conducted with field corn from 2005 to 2007 to test the hypothesis that microbial inoculants that increase plant growth and yield can enhance nutrient uptake, and thereby remove more nutrients, especially N, P, and K from the field as part of an integrated nutrient management system. The field trial evaluated microbial inoculants, which include a commercially available plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF), and their combination across 2 tillage systems (no-till and conventional till) and 2 fertilization regimes (poultry litter and ammonium nitrate). Data were collected on plant height, yield (dry mass of ears and silage), and nutrient content of corn grain and silage. In addition, nutrient content of soil was determined, and bioavailability of soil nutrient was measured with plant root simulator probes. Results showed that inoculants promoted plant growth and yield. For example, grain yields (kg.ha(-1)) in 2007 for inoculants were 7717 for AMF, 7260 for PGPR+AMF, 7313 for PGPR, 5725 for the control group, and for fertilizer were 7470 for poultry litter and 6537 for NH4NO3. Nitrogen content per gram of grain tissues was significantly enhanced in 2006 by inoculant, fertilizer, and their interactions. Significantly higher amounts of N, P, and K were removed from the plots with inoculants, based on total nutrient content of grain per plot. These results supported the overall hypothesis and indicate that application of inoculants can lead to reduction in the build up of N, P, and K in agricultural soils. Further studies should be conducted to combine microbial inoculants with reduced rates of fertilizer.

Abstract Excessive ammonia (NH 3 ) emitted from nitrogen (N) fertilizer applications in global croplands plays an important role in atmospheric aerosol production, resulting in visibility reduction and regional haze. However, large uncertainty exists in the estimates of NH 3 emissions from global and regional croplands, which utilize different data and methods. In this study, we have coupled a process‐based Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM) with the bidirectional NH 3 exchange module in the Community Multiscale Air‐Quality (CMAQ) model (DLEM‐Bi‐NH 3 ) to quantify NH 3 emissions at the global and regional scale, and crop‐specific NH 3 emissions globally at a spatial resolution of 0.5° × 0.5° during 1961–2010. Results indicate that global NH 3 emissions from N fertilizer use have increased from 1.9 ± 0.03 to 16.7 ± 0.5 Tg N/year between 1961 and 2010. The annual increase of NH 3 emissions shows large spatial variations across the global land surface. Southern Asia, including China and India, has accounted for more than 50% of total global NH 3 emissions since the 1980s, followed by North America and Europe. Rice cultivation has been the largest contributor to total global NH 3 emissions since the 1990s, followed by corn and wheat. In addition, results show that empirical methods without considering environmental factors (constant emission factor in the IPCC Tier 1 guideline) could underestimate NH 3 emissions in context of climate change, with the highest difference (i.e., 6.9 Tg N/year) occurring in 2010. This study provides a robust estimate on global and regional NH 3 emissions over the past 50 years, which offers a reference for assessing air quality consequences of future nitrogen enrichment as well as nitrogen use efficiency improvement.

The life cycle and morphology of a previously undescribed species of Cryptosporidium isolated from commercial broiler chickens is described. The prepatent period for Cryptosporidium baileyi n. sp. was three days post oral inoculation (PI) of oocysts, and the patent period was days 4-24 PI for chickens inoculated at two days of age and days 4-14 for chickens inoculated at one and six months of age. During the first three days PI, most developmental stages of C. baileyi were found in the microvillous region of enterocytes of the ileum and large intestine. By day 4 PI, most parasites occurred in enterocytes of the cloaca and bursa of Fabricius (BF). Mature Type I meronts with eight merozoites first appeared 12 h PI and measured 5.0 x 4.9 micrometers. Mature Type II meronts with four merozoites and a large granular residuum first appeared 48 h PI and measured 5.1 x 5.1 micrometers. Type III meronts with eight short merozoites and a large homogeneous residuum first appeared 72 h PI and measured 5.2 x 5.1 micrometers. Microgamonts (4.0 x 4.0 micrometers) produced approximately 16 microgametes that penetrated into macrogametes (4.7 x 4.7 micrometers). Macrogametes gave rise to two types of oocysts that sporulated within the host cells. Most were thick-walled oocysts (6.3 x 5.2 micrometers), the resistant forms that passed unaltered in the feces. Some were thin-walled oocysts whose wall (membrane) readily ruptured upon release from the host cell. Sporozoites from thin-walled oocysts were observed penetrating enterocytes in mucosal smears. The presence of thin-walled, autoinfective oocysts and the recycling of Type I meronts may explain why chickens develop heavy intestinal infections lasting up to 21 days. Oocysts of C. baileyi were inoculated orally into several animals to determine its host specificity. Cryptosporidium baileyi did not produce infections in suckling mice and goats or in two-day-old or two-week-old quail. One of six 10-day-old turkeys had small numbers of asexual stages only in the BF. Four of six one-day-old turkeys developed mild infections only in the BF, and sexual stages of the parasite were observed in only one of the four. All seven one-day-old ducks and seven two-day-old geese developed heavy infections only in the BF with all known developmental stages present.

ABSTRACT Plant root response to atmospheric CO 2 enrichment can be great. Results from this controlled environment investigation demonstrate substantial effects on root system architecture, micromorphology and physiology. The most pronounced effects were an increase in root length (110%) and root dry weight (143%). Root diameter, stele diameter, cortex width, root/shoot and root weight ratios all increased; root numbers did not increase. The long‐term implications for belowground processes could be enormous.

Climate change could alter terrestrial ecosystems, which are important sources and sinks of the potent green‐house gases (GHGs) nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and methane (CH 4 ), in ways that either stimulate or decrease the magnitude and duration of global warming. Using manipulative field experiments, we assessed how N 2 O and CH 4 soil fluxes responded to a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration and to increased air temperature. Nitrous oxide and CH 4 responses varied greatly among studied ecosystems. Elevated CO 2 often stimulated N 2 O emissions in fertilized systems and CH 4 emissions in wetlands, peatlands, and rice paddy fields; both effects were stronger in clayey soils than in sandy upland soils. Elevated temperature, however, impacted N 2 O and CH 4 emissions inconsistently. Thus, the effects of elevated CO 2 concentrations on N 2 O and CH 4 emissions may further enhance global warming, but it remains unclear whether increased temperature generates positive or negative feedbacks on these GHGs in terrestrial ecosystems.

Abstract An experiment was conducted on Norfolk sandy loam soil (Fine‐loamy, siliceous, thermic Typic Kandiudults) during two years to determine the feasibility of using field chlorophyll measurements for evaluation of corn (Zea mays L.) N status. Nitrogen was applied at rates of 56, 112, 168, 224, 280 and 336 kg ha‐1 to establish a range of corn chlorophyll levels, tissue N concentrations, and grain yields. At the V10 and midsilk stages of growth, field chlorophyll measurements were taken with a hand‐held chlorophyll meter (SPAD‐502 Chlorophyll Meter, Minolta Camera Co., Ltd., Japan)3 and tissue N was determined. A typical curvilinear grain yield response to N fertilizer was observed both years; maximum agronomic yields were obtained with 227 and 242 kg N ha1, respectively, in 1990 and 1991. Tissue N concentrations at V10 and midsiik were a good predictor of grain yield. Field chlorophyll measurements were highly correlated with tissue N concentrations at both growth stages during both years of the study. Field chlorophyll measurements had excellent grain yield prediction capabilities, even at V10, which shows promise for utilization of this tool for in‐season N recommendations. However, further calibration of field chlorophyll measurements will be required prior to routine use for corn N recommendation purposes.

Abstract Tillage and crop rotations influence soil characteristics and may alter nutrient availability. A study was conducted at the Sand Mountain Substation, Crossville, AL, to determine the effects of 10 yr of conservation tillage and crop rotation on soil fertility. Tillage systems included no‐till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT); crop rotations were continuous corn ( Zea mays L.)‐wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) cover (CW), continuous soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.]‐wheat for cover (SW), and corn‐wheat cover‐soybean‐wheat cover (CWSW). Soil pH, organic matter, bulk density, and Mehlich‐1 (double‐acid) extractable P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn, and Cu were determined on samples collected after 10 growing seasons. Tillage system did not affect soil pH; however, CW and CWSW crop rotations lowered soil pH due to applications of N fertilizers. Organic matter was increased from 10 g kg −1 in the surface 15 cm to 15.5 g kg −1 in the surface 10 cm after 10 yr of NT. This represents an increase in organic matter of 56%, while organic matter was constant under CT. Organic matter was affected by crop rotation and decreased in order of CW > CWSW > SW. Bulk density decreased under NT compared with CT. Crop rotations decreased bulk density in the order of CWSW > SW > CW. Double‐acid‐extractable nutrients were affected by tillage, crop rotation, and soil depth. Potassium availability was greater in the rotations CW and CWSW under CT than in the same crop sequence under NT. Rotations with a higher frequency of corn appeared to negatively affect P, Ca, and Mg availability due to lower soil pH values. Our results demonstrate that long‐term soil management practices affect soil pH, organic matter, bulk density, and nutrient availability. They further show that different tillage and crop rotations may require distinctly different soil fertility management.

Abstract Organic producers in the mid-Atlantic region of the USA are interested in reducing tillage, labor and time requirements for grain production. Cover crop-based, organic rotational no-till grain production is one approach to accomplish these goals. This approach is becoming more viable with advancements in a system for planting crops into cover crop residue flattened by a roller–crimper. However, inability to consistently control weeds, particularly perennial weeds, is a major constraint. Cover crop biomass can be increased by manipulating seeding rate, timing of planting and fertility to achieve levels (>8000 kg ha −1 ) necessary for suppressing summer annual weeds. However, while cover crops are multi-functional tools, when enhancing performance for a given function there are trade-off with other functions. While cover crop management is required for optimal system performance, integration into a crop rotation becomes a critical challenge to the overall success of the production system. Further, high levels of cover crop biomass can constrain crop establishment by reducing optimal seed placement, creating suitable habitat for seed- and seedling-feeding herbivores, and impeding placement of supplemental fertilizers. Multi-institutional and -disciplinary teams have been working in the mid-Atlantic region to address system constraints and management trade-off challenges. Here, we report on past and current research on cover crop-based organic rotational no-till grain production conducted in the mid-Atlantic region.

Abstract Four soils, ranging in texture from loamy sand to clay, were fertilized differently and equilibrated moist for several days. Soil solutions were then separated by column‐displacement, by simple centrifugation, and by immiscible displacement with CCl 4 via centrifugation. The ionic compositions of soil solutions were unaffected by the method used to obtain the solutions.

Abstract Cover crops have long been recognized as a beneficial component of many cropping systems; however, their use is still not commonplace. Usage may be increased by identifying more cost-effective and environment-friendly techniques for cover-crop management. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of using a mechanical roller-crimper as-an alternative method for killing cover crops. The study location was in east-central Alabama, using a split-split plot experimental design with four replications and 3 site-years during 1999–2000. Rye, wheat and black oat were evaluated in terms of ease of kill and optimum time of kill using a roller-crimper, two herbicides (paraquat and glyphosate) at their labeled rate, and two reduced chemical (half label rate) combinations of the same chemicals with the roller-crimper. Four Feekes' scale growth stages were used to determine optimum time of kill; 8.0 (flag leaf), 10.51 (anthesis), 10.54 (early milk) and 11.2 (soft dough). Plant growth stage was the main determining factor for effectiveness of the roller-crimper for killing the cover crops. At the flag leaf stage, the roller-crimper provided only 19% kill across all covers over the 3 site-years. After plants reached anthesis, the roller-crimper with half-rate herbicide combinations equaled the effectiveness of herbicides alone at their label rate, averaging 94% kill. By the soft dough growth stage, all kill methods were equally effective due to accelerating plant senescence (95% mean kill across kill methods). Use of the roller-crimper alone after anthesis can decrease costs by as much as $26.28 per ha, while providing a kill rate equivalent to that of herbicide treatment alone.

A reliable laboratory index of N availability would be useful for making N recommendations, but no single approach has received broad acceptance across a wide range of soils. We compared several indices over a range of soil conditions to test the possibility of combining indices for predicting potentially mineralizable N (N 0 ). Soils (0–5 and 5–15 cm) from nine tillage studies across the southern USA were used in the evaluations. Long‐term incubation data were fit to a first‐order exponential equation to determine N 0 , k (mineralization rate), and N 0 * (N 0 estimated with a fixed k equal to 0.054 wk −1 ). Out of 13 indices, five [total C (TC), total N (TN), N mineralized by hot KCl (Hot_N), anaerobic N (Ana_N), and N mineralized in 24 d (Nmin_24)] were strongly correlated to N 0 ( r > 0.85) and had linear regressions with r 2 > 0.60. None of the indices were good predictors of k Correlations between indices and N 0 * improved compared with N 0 , ranging from r = 0.90 to 0.95. Total N and flush of CO 2 determined after 3 d (Fl_CO2) produced the best multiple regression for predicting N 0 ( R 2 = 0.85) while the best combination for predicting N 0 * ( R 2 = 0.94) included TN, Fl_CO2 , Cold_N, and NaOH_N. Combining indices appears promising for predicting potentially mineralizable N, and because TN and Fl_CO2 are rapid and simple, this approach could be easily adopted by soil testing laboratories.

Abstract Cropping systems for minimum or no tillage have been developed to produce corn ( Zea mays L .) yields equal to or higher than yields obtained in conventional tillage systems, but limited research has been conducted with tillage systems involving corn and soybean [ Glycine mar (L.) Merr .] rotations. The objective of this study was to compare different cropping sequences of corn, soybean, and wheat ( Triticum aestivum L .) in conventional, strip, and no tillage. A field experiment was conducted on a Hartsell fine sandy loam (fine‐loamy, siliceous, thermic Typic Hapludults). In 1981, corn yields with no tillage were 30% lower than those from conventional tillage systems. No corn yield differences were observed in 1982 and 1984 due to tillage or crop rotation; however, in 1983, strip and no tillage in conjunction with soybean in the rotation increased corn grain yields by 12%. Soybean yields in strip and no tillage decreased 16% compared to conventional tillage yields in 1981, but in subsequent years, soybean yields increased with those systems. A significant tillage × rotation interaction in 1981, 1982, and 1983 was caused primarily by a buildup of soybean cyst nematode ( Heterodera glycines Ichinohe) (SCN) population with conventional tillage and continuous soybean. Rainfall affected soybean yields more with conventional tillage than with strip or no tillage. The conservation tillage systems (strip or no‐tillage system) in combination with corn‐soybean rotation for both full‐season or double‐cropped soybean gave the most consistent yield increase for the 4 yr.

Conservation tillage reduces the physical movement of soil to the minimum required for crop establishment and production. When consistently practiced as a soil and crop management system, it greatly reduces soil erosion and is recognized for the potential to improve soil quality and water conservation and plant available water. Adoption of conservation tillage increased dramatically with the advent of transgenic, glyphosate-resistant crops that permitted in-season, over-the-top use of glyphosate (N-[phosphonomethyl] glycine), a broad-spectrum herbicide with very low mammalian toxicity and minimal potential for off-site movement in soil or water. Glyphosate-resistant crops are currently grown on approximately 70 million ha (173 million ac) worldwide. The United States has the most hectares (45 million ha [99 million ac]) of transgenic, glyphosate-resistant cultivars and the greatest number of hectares (46 million ha [114 million ac]) in conservation tillage. The practice of conservation tillage is now threatened by the emergence and rapid spread of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth (<i>Amaranthus palmeri</i> [S.] Wats.), one of several amaranths commonly called pigweeds. First identified in Georgia, it now has been reported in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Another closely related dioecious amaranth, or pigweed, common waterhemp (<i>Amaranthus rudis</i> Sauer), has also developed resistance to glyphosate in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Missouri. Hundreds of thousands of conservation tillage hectares, some currently under USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation program contracts, are at risk of being converted to higher-intensity tillage systems due to the inability to control these glyphosate-resistant <i>Amaranthus</i> species in conservation tillage systems using traditional technologies. The decline of conservation tillage is inevitable without the development and rapid adoption of integrated, effective weed control strategies. Traditional and alternative weed control strategies, such as the utilization of crop and herbicide rotation and integration of high residue cereal cover crops, are necessary in order to sustain conservation tillage practices.

Abstract Conventional irrigation experiments and rainfall distribution‐yield studies have indicated that insufficient water during flowering and pod‐fill stages frequently limits yields of soybeans ( Glycine max (L.) Merr.). In this 3‐year experiment, field plot covers were used to control rainfall and water stress was imposed on plants at various stages of growth to determine more specifically the critical periods for irrigating soybeans for maximum yields. Soil water regimes ranged from a limited supply (10% available soil water) to adequate water (50% available) during the entire growing season. More bean production was obtained from water applied after full bloom than earlier. The pod‐fill stage, from August 15 to September 20 for ‘Bragg’ soybeans at Thorsby, Alabama, was the critical time for adequate water for maximum yields. Yields from adequately watered soybeans were 540 to 1,040 kg/ha, or 24 to 55%, greater than where water was limited throughout the growing season. Highest yield obtained under the best water regime was 3,320 kg/ha. Conditions limiting yields were not obvious.

Abstract Efforts to characterize carbon (C) cycling among atmosphere, forest canopy, and soil C pools are hindered by poorly quantified fine root dynamics. We characterized the influence of free‐air‐CO 2 ‐enrichment (ambient +200 ppm) on fine roots for a period of 6 years (Autumn 1998 through Autumn 2004) in an 18‐year‐old loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda ) plantation near Durham, NC, USA using minirhizotrons. Root production and mortality were synchronous processes that peaked most years during spring and early summer. Seasonality of fine root production and mortality was not influenced by atmospheric CO 2 availability. Averaged over all 6 years of the study, CO 2 enrichment increased average fine root standing crop (+23%), annual root length production (+25%), and annual root length mortality (+36%). Larger increase in mortality compared with production with CO 2 enrichment is explained by shorter average fine root lifespans in elevated plots (500 days) compared with controls (574 days). The effects of CO 2 ‐enrichment on fine root proliferation tended to shift from shallow (0–15 cm) to deeper soil depths (15–30) with increasing duration of the study. Diameters of fine roots were initially increased by CO 2 ‐enrichment but this effect diminished over time. Averaged over 6 years, annual fine root NPP was estimated to be 163 g dw m −2 yr −1 in CO 2 ‐enriched plots and 130 g dw m −2 yr −1 in control plots ( P = 0.13) corresponding to an average annual additional input of fine root biomass to soil of 33 g m −2 yr −1 in CO 2 ‐enriched plots. A lack of consistent CO 2 × year effects suggest that the positive effects of CO 2 enrichment on fine root growth persisted 6 years following minirhizotron tube installation (8 years following initiation of the CO 2 fumigation). Although CO 2 ‐enrichment contributed to extra flow of C into soil in this experiment, the magnitude of the effect was small suggesting only modest potential for fine root processes to directly contribute to soil C storage in south‐eastern pine forests.

Interest in using gypsum as a management tool to improve crop yields and soil and water quality has recently increased. Abundant supply and availability of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum, a by-product of scrubbing sulfur from combustion gases at coal-fired power plants, in major agricultural producing regions within the last two decades has attributed to this interest. Currently, published data on the long-term sustainability of FGD gypsum use in agricultural systems is limited. This has led to organization of the American Society of Agronomy's Community "By-product Gypsum Uses in Agriculture" and a special collection of nine technical research articles on various issues related to FGD gypsum uses in agricultural systems. A brief review of FGD gypsum, rationale for the special collection, overviews of articles, knowledge gaps, and future research directions are presented in this introductory paper. The nine articles are focused in three general areas: (i) mercury and other trace element impacts, (ii) water quality impacts, and (iii) agronomic responses and soil physical changes. While this is not an exhaustive review of the topic, results indicate that FGD gypsum use in sustainable agricultural production systems is promising. The environmental impacts of FGD gypsum are mostly positive, with only a few negative results observed, even when applied at rates representing cumulative 80-year applications. Thus, FGD gypsum, if properly managed, seems to represent an important potential input into agricultural systems.

A study was initiated to investigate the relationship between soil test P and depth of soil sampling with runoff losses of dissolved molybdate reactive phosphorus (DMRP). Rainfall simulations were conducted on two noncalcareous soils, a Windthorst sandy loam (fine, mixed, thermic Udic Paleustalf) and a Blanket clay loam (fine, mixed, thermic Pachic Argiustoll), and two calcareous soils, a Purves clay (clayey, smectitic, thermic Lithic Calciustoll) and a Houston Black clay (fine, smectitic, thermic Udic Haplustert). Soil (0- to 2.5-, 0- to 5-, and 0- to 15-cm depths) and runoff samples were collected from each of the four soils in permanent pasture exhibiting a wide range in soil test P levels (as determined by Mehlich III and distilled water extraction) due to prior manure applications. Simulated rain was used to produce runoff, which was collected for 30 min. Good regression equations were derived relating soil test P level to runoff DMRP for all four soil types, as indicated by relatively high r2 values (0.715 to 0.961, 0- to 5-cm depth). Differences were observed for the depth of sampling, with the most consistent results observed with the 0- to 5-cm sampling depth. Runoff DMRP losses as a function of the concentration of P in soil were lower in calcareous soils (maximum of 0.74 mg L(-1)) compared with noncalcareous soils (maximum of 1.73 mg L(-1)). The results indicate that a soil test for environmental P could be developed, but it would require establishing different soil test P level criteria for different soils or classes of soils.